Jamie Redknapp well wide of mark...
Redknapp slammed Torres for what he saw as a "diabolical" performance against Birmingham City at the weekend but Hodgson has dismissed such assertions as inaccurate.
"It is very wrong for people to read someone's state of mind from watching them play 90 minutes' football," the Reds boss told reporters.
"You have to be some wonder psychologist to be able to do that. I can't watch a player and tell you what state of mind he is in. Fernando certainly isn't fed up. Criticism is something we have to live with. We bear strong expectations at this club and everyone is interested in us.
"We fill newspapers and airtime and, of course, everything that happens at the club is put under the microscope and that includes players' performances. He is a front player, they are heroes or villains.
"The week before against West Brom he was the hero, the game later he is the villain.
"These things happen. But Torres is in a good mental condition. He is an excellent player and very much committed and focused on this season."
Nevertheless, it looks likely that Torres will not be in the Reds team which faces Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League this week.
Hodgson has admitted that the Europa League will be a chance to fringe players to try and impress as he looks to manage his squad's fitness through a long season.
"It's up to me to try and choose a team tomorrow that will firstly win the game and secondly possibly give some of the players that are going to be needed against United a break," he added.
"I shall make changes to the team against Steaua. There's no question of that — it's something I've planned all along.
"I don't think there is any point of having a squad of 25 players and then just trying to play the same 11 every game.
"It's important to keep everybody on board and for me to get to know my players better.
"I shall be using these games in the Europa League and the Carling Cup to try and get a better knowledge of the players to make certain as time goes on that I have no doubts about what our best 11 is.
"What we will do is pretty much what Sir Alex did," Hodgson added, referring to the Scot's decision to make 10 changes to the Manchester United side that faced Rangers on Tuesday.
"We will look at the squad, at who is fit and raring to go, and we will put that team on the field.
"If there are changes and we don't do well, everyone will turn round and say you shouldn't have done it.
"If you play the same 11 and lose, then people will say you shouldn't have done it, as you have a big game on Sunday.
"But I don't take any of those things into consideration.
"Criticism and complaints have been a part of football for time immemorial if you are a manager or a player.
"It's up to us to make sure our decisions are always made in a professional manner and not for fear of what people will say."
Hodgson has also promised improvement in his side's performances after a solid if unspectacular start to his reign at Anfield, though he has refused to set a specific timescale.
"There are lots of people out there. Not everyone thinks alike," he said.
"The players are working very hard and trying hard to do the right things. We'll get better but I'm not prepared to set a timescale.
"But we do need to be more creative, we need to be better defensively, better at set-plays. We need to be better at all the things we work at.
"I came from a team where I had been for 2½ years with the same players, same ideas and same philosophy.
"Now I am at one where I am trying to put a team and a philosophy together.
"But I do look forward to these things. The day you stop looking forward to games because you are too afraid of criticism if it doesn't work out is the day you have to walk away from the job."
sumber: goal.com
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