WHEN grilled over Liverpool’s faltering first steps under his tenure, Roy Hodgson claimed he should only be judged after 10 Premier League games.

And having reached that mark yesterday at the Reebok Stadium the verdict that must surely be returned is simple: getting better, but still far from good enough. Any threat of a Halloween horror was averted with Maxi Rodriguez’s late strike dragging Liverpool out of the relegation zone with their first away league win in more than six months.

The Argentine’s only previous goal for the club came in that triumph at Burnley back in April, his team’s third in a 4-0 romp. However, his effort four minutes from time yesterday will have far greater resonance for both Liverpool and their manager’s fledging Anfield career.

With champions and league leaders Chelsea to visit Anfield next week, Hodgson is perhaps wise not to definitively state a corner has been turned. But at least supporters no longer have to view the league table while peering from over the back of the couch.

“Quality is permanent” responded the Liverpool manager when asked post-match about the ongoing debate over the form of Fernando Torres, a statement the striker justified following a largely tortuous afternoon in which he appeared every inch a man struggling for confidence.

Yet having spent 86 minutes as though possessing two left feet, it was the Spaniard’s deft backheel through the legs of Gary Cahill that released Rodriguez to shoot straight through Bolton goalkeeper Juusi Jaaskelainen and in off the underside of the crossbar to the delight of the away supporters packed behind the goal.

The ecstatic nature of those celebrations, and the jubilant, defiant reaction of Jamie Carragher, demonstrated what these three points meant. But if this was a big result for Liverpool, it was similarly important for their manager’s reputation.