London: Liverpool hosts Bolton in the Premier League on Saturday with manager Roy Hodgson urging fans to set aside hostility toward him and support the team in its efforts to pull clear of the relegation zone.
Fans jeered Hodgson again on Wednesday and chanted for former Liverpool great Kenny Dalglish to replace him during a 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers that left the five-time European champions just three points from danger.
But Hodgson says the attitude of fans used to a place among England's elite is putting pressure on players still trying to adapt to a new style of play.
"Ever since I came here the famous Anfield support has not really been there," Hodgson said. "I can only hope we do have good supporters and I hope these fans become supporters as well because this is a time when the club needs support.
"We are not deliberately losing these matches or deliberately not playing to the best of their ability. Now is the time for people to really try to help us along because it is not through want of trying."
But defeat to sixth-place Bolton could drop Liverpool into the bottom three if results elsewhere go against it.
Bottom two sides West Ham and Wolverhampton Wanderers meet Saturday, but the other six teams below 12th-place Liverpool could overtake the Reds over the weekend.
With Birmingham hosting Arsenal on Saturday and Aston Villa at Chelsea on Sunday, that is unlikely, but just the possibility shows the depth of Liverpool's problems.
With more than half Hodgson's first season with Liverpool still to play, the Reds are 12 points behind the Champions League places and 16 behind leader Manchester United.
Bolton lost 1-0 at Chelsea on Wednesday but has been transformed under manager Owen Coyle this season, raising the possibility of ending an eight-match losing streak against Liverpool.
"We were in control for large portions of the match," Coyle said. "I'm disappointed for the group of players because we deserved a lot more than we got tonight. We were positive from the outset and we will look maintain that positivity and focus when we visit Liverpool on Saturday.
"We can't affect what is behind us and we'll go to Anfield looking to get to our maximum."
Bolton is aiming to close a four-point gap on fifth-place Tottenham, which is unbeaten in eight matches and hosts Fulham in another of Saturday's eight matches.
Spurs won twice with 10 men over the past week, so will have to cope with the suspension of defender Younes Kaboul and striker Jermain Defoe.
"We're in good form," Spurs defender Sebastien Bassong said. "We've just got to carry on, keep working and stay with our feet on the floor. Working is the main word and then we'll see what's going to happen in the end.
"It's another London derby, it's a home game and there's no other option apart from winning. We've got to win, that's it."
At the top of the table, United is at West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City hosts Blackpool.
Stoke hosts Everton and Blackburn is at Sunderland in Saturday's other matches, while Newcastle is at Wigan on Sunday.
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