David Ngog helps Roy Hodgson breathe easier

Rabotnicki 0, Liverpool 2

David Ngog took advantage of a defensive gaffe to open Liverpool s account David Ngog took advantage of a defensive gaffe to open Liverpool's account

ROY Hodgson's forte in a managerial career spanning more than three decades has been to help teams punch above their weight and he might try to argue that he is ­already repeating that trick at Liverpool.

Having dressed up this Europa League qualifier in sweltering Macedonia as an experience to endure rather than enjoy, so his first competitive match in charge passed off without hiccup.

Hodgson’s worst fears were misplaced as a makeshift side sauntered to a victory gleaned through two David Ngog goals of differing quality that will render the return leg of this third-round tie a formality.

Seldom can the new Liverpool manager have envisaged being so happy to have been proved so wrong.

A year to the day since embarking on the adventure that took former club Fulham all the way to the final - and did much in the process to earn him the manager’s job on Merseyside - another continental campaign is up and running for Hodgson.

In truth, his pessimism on the eve of this encounter had always appeared excessive given FK Rabotnicki’s limitations. The harsh appraisal of Liverpool’s current predicament was perhaps designed more to hurry up the club hierarchy in pressing ahead with his rebuilding plans than anything else.

Hodgson stood a couple of yards in front of the dug-out throughout a low-key encounter, cursing occasionally when a misplaced pass went nowhere in particular or possession was conceded carelessly, but otherwise there was little to stoke his ire and few new conclusions to be drawn. His squad does not lack experience – only David Amoo, 19, who started the game had never made a senior appearance – but rather the quality to thrive when the stakes are infinitely higher.

It remains to be seen whether Hodgson has the time and, more importantly, resources to implement all of the changes he will deem necessary for when Arsenal go to Anfield on August 15. “I’m pleased, but I am not going to come out and make statements on how wonderful this team is because we have a lot of good players to come back into the side,” he said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever said the squad is in need of a major overhaul. What I want to do is add one or two players.”

Where Ngog features in his 25-man squad for the Premier League may need to be re-addressed after he posted the first landmarks in Hodgson’s new tenure.

French striker Ngog was asked to shoulder too much responsibility when Fernando Torres was injured last season and suffered. But he has his merits and one of the decisions facing Hodgson is whether he can commit to trying to polish the youngster’s talents.

The locals in the half-built Philip II Arena turned out in droves, but expectation proved too weighty for Rabotnicki and it was all they could muster to behave as the perfect hosts.

Ngog opened the scoring when he latched on to a quickly taken free-kick by Lucas, who was captain for the evening, but he was ably assisted by a mix-up between goalkeeper Martin Bogatinov and Egzon Belica.

Rather than one of them taking charge of the situation, they left it to each other and presented Ngog with the simple task of rolling the ball into a gaping net.

He served notice of his ability once again just before the hour with a sumptuous volley that betrayed the difficulty of the chance. A daring dash down the right by young right-back Martin Kelly, afforded a few words of wisdom by Hodgson as the sides went off at half-time, ended with a clever cross which Ngog dispatched with aplomb.

The moment served as a reality check to Rabotnicki who, although never managing to test Diego Cavalieri, had briefly dreamed of parity.

When Sotirios Kyrgiakos, booed mercilessly throughout due to his Greek nationality, misjudged a long ball, Olive ira Vandeir was given a rare sighting of goal only to scuff the chance . In contrast, Hodgson will find positives that Liverpool’s footing was rather more sure.

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