Wanderers fans might have heard some familiar echoes in Roy Hodgson's words this week as the Liverpool boss raked over his side’s shock 1-0 defeat against Wolves.

Up against a set of supporters who were opposed to his appointment, the browbeaten manager’s post-match call for unity on Wednesday night was like the proverbial red rag to a bull to the Kop regulars, who took his comments as a slight at their loyalty.

Hodgson hasn’t been able to do a lot right since taking over at Anfield, seeing his stock plummet after what was statistically Liverpool’s worst start to a league season for 57 years.

The situation was magnified by intense boardroom battles, as fan-led groups battled hard to rid the club of its American owners, and by the fact that shortly after Hodgson was unveiled as manager, it emerged that Kop legend Kenny Dalglish was overlooked for the job.

Responding to the abuse suffered in midweek – Hodgson could almost be reading from the same script used by Gary Megson, who ended his tenure at the Reebok a year ago this week.

“I am getting used to it, that’s the way it is,” said the former Fulham boss, who admits personal abuse from the supporters has started to affect his players.

“We’ve had to live with that for quite some time now, as ever since I have been here the famous Anfield support hasn't really been there.

“There were problems with the owners, then Kenny (Dalglish) being so popular and not getting the job and it being given to me.

“It’s sad and I don’t like hearing those things because I am trying to do the best job that I can do.”

His exasperation was along similar lines to that expressed many times by Gary Megson in his stormy two-and-a-half years at Bolton, and, like the former Wanderers boss, Hodgson was forced into an apology on the eve of this afternoon’s game.

Shortly after his infamous “pathetic” rant, Megson climbed down 24 hours later to say he had only aimed his comments to a small section of the Wanderers support that night at Ewood Park.

Time will tell whether Hodgson has burned his own bridges, but one thing is for sure, the last man the Reds boss will want to see in the opposite dugout this afternoon is Owen Coyle, who has already seen Sam Allardyce and Chris Hughton pick up their P45 after getting the better of them on the pitch.

Odds on Hodgson becoming the next Premier League manager to be sacked tumbled from 5/1 to 6/5 in 24 hours after the Wednesday night defeat, and many are speculating that a poor show against Wanderers might well be the final nail in his coffin, in what is traditionally a difficult time of year to be a manager under threat. With serious questions being asked about Hodgson's future Coyle was quick to defend his opposite number who he feels could still turn things around.

“It is the nature of football at the moment,” he said. “Every week a different manager loses their job.

“Last week it was Mark Hughes and Mick McCarthy before both lads went and got some terrific results and now it's someone else's turn.

“Roy Hodgson was manager of the year last year because he’s a fantastic manager.

“Are they in a transitional period? Absolutely. But does that take away from Roy as a manager? No, it doesn’t.

“I think if he’s given time to get through it, he’ll be an even better manager for that experience.”A survey in May showed that the average life expectancy for a Premier League manager is just 1.4 years, a figure that is now likely to be lower after Allardyce and Hughton’s recent departures.

Coyle reckons the impatience among supporters and in the boardroom have changed the vista considerably for managers in recent years, “Every manager, unless you’re at the top of the league, is going to be under that scrutiny,” he said. “It’s not just results based any more. You look at Chris Hughton or Big Sam, they didn’t lose their jobs because they were losing games.

“The patience of fans or football clubs wears thinner by the year. Facts show us that and it’s sad.

“I’ve said before that you do well and you move on, or you don’t and you're moved on but now it’s been added to because you can do well and still be moved on.”

While Coyle has his own worries, going to Merseyside with just 15 fit players, he is not concerned that the mood around Anfield could potentially hand his side an advantage, “Roy will know he’s playing a decent side,” he said. “People can say what they want about Liverpool, they have a squad packed with world class players.

“We know if they get to their heights, as they did against Chelsea, that they are a very, very good team.

“We are respectful but equally I want my group to be on the front foot, be positive in the match and go there in the belief we can win the game.”