Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has jumped to the defence of former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole.
Cole has struggled since joining on a free transfer in the summer, but Hodgson remains confident the 28-year-old will go on to have a major say in the club's season.
"It's a good sign he said that because it takes a certain type of player to be able to face up and be so honest," Hodgson told the club's website. "It's better coming from him than it is coming from me. When people look at him or, say, Fernando [Torres] to criticise, I as a manager feel it comes upon me in my responsibilities to stand in the way.
"I've got to protect because I know how hard both of them work and I know how badly they want to play well for Liverpool. Football is not a science. It is a sport. Sometimes you are in better form than others. If you are a good player, like Joe and like Fernando, you play better more often."
Hodgson added: "There have been flashes of quality - notably the ball he produced for Torres in the win over Blackburn. I think Joe has done well in that he is so committed, he works his socks off and he wants to do well here.
"He is a quality player. But we haven't seen the best of him. Absolutely not. There is more to come from him and he knows that."
