13 Dec 2010

"You'll Never Walk Alone" (Unless your name is Roy Hodgson)

After the defeat to Newcastle, fans are back on the 'Sack Roy Hodgson!' campaign trail; the personal and professional denigration of Liverpool's manager has intensified, and the fans, with their tunnel vision and inability to be fair, are once again deliberately ignoring the realities of the situation.

On its website, Spirit of Shankly states that "Supporter ownership of Liverpool Football Club" is its ultimate aim.

*shudder*

The idea of that makes my blood run cold, and I hope and pray it never comes to pass. It would be a disaster of epic proportions, blighted by over-emotional, vindictive kneejerk decision-making, classless double standards and rank hypocrisy.

The response to Hodgson has been - and continues to be - a mixture of lies, personal ridicule, professional and personal denigration, deliberate exaggeration and ceaseless negativity, which (IMO) just shows once again that Liverpool 'fans' would not be fit to run the club.

Just look at the ridiculous 'face-rub' video posted by alleged fan-sites like 'Empire of the Kop', literally five minutes after the game finished. Things like that are done to deliberately incite ridicule of the manager. It's a disgrace. Is this the 'Liverpool Way'?

Thankfully, we have intelligent and reasonable people like Kenny Dalglish and John Henry in charge; and once again, Dalglish has brought fair-minded insight to the situation with his latest comments:

“It’s a transitional period for the club, Roy came in very late on in the summer, his players were away on international duty, he took a while to assess the staff, and by the time he did that he had run out of time in the transfer market.

“Through no fault of Roy Hodgson’s, it is a transitional period. The takeover rightly took precedence over everything else. The club has settled down a lot more now and has some stability. Now we need to get results on the pitch.

“Roy Hodgson will decide if he needs to improve the squad. If he sees a weakness I’m sure he’ll ask the owners for finance. I don’t think there’s anybody trying to get away. They’ve all committed themselves to the club for a long time, we were delighted when they did, and I can’t see any reason why they would change their minds.”


Liverpool's principal owner John Henry also said the following recently:

"The club has gone through a very difficult period and the period has not ended. Blaming the manager...is simply wrong...there is no quick fix to the plague of problems at the club".

Hmmm. Who should I listen to? A rabid, baying mob of unreasonable, overwrought fans, or a vastly experienced Anfield legend and the Owner of the club?

There are dozens of valid, compelling reasons why the club has struggled in the first part of the season; I've outlined these repeatedly over the last few months (and many of them are self-evident anyway). I can't be bothered to list them all again, and if people choose to just ignore the reality and context of the situation, that's their problem.

You'll Never Walk Alone? It used to mean something, but now it's become a tragically ironic mantra. Fans have dishonoured that philosophy with their treatment of Hodgson. Clearly, it should be changed to 'You'll Never Walk Alone...unless your name is Roy Hodgson'.

Author: Jaimie K


2,025 comments:

  1. The pre-requisites for not being left to walk alone in a storm are:

    - Holding your head up high
    - Not being afraid

    Hodgson has done neither, it is in his DNA to let his head down, play the little club act, be defensive, be afraid to take the game to the opposition especially away etc, and worse of all TO ACTUALLY SUGGEST THAT THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE THERE TO SUPPORT HIM ARE JUST "A DISTRACTION".

    Never has the clubs anthem been more true. To the new manager and new players, look at Roy and realise if you show leadership, grit and determination you will have an army behind you. If you don't, the rank and file will destroy you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. <span>Hmmm. Who should I listen to? A rabid, baying mob of unreasonable, overwrought fans, or a vastly experienced Anfield legend and the Owner of the club?</span>

    Isn't this the same Kenny who has "been out of the game for too long"? And the owner has never been in the game. So yes I suggest you listen to the fans as they ARE the club, and they have MILLIONS of years experience between them. Not the holders of the keys or owner of a paper contract.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Jaimie, not many people has this kind of opinion. Everyone expects things to be instant (like everything else in the world!). All these news, opinion, etc on the internet, blog, etc certainly has made big damages to people opinion. The Anti Hodgson has aready started even when he's not started yet. It's sad to see this is happening.
    I don't like Hodgson as manager, but I support and will continue to support and respect him because he is LFC's manager!

    ReplyDelete
  4. No, I will listen to one of LFC's greatest ever players and managers.  The baying mob can go to hell.  Fans are no longer the club; many fans are actually detrimental to the club nowadays, and the disgraceful treatment of Hodgson is evidence of that.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ynwa- unless you are called Joe cole.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jamie,

    It definitely looks as if you're walking alone with this one.

    Looking thru some of the comments on your previous articles you certainly appear to court contoversy - and in fact very little suppory for your views.

    On this one - your flying solo.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Totally different.  I criticise Cole;  that is warranted.  Criticism of Hodgson is also warranted. I have not called for Cole to be sacked; I don't personally slag him off; make stuff up about him; exaggerate his flaws etc.  That's the difference. I still want Cole to succeed, and I've stated that many times.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Let's start with the first fact YNWA is a song we sing because it was sang by a scouser and played a lot at anfield during the 60's..... FACT. It's not a religion, it's a song. I love it but it is a song (and if you care to look its not even Gerry's)
    Next fact - we are no longer a power we're middle of the table at best because that is where we are and as I always believe a table does not lie.
    Now ask who brought us here? 

    Now, if you like , take all your facts and figures for GH RB and RH and compare them to BS,BP,etc need I say more. Show me a consistant improvement under RH? I can't see it.
    We have a team that beat Chelsea, great but what are chelsea now. Actually they are crap and as it now appears we were the first to beat them under their current form.

    really though, I couldn't be arsed even writing this and I can't believe you think that Woy has the answers sorry just can't be arsed.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fine with me.  I'm not looking for support of my views; that's not why I write.  I just give my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Spot on Jaimie. I can't wait for the day fellow Reds as Henry to sell-up because he just won't do as they want. Our club run by supporters is a horror scenario.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sections of fellow Reds let Hodgson and some of his signings walk alone even before the first ball had been kicked this season. That surely would destroy anyone and now it is working against our club.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jaimie,

    I agree.

    I don't know if Roy Hodgson is the right manager for Liverpool. I hope he is. I fear he isn't.

    But the fact is he is the manager now. The Liverpool way is to support the manger. I'm embarrassed by the actions of some fans, who presumably buoyed by the removal of Hicks and Gillette have continued their campaign, but now the manager is the target.

    Hodgson has inherited a poor team by the high standards of LFC. The owners were removed only after the transfer window closed. He has had little opportunity to strengthen the team really.

    Having said that, two of the three players he has bought are poor. Konchesky can only have been bought because he is English. I can think of no other reason.

    Also, Roy does say some very strange and worrying things.

    So, I'm not convinced he is the right man for the job. I hope he is, and while he is I'll support him.

    January will be a very interesting month. There can surely be no-one now who doesn't think we need to make some very significant purchases in the transfer window if we wish to avoid complete humiliation this season. After that? we'll see......

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very hypocritical of you considering your constant posts about Rafa Benitez

    ReplyDelete
  14. Jamie

    The results speak for themsleves, its not personal.  Everybody agrees that RH is a nice fella but LFC is going in the wrong direction and enough is enough.

    - 6 wins from 17 games!! 
    - 1 game away from half way through the seaon and... we have a minus goal difference

    <span></span>
    This is all FACT, no lies, <span>no deliberate exaggeration or ceaseless negativity</span>

    Every football manager in the world is judged on results and performance - why should LFC be any different?  I accept that we are no longer the mightiest club in the land, but we are not second rate either.  It is just not good enough, and the fans have every right to voice their frustrations, after all we are Liverpool football club.

    "Judge me after 12 games....?"

    You need to climb down form your high horse, because you are wrong.  No more excuses please... Taxi for Hodgson

    ReplyDelete
  15. Apart from all that Mr Kanwar, do you REALLY believe Hodgson is good enough to get us out of this mess? I don't. I think the vitriol and frustration (and it is over the top) stems from the fact that most fans didn't want him as manager and thought he wasn't good enough and for whatever reason the performances this season have, they believe, proved them right. And lets not forget there was a certain amount of unwarranted hatred towards Benitez from a section of "fans". I think we'd all agree he'd be a better option than Hodgson at the moment.........

    ReplyDelete
  16. I support and respect the position.......not the current incumbent.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I tend to agree.  While I did not want Hodgson as Manager, and continue to question whether he is right for the job, I also know that any Liverpool manager will get my continued support for as long as they hold the role so I wont be joining in with the 'Hodgson Out' brigade.  Some of the stuff being pumped out by other websites is simply a disgrace and embarrasment to all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Over past months I got the feeling that the 'public opinion' among fellow Reds is mostly made up by people who expect instant success but fail to consider the current state and situation of the club. You may or may not call these people 'glory hunters' or 'deluded'. I just find it very sad indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  19. God, this again?!  How many times: Hodgson is 5 months into his reign.  Benitez had 6 years!  Why can't you see the difference?  It is perfectly fair to criticise Benitez in his 6th year - he'd had enough time and money to get things right. He didn't deserve any more leniency after that amount of time. This is such an obvious point.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Jaimie,
    I see no rabid mob. Just a lot of long standing fans who despite having always supported managers 100%, and can now clearly see the direction Mr Hodgson is taking us.
    When appointed I really hoped that Mr Hodgsons experience and man management ability could see us through the H&G era.
    Instead what I have seen can best be described like a "rabbit in headlights". He has been out of his depth at every level. Why?:
    1. In the transfer market he has used a significant transfer and wages budget to purchase average old players on ridiculous long term contracts, and release younger players on loan better than those highly paid players he has brought in, eg Brad Jones Poulsen and Konchesky for Gulacsi, Aqua and Insua. Thank goodness Comoli was brought in!
    2. Ridiculous comments to press: eg better team at Everton, not defending Torres after Fergies ridiculous tirade, draw will be good at White Hart Lane....etc....
    3. Tactical ineptness demonstrated by him never having a Plan B if things aren't going to plan, and an unwillingness to use substitutes until 85 minutes have passed.
    4. Poor man-management: This is the area I really hoped he would achieve great things... I hoped Aqua and Babel would really progress here; instead they have done nothing and he has at one stage or other upset a number of senior players, eg Agger, Johnson, Torres, Reina....
    5. Body language on touchline and in front of camera exudes negativity, which transcends onto the pitch.
    There are numerous other reasons; far too many to name.

    I have tried to be objective and balanced and give Mr Hodgson a chance; but I just cant seem to get past the conclusion that he is out of his depth and needs to go, sooner rather than later.

    If because I disagree with your opinion, this means I am part of the 'baying mob' then so be it. I certainly wont resort to classifying all individuals with a ridiculous description, just because they have different views to my own.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I support JK's views, and i know many supporters who do too. I was at the game on Saturday and actually thought there were as many postives as there were negatives. Ngog didn't stop running until he got his head smacked in and is starting to fulfill the potential i've tried to argue he has for years now. Meireles is looking settled now and pulling in some brilliant performances including Saturday. We passed the ball very well at times and the hoofball that people keep criticising is only coming from the back who look very shaky to say the least. Konchesky is struggling to raise his game to the required standard and Skrtel didnt have a great game but with Carragher and Agger injured i don't see what Roy could do differently. Yes there were negatives, poor defending, Torres looked so uninterested it was cringeworthy, kuyt is still struggling to find form and Lucas misplaced quite a few balls (unusual for him so far this season) but i don't see how this is the managers fault.

    The mentality of the fans seems to be:

    POSITIVES - The individual players rebelling agianst Hodgsons negative tactics.
    NEGATIVES - The players are down hearted by Hodgsons negative tactics.

    What are these negative tactics? I certainly didn't see them on Saturday or against Tottenham and yet some poor indicvidual errors, missed opportunities and a bit of bad luck means we've lost both of them.

    Hodgson can take some blame for the defeats but the level of abuse from fans is ridiculous and I refuse to be a part of it.

    I'm with JK.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I think he bought Konchesky because at the time we had exactly zero senior left-backs on our books. Insua was supposed to sign a deal in Italy. Who would have thought that the kid was too greedy.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I hoped he would do well at the beginning, was encouraged by the Arsenal game, but, since then, things have just steadily got worse. The high point, the win vs Chelsea, has even been put into context now and I don't see what supporters are meant to do, cheer him as he takes us to the championship? I keep hearing the saying, with regard to Torres, Reina, Tevez, Rooney, Adebayor, Fabregas, to name a few, that no one is bigger than the club. But by giving Hodgson a season we are giving away any hope of success to show some level of loyalty. The club will suffer for it. Just like last season, when I thought Benitez should have gone after the Pompey game. We might have got somewhere in the cup and still made 4th place. This time, we are watching the games passing by and the club is doing nothing. And every week the club's chances of making Europe get slimmer. Once Torres and co don't see European football coming next season they are gone, and you can't blame them if we keep the same manager. Not only that, and I fear it is happening to an extent already, once they are gone in their own minds, it will be hard for them to maintain any form. I already feel that Reina's performances have been slipping. Torres might still be trying to get back to his best, and he is keeping fit at the moment, but Reina has no such excuse. 

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sadly the fans are the club. I say sadly, because I happen to agree with you on the point of giving Roy time and a bit of patience, and the behaviour of a large number of fans has been pretty poor. But without the fans, LFC does not "exist." Shanks knew this, and he was able to harness the massive influence of the collective voice of the fans. I'm afraid Hodgson is failing to do this. And I think it's down to a number of mistakes he's made away from the football field. As a Liverpool manager, you have to have an affinity with the fans. I know you won't like this Jamie, but I believe this is something that Benitez managed to achieve. By publicly losing it with Fergie, Allardyce et al., he may have turned the media off to his ways, but he won the hearts of the fans. In contrast, after the Man U game, Roy seemed to tiptoe around Fergie, almost appearing to assuage him by not sticking up for his own players.

    At the risk of inciting some hateful responses, I need to give you a newsflash, Jamie... the vast majority of football fans in this country are a little bit, let's say "challenged." It's the same for Liverpool supporters. And that's why, in my opinion, Roy is receiving such vitriol. He hasn't appealed to the base, tribalistic instincts of the common football fan; he has acted in a sensible, measured and diplomatic way. Fans don't understand this kind of behaviour. They need to see some bozo slagging off the opposition manager. Fergie has done this to great effect for years. Does he really believe that there should've been 15 minutes of added on time when his team were still trailing? Course he doesn't. But he's shrewd enough to know that this is what the fan wants to hear. Blame the ref, blame the kit, slag the opposition, but don't under any circumstances provide a calm, methodical and truthful version of events.

    Benitez, to a degree, understood this too, which is why he got (and continues to get) such a robust defence from the fans. I fear Roy's missed the boat. Only time will tell. But I just hope he starts slagging off some opposition managers soon!!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a naive comment. I never seem to agree with Jamie but let's be clear, YNWA is emblazoned on our club crest

    ReplyDelete
  26. I really want to see LFC succeed. But it has been depressing seeing the way Liverpool play lately. Roy has taken this club into a mid-table mindset. We are losing our identity. How much time is needed? The pundits wanted a British manager and they got it. Now where are we?

    ReplyDelete
  27. I am not sure whether Inter fans would currently agree with BenĂ­tez being the better option than Hodgson.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hardly flying solo.  There are plenty of us who agree with this.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Two away wins in two years - not good enough. If last year was bad - which it was - then this year is shambolic.
    As in any business, there is no room for sentiment with an underperforming manager.
    Not because of face rubbing, speech impediments, hairstyle or press conference demeanour. Just results.

    Not good enough.

    ReplyDelete
  30. My honest opinion is he's not right for the job, I've commented on your Facebook link to this article as I had trouble getting on here before, the personal abuse is not right , ridicule is not right, but if someone has genuine reasons for thinking he's not right, as I believe I do, then I don't see a problem with those opinions, am I calling for his sacking...? I don't think I am, I wouldn't lose sleep if he were to leave now, as I said on the Facebook comment I hope I'm proved wrong

    ReplyDelete
  31. i agree with you Jaimie. we should stand by and support whoever is the manager. however that doesnt stop me from beinmg very unhappy and unsatisfeid with hodgson and i hope he does get sacked.

    ReplyDelete
  32. At what point does criticism become warranted?  1 year? 5 years? 6 months?

    What day are you able to wake up and think 'yes, today is the days he's had too long and can be judged'?

    I suppose we could leave him in charge and see what mess we are in at the end of the season or we could bring in someone who has a history of success to see if we can challenge for a CL spot.

    ReplyDelete
  33. <p><span><span>Deleting all over the place today aren't you Kanwar? I know this won't get posted as I am clearly banned for having the audacity to point out your plethora of hypocrisy but I know you will read it.</span></span>
    </p><p><span><span>You must feel very small. Imagine not having the courage of your convictions to allow posting that doesn't agree with you. How very precious. I know people tell you that you are a joke on an hourly basis but you really should give some attention to it, you must know really - since you have to delete posts to protect your 'image'. The fact you continue to rally against all evidence to the contrary about our manager is laughable and totally at odds with the whole concept of your site. I could list your hypocrisy all day but don't need to - you know already - hence you have to protect yourself. No army of fawning acolytes will make up for what you know deep down, you are a crank and your opinion is so inverted to the benefit of my club that it is a joke. See you at Anfield - sorry I forgot, real fans don't go to the game do they? You. Are. A. Joke.</span></span></p>

    ReplyDelete
  34. Criticism IS warranted.  I haven't argued otherwise.  It's everything else that goes with it that's wrong: calling for Hodgson to be sacked; personally ridiculing him; exaggerating his flaws; point blank lying about figures to make him look even worse etc.  Criticism is always warranted, even from day 1, as long as it's fair.  Criticism of Hodgson has not been fair because fans have completely ignored the context and reality of the situation, something that Dalglish and Henry have tried to point out.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I was one of the supporters of Roy..well at least i believed that we should back him at least until christmas.

    Well Christmas is fast approaching. We have a away record better than Wolves...fantastic.

    There is clearly a underlying problem here. Roy had an appalling away record with Fulham. It is being repeated here.

    ReplyDelete
  36. The ghost of Gillet and Hicks12:36 pm, December 13, 2010

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

    ReplyDelete
  37. Jamie I disagree with your piece.  LFC is the people, it's the supporters whom buy a ticket each week, whom spend their hard earned money to buy their hero's kit.

    Unfortunately RH is out of his depth, his a small fish in a big pond.  His made this team a mid table team.  His strengths lie in making average players, play at their best ability recently seen with Maxi, Babel and to some extent Ngog (similar to what he did at Fulham).  But how about the world class players Gerrard, Torres and now the ever reliable Reina, they seem demotivated, out of sorts, as the LFC Manager I would expect this person to get the most out of these match winners first and them work on the squad players.  How will RH attract world class players when he it seems he cannot effectively manage the one he has?
    When I see his defeatest image on TV or that puzzled look of WTF! what do I do next?! this is not promising or helpful.  I agree that the taunts, chants and magnified images of making RH foolish is wrong, but in my opinion (and a lot others) this man cannot take us out of this transitional period.  Mid table and getting the best out of average players is his world, we at LFC want world beaters.  Being realistic this may be a season away but why waste time, get the manager whom will be able to deliver thist!

    The season is gone already, so why wait I ask.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Jaimie, dun worry, Roy won't walk alone...he has you, me and RAFFFAAAAAAAA...remember? We will always support the manager, even if he (touch wood) got us relegated, which I highly doubt it will happen because we will get that 4th place this season...like I said in your previous post, this is the most promising season I ever seen...with ROY in charge we will soon be a power house again!!! We will be the most feared team in england and in Europe...

    IN ROY WE TRUST!!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hodsgons record simply isnt commensurate with managing Liverpool, and to date his performance underlines the presumption made by many. Hodgson has had plenty of time in football to establish his lack of ability.He isnt an unkown entity. Not to mention his complete lack of connection with the city. You are talking about a football club. Some fans are talking about something more.

    ReplyDelete
  40. kenny has to publicly support the manager But we all know what he really thinks when he thought he should have been considered before hodgson! Obviously he thinks hodgson isn't good enough or he wouldn't have applied himself!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Jaimie can you please explain to us all why YOU think Hodgson is GOOD ENOUGH to manager this club?? I sure as hell can not think of 1 reason why he is.... He couldn't run a bath for gods sake

    ReplyDelete
  42. What like..... Barcelona?

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hodgson:"This is not good enough for a team that wants to be in the top half of the table" TOP HALF OF THE TABLE AAAAAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!! This is why we want him out!! Aim for the ceiling you'll hit the floor, aim for the sky and you'll land in the stars.... Bill Shankly, Nuff said. 

    ReplyDelete
  44. Jamie, forget the fact that Roy is the manager of a football club for one moment and consider how you would feel as the owner or share holder in a multi-million pound company, if the manager of your core business displayed to a world-wide audience the level of desperation and panic Roy did on Saturday evening. As an owner I would be gravely concerned, as a shareholder, I would be asking questions of the board as to the ability and character of the manager to do the job.
    I have no tangible share in Liverpool other than the time, passion and hard earned money I have invested into the club over the last 40 years. I therefore, feel I am entitled to question whether Roy is fit for the job without being classed as a member of a 'baying mob'. I can say with complete confidence that I know the true ethos of the 'Liverpool Way' and that ethos does not exclude me from asking that the club to consider the managers position.
    I bear Roy no malice, he seems like a genuine, nice bloke but he is clearly a victim of the fallout from the change of ownership battle. No serious long-term contender would have taken the job whilst the ownership wrangle was unsettled therefore, the previous board went for a cheap and easy option that we could get rid of at a later date. Surely, no one could really consider Roy to be the man to turn things around where better men had failed in the past. I could rant on about Roy's short comings but that subject has been exhausted in many other posts. Instead I would like you to justify why Roy was chosen over the other viable contenders at the time of his appointment. What qualities did he have that won him the job over the other candidates (if there were any worthwhile). I 'm struggling to identify those qualities and although I am always happy to be fair-minded and give people time to prove themselves, I have little faith in Roy turning things around. There is no evidence to suggest he has the character or ability to do it. Unfortunately, from the word go Roy was set up to be the fall guy and he too naive to see it coming. Harsh but true.
    JW may back Roy in public (good business sense) but hopefully behind the scenes he has the right people with knowledge of the game to advise him on a successor to Roy, the quicker the better!

    ReplyDelete
  45. "I hoped Aqua and Babel would really progress here"
    I take it you didn't see Babel in the Villa game then his lively appearance from the bench on Saturday?
    "In the transfer market he has used a significant transfer and wages budget"
    Significant? Are you mental. He made a couple of rushed signings in a period where most of his squad were on international duty and he hadn't had time to assess the situation fully, as Kenny has even come out and said.
    "unwillingness to use substitutes until 85 minutes have passed"
    We barely have the strength in depth to field a strong 11 let alone have quality on the bench so don't make me laugh with that excuse.
    Wind your neck in, your agenda driven nonsense is getting ridiculous.
    <span>
    </span>

    ReplyDelete
  46. The fans pay the wages of the players and board members, without the fans the club is doomed so shut up your nonsence. The fans have every right to call for Roys head and the board has the right not to listen, but the longer that happens, Roy will be caught in the middle of the crossfire and will eventually mean he departs.

    At the end of the day Roy was never the longterm candidate for this huge club he was there to stable the club until the ownership saga ended. His away record in his years in managment speaks for itself, if we are to challenge for 4th place or to attract these top players Roy needs to depart......SACK ROY, BRING BACK THE JOY......YNWA

    ReplyDelete
  47. Fans, meaning fanatics, are detrimental to the club??

    You need to take a step back and clear your head a little, teams only exist because of fans

    ReplyDelete
  48. No, Simon, I said 'many fans', i.e a specific subset; not ALL fans.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Hodgson has been a failure this season thus far. FACT.

    If you dont believe me, go look at the table for your 'factual evidence'. You want a criterion to describe success/failure? Well 7-9th being our BEST position all season is FAILING whicher criterion you choose for LFC.

    Okay so you still dont beleive me and just about everyone else here posting.

    TAKE ANOTHER LOOK. Then look at our losses to stoke, blackpool, newcastle etc.

    Failure.

    His had months. His failed. His not only failed, BUT his taken us backwards.

    In regards to this post, Your ignorance is amusing Jamie. People in and around the club talk positively about their managers, even if its a few weeks before they're about to be sacked. ITS NORMAL. Citing King Kenny and John Henry to back your arguments is ludicrous, they are IN POSITIONS where they will back the manager PUBLICLY.

    For a smart guy, sometimes your head is so far in the clouds you cant see any sense. When Hodgson does get sacked, and they 'thank him for what his done for LFC', i bet you'll post an article claiming how CORRECT you are because people have thanked him. :)

    Bring in M. Oniell. And quick.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Surely isn't that what everyone else is doing - giving their opinion?

    I have been a season ticket holder for many many years and Hodgson is the worst Manager I have ever seen at our club.  You have a pop at people and websites for giving their opinion - so whats the difference?  You either need to accept other peoples or not complain when peopl disagree with yours, you can't have it both ways.
    MY OPINION, Hodgson is way out of his depth.  We needed an experienced manager with a history of sucess.  Hodgson most definately has small club syndrome.
    How many times has he said after an away game against 'smaller' sides that a draw was fine?  It may be with Fulham, but we are Liverpool Football Club - we should (and have) be beating these so called lesser teams away and pushing the bigger sides all the way. 
    Our defending this season has been woeful - I wonder where the people who called for zonal marking to be dropped are now? 

    ReplyDelete
  51. Last season we finished 7th scoring 65 and letting in 35 goals. Chelsea won the league scoring 103 and letting in 32 goals.  Arsenal, Tottenham, Man city, Villa conceded 41, 41, 45, 39 respectively. ONLY MAN U and CHELSEA conceded less than Liverpool last season 28 and 32 goals respectively. It is obvious, scoring goals is our main problem. This season to date, we are the 9th best defensively conceding 22 goals out of 17 games.   
     
    From the above it is glaring Roy is at fault. These are my arguments.  
     
    1) We scored 65 goals last season 5th highest in the league and conceded 35, 3rd lowest in the league. (OBVIOUSLY WE NEEDED A STRIKER).  
     
    2) We conceded 35 goal last season with ONLY MAN U and CHELSEA's performed better than us. I see not much wrong with defense. Johnson was criticized,  Insua was let go for Konchesky (Statisitics shows Johnson and Insua were part of the 3rd best defensive unit in the EPL). Why change it if you are not going to improve on what we have?  
     

    Given those statistical analysis, It is clear Roy is not up to the job. A good tactician ll have noticed our back 5 (Johnson, Carra, Agger/Srytel, Insua/Aurrelio and Masherano were the 3rd best defensive unit in the league and our main issue is SCORING GOALS. We needed reinforcement in the top end of the pitch. strikers and Wingers.  
     
    Roys focused was on a Keeper, a leftback, a defensive midfielder thingss we didnt have any issues with last season.  
     
    THIS IS A MANAGER THAT IS NOT INFORMED ON TEAM PERFORMANCE. SENTIMENTS WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT (POULSEN AND KONCHESKY his ex players, JOE COLE an English man that Chelsea allowed to go for free) instead of a PROPER DIAGNOSIS OF THE TEAM'S PROBLEM AND ACTING LOGICALLY....  
     
    THIS IS WHY ROY IS THE PROBLEM.....<span>


    </span>

    ReplyDelete
  52. Well said Spike, my point exactly.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Completely out of his depth and 100% wrong manager IMO.

    ReplyDelete
  54. A team reflects it manager character , look at Carlo Ancelotti, since his position has been undermined by Roman Abramovich Chelsea have looked vulnerable. Roy is performing at the same the level like did at Fulham which is great for Fulham but this is Liverpool F.C His body language is plain for everyone to see that this isn't going to work.

    So the new owners have the choice of letting Roy see out the rest of season. (We seem to forget that he was only bought in to steady the ship which he has done considering he come into the dark cloud of previous owners). Or we cut our losses now,  king Kenny taking charge and prepare for next season.  

    ReplyDelete
  55. I've gotta say I disagree with this. I don't much like the idea of sacking a manager after such little time but this is the age we live in these days - there simply isn't the time for someone to take two or three seasons to build the team they want because the league just won't wait for us to catch up with them.

    You can argue that Roy hasn't got his proper team or the signings he wanted but the league table doesn't leave room for protestations like that at the end of the season - we're nearly halfway through the campaign now, with the most intense period of games just coming up and at no point this season have we looked like we'll perform anywhere above the mediocre. The point does also need to be made that a lot of the players simply aren't performing, be it for tactical or mental reasons - Torres looks like a ghost (new baby notwithstanding) Reina is getting shaky, Johnson can't hold a line, Skrtel's regressed, Agger's disappeared off the radar, Lucas hasn't matured into the senior player he now finds himself as (though he's not necessarily performing badly) and so on. A few little success stories like Ngog and Babel don't temper the fact that our squad is not playing well and the blame for that has to fall with the coach.

    The signing of Konchesky pretty much sums up the bleak outlook of most fans - he's a solid player but has never in his career looked like being top four quality. Roy signed him because he obviously likes him having worked together at Fulham, but the pressures here at LFC are far beyond Fulham where they might not win a single home game but still have a decent season. There's no blame on Roy for trying to utilise the techniques that made him a success at Fulham but it's becoming apparent that tactically and mentally those techniques just aren't working at a higher level. If there were signs of genuine potential then we mightnt be so hasty in calling for the chop but there just doesn't seem to be any signal of progressive intent. We don't have time to see this Roy experiment through to the end of the year and beyond with so little fuel for our hopes.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Exactly.  We are entitled to our own opmion - I felt a sence of dread when he was announced as manager, but I stood behind him as is the Liverpool way.  Yet here we are, no direction, no drive and we are fully entitled to have our say about the Manager.  We can't all be wrong Jamie and there are MANY more people who dont rate him against those that do.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Joe Cole is one man of a 23 man squad. Roy Hudgson is THE ONLY MANAGER.  You can not substitute a manager, hence the reason for calling for his resignation or to be sack.

    As you are well aware, if a company is not performing to the standard expected, the CEO head ll be on the line.  HE IS THE DECISION MAKER.

    ReplyDelete
  58. <span>Its the 21st century, supporters are entitled to their opinions, and the joys of the internet and sites like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube etc gives the fans unprecedented opportunity to express their points of view. But the puerile immaturity of stuff like the face rub/farting videos and the endless ridicule about Roy’s speech impediment/age etc....its just wrong. </span>
    <span></span>
    <span>Even if some supporters don't like RH or even think he is appropriate for the job, the man is still entitled to be treated with a basic level of respect, especially from his clubs own fans! It’s embarrassing that some sectors of the fan base are ridiculing our manager in such a childish manner. How is that in anyway helpful to LFC? All we’re doing is giving further ammunition to sectors of the media and rival supporters intent on bringing our mighty club down!</span>

    ReplyDelete
  59. Kanwar I have respected the truce I guess you haven't.

    First of all that video was posted on several websites however you decide to pick on mine.

    Your memory is very short I have seen many comments in the past by you that disrespected Rafa and our players.

    Why don't you talk about that clown in Boston who called Hillsborough 'a riot' instead of wasting energy attacking other Liverpool fans.


    Antoine Zammit
    Empire of The Kop

    ReplyDelete
  60. I don't think there is any need to picket the board or demand that Hodgson be sacked.  Hodgson, from the start of the season has slowly been cooking himself in his own juices.  My opinon is come the end of the season the meat will fall off the bone all by its irritating imompetent self.

    ReplyDelete
  61. I don't think there is any need to picket the board or demand that Hodgson be sacked.  Hodgson, from the start of the season has slowly been cooking himself in his own juices.  My opinon is come the end of the season the meat will fall off the bone all by its irritating imcompetent self.<span>
    </span>

    ReplyDelete
  62. I don't think there is any need to picket the board or demand that Hodgson be sacked.  Hodgson, from the start of the season has slowly been cooking himself in his own juices.  My opinon is come the end of the season the meat will fall off the bone all by its irritating incompetent self.<span>  </span><span>
    </span>

    ReplyDelete
  63. Edd, My neck is well and truly in, and I was actually quite balanced.
    Re: Babel; the guy clearly has bags of talent and I was hoping that with an arm around his shoulder, Roy could get some consistency out of him, (which Rafa could not). I did watch (from my Kop seat) the Villa match and thought that he did OK and scored a decent goal. He did well on the odd occasion under Rafa also. Has he progressed under Roy? No!
    Re: Transfer market: To clarify:
    I actually said "he has used a significant transfer and wages budget to purchase average old players on ridiculous long term contracts"....evidence of this is as follows:All of his purchases are 29+ except Merieles (27) and Wilson (18)Whilst Cole, Jones, Aurelio, Jova, Konchesky, Poulsen and Meireles may only have cost just over £20m between them, I have heard from a very good source they are earning over £400k per week between them and are all on long term contracts where there will ne little or no resale value.
    Hence NESV's comments about future transfer policies changing, and the recruitment of Comoli to oversee this.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Roy Hodgson will never win over the majority of fans neither will he win over the sceptics in the Liverpool squad. You can shout from the hilltops that it's not fair or not warranted but for whatever reasons Roy Hodgson's face doesn't fit at LFC. Gordon Brown was a competent man but he didn't sit well with the public so he was voted out, i'm afraid Roy Hodgson is the same. It is a difficult situation that can possibly only be resolved if we start playing attractive football and winning games both home & away, but I doubt that will happen so the best answer is for Roy Hodgson to move on to pastures new.
    It will be the same at Newcastle if Pardew starts losing games, the fans didn't want him so as soon as a reason comes up to get rid they will do their utmost to get rid. I think fans and players want a manager they respect and can look up to, someone who is on their side and feels the pain they feel when Liverpool lose.

    ReplyDelete
  65. I have seen many comments in the past by you that disrespected Rafa and our players. <span>
    </span>



    Prove it.  Show me one comment I've made that constitutes personal denigration or ridicule.  I critcise, sometimes harshly, but there is always a fair basis for my comments.

    It doesn't matter how many sites the video was posted on.  Why did you post it all?  The only reason was to incite ridicule of a manager of LFC, which is precisely what happened on the comment thread.  That is out of order.  That video has absilutely nothing to do with the game.

    And I'm not going to waste my time talking about Alex Beam and his comments; every site under the sun is already covering that.  His comments were wrong but as usual, the outpouring of over-emotional vitriol from people like you who have *no personal connection to  Hillsborough* is way over the top.

    It's ironic - in my experience, the people who were actually part of Hillsborough - or affected by it - tend to be a million times more reasonable than those that were not there.  They will criticise people like Beam, and understand that he needs educating,  but they won't then make it their mission in life to destroy his career and demonise the the guy forever more.

    I don't want to be part of the ridiculous groupthink mob mentality perpetuated by those continually riding on the coat-tails of Hillsborough, which is what so many Liverpool sites do when they jump on these stories and use them to get hits on their sites.

    ReplyDelete
  66. This is getting tiresome. How you can defend our season so far is ridiculous. Hodgson has no tactics. He excels in one area - chatting to pundits before and after the game. They love him and he loves the camera.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Kanwar I am not going to waste my time going through the site.

    The video was not disrespectful at all, if Roy is going to make funny gestures then he is disrespecting himself and simply disrespecting our great club.

    And yes I have a personal connection with Hillsborough, I have many of my friends that were there and have heard first hand account of the horrors of that terrible day.

    I took a day off (without pay) to cover the Alex Beam saga and the $3 I got from Google pay per clicks that day do not cover a part of the monies I lost.

    You still haven't answered my question on Why Did You Break the truce and attacked my site?

    ReplyDelete
  68. I agree with the first part of your statement, if not the second. Endless picketting of JH and the board will achieve nothing apart from giving some of the less scrupulous elements of the media further opportunities to write about LFC's apparent 'demise'. The idea of the fans turning on the manager is just more fuel to fan the malovelent flames they love to spew! 

    As supporters, we have to trust the owners. After all LFC is NESV's investment, and any decisions about Roy's tenure is theirs alone to make. They obviously have a long term game plan, my feeling is that someone new will come in during the summer, perhaps with RH staying on in some sort of advisory capacity within the club during the transitional period.

    ReplyDelete
  69. fans please be aware you can have your say today to john henry w at this email address make sure you post 1hr before 5pm lfcnow@liverpoolfc.tv as for joe cole
    hes a class player when he plays he needs to settle in more becouse roy leaves him out i point the finget at roy the manager he needs to know what the fans want
    roy what mind games are you playing ? three words - sack him now - roy you are messing with the fans time u left us let kenny take charge untill a good football manager can take control with liverpool fc - make sure u tune in on lfctv at 5pm uk time !! untill then bye for now

    ReplyDelete
  70. But Jamie you are the one that constantly compares the current manager to Benitez. Just check your previous articles. Whether you like it or not, Benitez's start to his Liverpool career was not as traumatic as Hodgson's is. You need to realise that fans can sense when a manager is up to it or not especially when things are not going for a manager 

    ReplyDelete
  71. Ah Jaimie, Jaimie, Jaimie.

    Your consistency in backing the wrong horse, arguing blindly in favour of losing positions and twisting your responses to make out that your incendary language isn't actually that controversial is quite impressive.

    The fact is that for as long as I can remember it is the fans who have decided when a manager should go - or at least since Souness.  Lose the fans, lose the job.

    I really wanted Roy to succeed but a blind man running for a bus can see that he isn't the man to take us back to the top, and as that is what we exist for, why continue the agony?  He's had half a season and quite frankly I've seen nothing to suggest that the 2nd half is going to be any better.

    For what it's worth I agree with you that fans shouldn't be able to make decisions on running the club - after all we are in this mess because a fan, Purslow, was allowed to make decisions.  First he got in the way of Rafa doing his job, then he did "the deal of his life" signing Roy, and finally he sold the club to a bunch of guys who are no better off financially that the last crowd so we end up in the same position of having non-footballing owners trying to rebuild along the lines of value and bargains.

    One word of caution though - Fans who are calling for Rijkaard are really, really misguided.  Yes he did well at Barca but his record everywhere else is shocking, truly awful.   

    What we need right now is a manager who can gel a team and give them confidence (as well as having a bit of a clue regarding playing away from home).  

    Fans should probably be grateful that I don't own the club cause my shortlist would be: Hiddink, Coyle, Holloway and Warnock

    (and I'm not jumping on bandwagons - I've felt for a long time that Holloway and Warnock deserve a shot at a big job due to their consistent success in many teams at many different levels).

    ReplyDelete
  72. Spot on Jamie!

    please clarify once and for all...what is Roys away record in the EPL and is that an acceptable record for a LFC manager?

    ReplyDelete
  73. I haven't 'attacked' your site; I have criticised one article on your site, and I am perfectly entitled to do that given the nature of what was posted.  You can (and have) done the same to this site many times in the past.

    The video was disrespectful, and this comment from you just sums up the ridiculousness of your view on this issue:

    if Roy is going to make funny gestures then he is disrespecting himself and simply disrespecting our great club.  
    Right, so the fact that Hodgson rubbed his face = disrespecting himself and the club?!  Are you listening to yourself?  Do you realise how silly that sounds.  When he blows his nose on the sidelines, is he desrespecting the club then too?!  It's mind boggling how people can think this way to be honest.
    You took a day off to cover the Alex Beam situation? Why exactly?  Total waste of time, and not worth it at all. What has all this vitrol against Beam achieved exactly (except making Liverpool fans once again look like a rabid, unreasonable, unforgiving mob that victimises anyone and everyone who steps out of line).

    ReplyDelete
  74. Guess it is war again Kanwar, you fired the first shot.

    It will get very ugly I promise you.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Please, I beg of you: Grow up already!

    ReplyDelete
  76. Temperamental, emotional nonsense.
    The minority of fans are behavig the way you describe. The majority have never taken to Hodgson and his own perormances and the things he says has made them alienate him even more.

    The vast majority of Liverpool fans fully acknowledge that it will take time to turn us around, but very few believe that Roy is the man to do that.

    Your sensationalistic piece here is hypocracy because what you're accusing the fans of doing to Hodgson is no different o how you're trying to portray the fans!

    Sad to read stuff like this, biased, emotioanl tripe.

    ReplyDelete
  77. Jaimie,

    Facts are indeed the best evidence for basing a manager. You do have a bit of a tendency compare them in a very interesting way (some might say you are biased and twisted them to make a point eg. The Hodgson at inter vs Rafa at inter or your comparison of Rafas first 20  games vs RH first 20 games.

    The facts of the matter with regard to Hodgson are:

    - We're midtable in the middle of December, on only 22 points (from 51)
    - We haven't had a great deal of injuries (especially compared to this time last season)
    - We've got a negative goal difference
    - We've only taken 5 points from 27 away from home

    The more subjective assessements that I feel are still valid (as the majority of LFC fans would probably agree) :

    - RH plays a defensive style that doesn't fit well with Liverpool FC

    - RH bought some players that were clearly just not of the right standard.
           My personal feeling was that the most depressing thing about his purchases were that they showed his philosophy for using old players over youth. Insua is more than equal to konchesky but 7 or so years younger. Lucas is vastly better than poulsen and younger. He already had shelvey signed up and a number of potentially useful reserve players. Why did he feel we needed mediocre old men? 

    - RH's attitude towards the fans - describing the fans who were protesting against the shambolic owners as "a distraction" was digusting. It should have been clear to a man of so much experience that we were fighting for our club's long term future. If he wasn't allowed to give support to us then he should have declined to comment.


    - More importantly, what pedigree does Hodgson have that proves him capable of winning a major league title? You generally have to earn a job like this, like Rafa did with Valencia.

    Personally, I can't wait for Roy to leave. I supported Rafa totally and I still do today. He developed the club tremendously without a great deal of resources. I gave Roy a chance but in the past 4 months I havent seen anything to make me think he is building a good team for the future or developing a entertaining/effective style of play.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Apologies for the awful spellings. I pressed submit by accident before I could fix it all up....

    ReplyDelete
  79. What, uglier than your abhorrent treatment of Hodgson, or your disgraceful treatment of Purslow and Broughton?

    Seriously, I beg of you: grow up already.

    Do you really think I care what you or the legion of brainwashed sheep who frequent your site think of me?

    ReplyDelete
  80. Jaimie - Just so I understand, what were your guidelines for Roy to still be in charge in January? 
    1) We have to be playing good football - 2) Be within touching distance of 4th? 
    So by our new years fixture, this is the minimum requirement? 
    It will be interesting to see this

    ReplyDelete
  81. Hillsborough was a horrific tragedy, and the accounts of people who were there are incredibly difficult and moving at the same time. Hopefully the dossiers that will be released by 2012 can give the families the answers and  closure that they seek. I also hope Alex Beam now is beginning to understand the full magnitude of the horror and loss that occured in Sheffield on that day, and appreciates why his comments were so far removed from the truth.

    On a different note, I disagree with your comment about Roy making funny gestures being disrespectfull to himself and the club. Frankly, I can't see any connection between Roy rubbing his face and any intended message of disrespect to LFC. If there was, its so subtle that its totally passed me by. In fact, I know lots of people who exhibit similar mannerisms when stressed, its just a random gesture.  

    ReplyDelete
  82. So why don't you tell us, when is it ok to ask for the manger to be fired or to personally ridicule and exaggerate his flaws like you did with RAFA for so many years. Is it one year year? two years? maybe 5 years? I'm sorry i didn't know that YNWA meant had a time period on it. Either you stand by your manger and never ask for his head (which you did with RAFA many time) or you don't . If you want to preach to the rest of US try to set an example..

    ReplyDelete
  83. Hi AntoineHillsborough was a horrific tragedy, and the accounts of people who were there are incredibly difficult and moving at the same time. Hopefully the dossiers that will be released by 2012 can give the families the answers and  closure that they seek. I also hope Alex Beam now is beginning to understand the full magnitude of the horror and loss that occured in Sheffield on that day, and appreciates why his comments were so far removed from the truth. I'm pleased with the response from JH and LFC regarding this matter.  
     
    On a different note, I disagree with your comment about Roy making funny gestures being disrespectful to himself and the club. Frankly, I can't see the connection between Roy rubbing his face and any disrespect of LFC. If there was, its so subtle that its totally passed me by. In fact, I tend to do something similar myself, its just a purely instinctive mannerism.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Hillsborough was a horrific tragedy, and the accounts of people who were there are incredibly difficult and moving at the same time. Hopefully the dossiers that will be released by 2012 can give the families the answers and  closure that they seek. I also hope Alex Beam now is beginning to understand the full magnitude of the horror and loss that occured in Sheffield on that day, and appreciates why his comments were so far removed from the truth. I'm pleased with the response from JH and LFC regarding this matter.    
       
    On a different note, I disagree with your comment about Roy making funny gestures being disrespectful to himself and the club. Frankly, I can't see the connection between Roy rubbing his face and any disrespect of LFC. If there was, its so subtle that its totally passed me by. In fact, I tend to do something similar myself, its just a purely instinctive mannerism.

    ReplyDelete
  85. I'm sure its already been said and you have given an answer of sorts but the phrase "fans are no longer the club" really tells me everything I need to know about this blog. Even in context it is utterly wrong headed. There have always been stupid, foolish and skitish fans. Its those people along with everyone else on the fan spectrum that makes the club. Whether you are from Bangkok or Anfield itself, every fan makes the club a going concern, without them any club is just group of men playing football.

    I know that comment is way behind more recent comments, but I think it says a lot about this blog and why there are so many arguments against what is written here.

    ReplyDelete
  86. I would have to agree with this, it seems now that we must achieve success instantly for any manager to have a chance of pleasing our crowd. Of course there are certain problems with Roy that keep coming up, such as his demeanour, but what can anyone expect considering he has been hated and denigrated by a large majority from the very beginning.
    I shudder to think what Kenny would be going through if he was in this situation, our fans are simply full of "deluded" fans who think it is our right to finish fourth this year, yes I hope and think we will but the way the fans are talking about our manager now, can you see anyone wanting to come into this job?

    ReplyDelete
  87. You had/have the same tunnel-vision when it comes to Rafa. Roy has never won anything outside sweden, and he never will. He has had a long and truly average career. Hicks & G hired him because he is a yesman.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Jamie if you actually go onto the official LFC site you will notice that Alex Beam was criticized by a fellow supporter for his lazy journalism(refering to a letter on the site). Antoine did what was right and that was to inform the ill-informed. If you were'nt upset about what Alex wrote then I have to question where your allegiances lies!

    ReplyDelete
  89. My god, Kanwar. It was a funny video, and if it was Rafa, you would laugh your ass off.

    ReplyDelete
  90. yes, because majority opinion is always right, and minority opinion is never correct.

    If history proves anything it's this: majority view is dangerous and often wrong; the minority view os often progressive, forward thinking, and more often than not, correct.

    Minority view changes the world; majority view holds everything back.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Brainwashed sheep? "Hi Kettle this is Pot. I am just calling to say you are black" 

    ReplyDelete
  92. Absolutely right. Who would like to take such a job with fans who may be against you from the off. I've supported this club since I am interested in football (almost 30 years), but would take such a job only for the money. Earning in a year what I'd earn in my entire life in my current job may be worth being hated and denigrated. Wages, in this case, would rather be pain and suffering money.

    ReplyDelete
  93. Barcelona is run by certain sections of Liverpool supporters? I didn't know that to be honest. Anyway, as far as I know the supporters 'own' (they are rather members of the club, right?) Barcelona, but they don't run it. They elect some guy who promises this and that to run the club. And aren't Barcelona badly in debt? Guess the club (Barcelona) was set-up like that (participation/membership of supporters). This is not the case with English clubs. Most of the are privately owned.

    ReplyDelete
  94. Barcelona is run by certain sections of Liverpool supporters? I didn't know that to be honest. Anyway, as far as I know the supporters 'own' (they are rather members of the club, right?) Barcelona, but they don't run it. They elect some guy who promises this and that to run the club. And aren't Barcelona badly in debt? Guess the club (Barcelona) was set-up like that (participation/membership of supporters). This is not the case with English clubs. Most of the are privately owned.

    ReplyDelete
  95. Barcelona is run by certain sections of Liverpool supporters? I didn't know that to be honest. Anyway, as far as I know the supporters 'own' (they are rather members of the club, right?) Barcelona, but they don't run it. They elect some guy who promises this and that to run the club. And aren't Barcelona badly in debt? Guess the club (Barcelona) was set-up like that (participati
    on/membership of supporters). This is not the case with English clubs. Most of them are privately owned.

    ReplyDelete
  96. When Roy rubbed his face it was exactly what I would have liked to do. Rub my face in order to find out whether I am dreaming or awake and actually whitnessing our players giving in. The man simply couldn't believe what he was seing and rightly so.

    ReplyDelete
  97. Personally I think Roy Hodgson has got off lightly, I would prefer to see the fans drive him out, Like we drove out the bad Yanks, Roy Hodgson is a stain left behind by Hicks and Gillete and he needs to go, by force if needed. Anyhow the BOARD ARE MAKING PLANS AS WE SPEAK TO REPLACE HIM. That should cheer a few people up :)  myself included, I just hope its before January, however it looks like being the end of the season, unless the board feels his miss management could relegate us.

    ReplyDelete
  98. A small minority of fans which support Hodgson are all Idiots. That statement makes more sense than your statement. For the sake of the site Jamie please stop with this quest, youre damaging your reputation. As a wriiter you have real Talent however this obsession with Roy Hodgson is now becoming a case of MONO MANIA

    ReplyDelete
  99. Alex Beam was a lazy Journo and any TRUE LIVERPOOL FAN WOULD HAVE BEEN DISGUSTED BY WHAT HE STATED. I also now officially question you directly as to which football team you support. And I would like proof you support Liverpool FC. I am very saddened by your post.

    ReplyDelete
  100. This makes total sense as does jamies article. Roy never stood a chance with many fans. I believe theres a new breed of fan. They are the sack him mob who want instant success. They think that Roy took over an amazing squad of players in fine form when the truth couldn't be more polar. Roy took on a huge job made so so difficult by Benitez. Roy has spent a pittance on players, and has signed Mereilles who is a fine player, yet they only want to concentrate on Konchesky and Poulsen because they are not to the standards of Evra or Essien. They live in an unrealistic world of high demands and unfair irrational response.

    Roy has had a poor away record but his home wins show that the tide is turning. He deserves time. When he started the team was in disarray with terribly low confidence. He has tackled the home form and is now seeing the results, surely he deserves a chance to tackle the away form. 

    It really amazes me how fickle some fans are. They berate him for his start and pine for Rafa who left us in the shit and is now wielding his magic on a treble winning team dropping them down the table, but they will use every excuse in the world for his mistakes and avoid the facts and will use the same logic to denegrate Roy.Its madness. I've stopped visiting some sites as they are so negative.

    Give Roy a chance. He's our manager and if he's good enough for kenny and the vast majority of the ex players, then he's good enough for me.

    ReplyDelete
  101. And you know this for a fact, did he tell you personally. You are talking absolute shite, thats the only obvious thing in your post.

    ReplyDelete
  102. Personal and professional denigration, tunnel vision and the inability to be fair is rife, just look at those who selectively quote Pepé to suit their agenda, for instance.

    ReplyDelete
  103. "Show me one comment I've made that constitutes personal denigration or ridicule.  I critcise, sometimes harshly, but there is always a fair basis for my comments.  "

    One comment, I can show you a whole article: http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2010/11/more-veiled-threats-divisive-disloyalty.html

    ReplyDelete
  104. We support our manager always but respect is EARNED. Hodgson has not convinced us of his lon-term aims, it is never simply because we want instant success, we want success in the long-term. Hodgson deserves more time to succeed or fail, but he is not doing the job he should be doing.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Nonsense Jaimie, nonsense. Just because one opinion is the minority one does not make it right, to hold yourself up as an enlightened master when your language courts attacks is inane and stupid. You have talents Jaimie, writing skills and a logical mind; you could do a much better job than you have done in proving your point. In one instant, you can tell the world why Hodgson should be supported and go some way to uniting our fans, but you choose to label supporters as 'traiterous' and attack them in the same way they attack you. You were ahead of the game with Benitez's failures, but you must be better in explaning Hodgson's virtues.

    ReplyDelete
  106. Dalglish WORKS for the club. Jaimie, even you aren't that stupid.

    ReplyDelete
  107. Can we have some PROOF that minority views are 'more often than not' correct?

    ReplyDelete
  108. god, try to be objective for once. you're always going on about poor hodgson, and how he's left to walk alone. boo f'in hoo. i refuse to follow blindly, because "that's the liverpool way." if i feel the manager, player, or owner is detrimental to the club, i'll say so. hodgson doesn't want to walk alone? win more than 6 games out of 17. don't make rushed signings like poulsen and konchesky, while not rushing for positions we need like, oh, i don't know.. a striker? we're at the half-way point in the season and we have a -1 goal difference. oh, and we can't win outside of anfield. stop making excuses for the guy, plain and simple.

    ReplyDelete
  109. Jamie,

    Seriously please stick to debating football. I mean history is littered with examples of minorities being wrong. A few examples: II world war Germany attempting to takeover Europe and exterminate a whole race. It took a majority of world powers to defeat them. Another example South Africa the white population who were a minority compared to the majority black population who they kept in servitude for many years. 

    ReplyDelete
  110. I'd Just like to use this platform to ineliquently say F@ck Sam Allardyce, I'm glad he lost his job.  General opinion was quite uninimous for Houghton when he lost his job.  But for Allardye the smug c@nt, who couldn't wait to stick the knife into Rafa after Fergie tickled his nuts,  I hope he ends up at southend Utd on a 5year deal.  Or maybe he could replace Rafa at Inter....F@ck could he. 8-) >:o

    ReplyDelete
  111. Our performances have already vastly improved, and that includes away from home.  A few more wins over the next few weeks and we'll back in the mix.

    ReplyDelete
  112. The owners probably dont really know who Roy is and anyone saying 442 to americans will probably have them thinking they are a football wizard.
    As for Kenny dalglish, when Hodgson was in line for the job he put himself forward. this is a man who thought he could do a better job.
    As managers are being sacked around us for mid table mediocracy at mid table clubs, what has happened to liverpool, a once great club challenging for 4th spot. Roy Hodgsons record away form home speaks for itself, it is a disaster, and not just for liverpool, for every club he has been at. This is not liverpools players faults as they have proved they are playing good football at home. My argument might be, can roy motivate a team as at all clubs at the highest level he fails away. Is it the home fans giving the players inspiration and motivation as this what it seems like. Jamie, the games are getting less and our away form is hopless, i am sure you will no doubt have another 22 games in statistic, the problem is who are you going to compare him with if the trend continues??. If the trend does continue, then we will not compare him to anyone as he will be regarded as the worst manager liverpool have had and you will have been his no 1 fan. The majority knew he was not right for the club, you have said you would have prefered o'neill.
    To argue that fans are putting roy down for no reason is total crap as we are now level with blackpool, we where supposed to be challenging for 4th. that is a pipe dream and we are not even halfway through the season. Under Roy we will not achieve anything in the league, we may have a cup run but as west ham prove, even the worst team in the premiership can have a good cup run, it doesnt ditract from the fact that Roy hodgson has a history of not winning away from home and now he has got that going on at liverpool.
    Whatever his problem is he has done this at every club, we see it with a lot of managers. Sometimes they are one dimensional, or havent got the tactics, underpinnig knowledge and ideas to overcome and break a team down away from home. This is what seperates good managers from world class managers. Roy hodgson is a good manager as he can get a team to play good football at home and get results, however he lacks the ability away from home. We can blame konchesky, torres and whoever you like, the fact is he has done this same thing at all his clubs when operating at the highest level so i now belive its not the players its him.

    The sooner he is removed from the job the sooner we can have a good look at getting someone who has a world class pedigree in.

    ReplyDelete
  113. To say you need time is bollocks here is an extract from harry redknapp when he took over from ramos in October 2008 where totenham had only secured 2 points from the first 8 games.

    Spurs had secured only two points from the first eight games of the season prior to Redknapp's arrival and lay bottom of the league, but in his first two weeks in charge he took the club out of the relegation zone, winning ten out of the twelve points available with wins against <span>Bolton Wanderers</span>, <span>Liverpool</span> and <span>Manchester City</span> and a remarkable 4–4 draw against <span>North London rivals</span> <span>Arsenal</span>.

    Redknapp inspired his palyers and got them going from the off, they where at the bottom and he fired them up the table. Roy hodgson has made us worse. So to say the excuse he came at the start of the season is rubbish, he was managing premiership football at fulham, just like redknapp. Where redkapp has succeded as he is an excellent manager, Roy has been found out and the fact is i belive your a minority of fans who seem to have a love for roy. All i can say is the hole your digging for yourself is getting deeper. its nearly as big as the one roy is in. The only problem is with blind faith and being a blogger is sometimes you can loose credibility in the pursuit of going against the majority.

    ReplyDelete
  114. Question for you: if you, as you have stated previously, don't believe Roy is the man for the long term then why should we persevere with him until the end of the season? Wouldn't it be better to get a new man in in time for the January window so he can spend the season bedding in and getting work. Otherwise he will be expected to do it in a short period of time in the summer. What we need now is a young, hungry manager with fresh ideas that can get the support back on side and take the whole club forward and give us some optimism.

    I do feel slightly for Roy but there's no room for sentiment. I've said my piece enough times on here about the lack of ideas he has but he has only confounded the on pitch situation by his demeanour off it. This is just a big job to him; the one he deserves for all his endeavours over the years in his eyes. Unfortunately for us he isn't up to the task.

    ReplyDelete
  115. we need a young for 15mil,suarez same price and nzogbia fot 7m.Sell some underperformers like skrtel. roy have time until the fa game with manure,if we lose,aproach franklin rajkard with his no 2 neskens.

    ReplyDelete
  116. The problem is that Rafa got 6years, 2 of them started good with a fair trophy collection. After that something started to go wrong, slowly slowly season after season... where it peaked last season on 7th spot in the table, and UEFA cup chance, due to P'mouths financial crisis and later regulation.

    Now Roy isn't our saviour or the next Shankley - he is there to steady the ship and get everybody working on the same page - the squad if you remember was in different camps and was almost down to mutiny, the other part of Roy's appointment is to the let the New owners to buy time and understand the game, and not to start looking for a new manager without any experience at all.

    Keep Roy for his 2year contract - 2012? and then opt to get Joachim Löw in after the European Championship. He is a person who would suit the NESV agenda perfectly and would cut out for the long term aspect of the game. He is very tactically gifted and plays a very straight forward game - Gives memories of the old pass n move  -anthem....

    So sit down in the boat and enjoy the ride back to Shore - it will be boring, but you'll get back home safe.

    Peace

    ReplyDelete
  117. Can't say i shed a tear about his sacking either. Crazy decision though, he does what he does well

    Blackburn could be in trouble

    ReplyDelete
  118. Agreed. Our performances have improved - I think we will disagree on the extent they have improved away from home. I am wondering what you think will happen over the next couple of games: Here are my predictions
    vs. Fulham - Draw
    @ Blackpool - Draw
    vs. Wolves - Win
    vs. Bolton - Draw

    We have what should be an easy couple of games in row - I just can't see us getting too many points out of them. Thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  119. Tom Hicks utter disdain for LFC fans came to the fore in his last interview after the takeover when he said,we gave the Liverpool fans whay they wanted a world class manager and even that wasnt enough.IMO he was being sarcastic even though this has never been picked up,he was basically saying you wanted Rafa out,you wanted Roy in,the great LFC fans who are so knowledgeable even me the yank who knows nothing about football could see this was a mistake,now let the demise of a once great club begin,signed and sealed by the same fans who now want Roy out.You reap what you sow,I just feel sorry for Reina,Torres,Johnson,Agger and Kuyt who are stuck in a timewarp not moving forward and their great careers stagnating due to the knowledgeable fans who wanted Rafa out and Roy in.

    ReplyDelete
  120. I'm with Kanwar on this one.  Empire of the Kop is a two bit site that has an agenda.  While they may think they are pro LFC, the fact they are posting videos like this serves no purpose except to undermine the manager, and they are simply doing this because they loved Rafa and are still angry he was let go (or agreed to leave).  I loved Rafa and I still do, but he's gone.  You have to move forward.  I myself am not sure Roy is the right man for the job, but he needs to be given the chance to show whether he is or isn't, and calling for his head now is just not fair.  We will not be relegated so let's give the man some support and see where we are come May.  If we aren't pleased with the results at that point then that will be the time to change leaders.  

    ReplyDelete
  121. Jamie could you please change the back ground color to red or any diffrent collor, and leave the text or post box in white with black colord fonts?

    i really enjoy reading all the articles and the posts on this site, but having everything is bright white color really hurts the eyes.

    just a small suggestion, keep doing what you do best YNWA.

    ReplyDelete
  122. i still believing to roy hodgson.even the situation difficult an liverpool has bad away syndrome, still give hodgson an opportunity.silverware can't be achieved instantly.take a look at fergie in MU.he needs 5-6 years to make MU in glory just like now

    ReplyDelete
  123. It's too "European" or "continental."  Just like anything that's not 4-4-2, long balls, rough football, old school.

    ReplyDelete
  124. I agree with most of what Jaimie says, but as a non-pool fan, I gotta tell you, the games are boring to watch.  In comparison to the 4-1 and OT or 4-4 at Stamford Bridge, you can tell a difference in not just spirit, but in style.  Yes RH beat a lame Chelsea side that can't score a penalty against Gomez, but he doesn't have the tactics to make a great come back.  Watching Liverpool was like watching a boxing match, you never know what might happen.  Watching RH's Liverpool is like watching one round of rock-paper-scissors.

    I'm exaggerating and generalizing to make a point.  You could give me examples, Stevie G's hattrick, etc. etc. but you don't need to convince me, I'm not a fan, I don't care.  I just don't want the Mancs to get their 19th.

    ReplyDelete
  125. Does this mean after 6 years a manager Can Walk Alone?
    If thats the criteria I shudder to think what Roy may face were he to have 6 years at the club.

    ReplyDelete
  126. In school, If u r no. 5 & you want to improve you ask to be tutored by no.4 to 1, NOT the other way round. Roy's record is simply not upto LFC standards, Sadly, In life, there are people who are meant to have average careers-there's nothing wrong with that-IT'S JUST LIFE!! Granted, he's a nice guy, who came in, OPPS!! SORRY!! Was brought in by the WORST Owners of this club!! Begs the question, If Hicks & Gillet were so messed up-would they (&Co.) select the best coach?
    Our Tactics are wanting, Motivation almost non-existent, defense?....most goals have come from the Left (aka Konchiesky's) side. So no time to select players during transfer period?? CRAP!!
    Roy's selection to me was one of a 'yes' man, one who, unlike Rafa, would rally the fans & expose shortcoming, a mediocre appointment that was meant to mask whatever ills that  the former yanks had done. Thats why he was selected instead of Kenny e.g. the owners knew if Kenny said he wasn't given funds, the Fans would back him up & raise hell-Roy's not used to transfer funds so...nuffsaid.
    Roy was a blunder & he's dragging the club down, He's not Walking alone-He's crawling alone!! I'd like for LFC to be up there-even if Roy's was the one to do it, but he seems to be out of depth!! 
    I've bashed him for so long, even when he was a candidate. I'm no football genius, but it doesn't take one to know he is not equal to the task of managing LFC.

    ReplyDelete
  127. A two bit site that has an agenda? So in all respects pretty much like this one then.

    ReplyDelete
  128. The Boston Red Sox owner also addressed the issue of spending in the January transfer window, calling Liverpool’s form over the last year “unacceptable”.
    “We’re actively looking at it,” he said. “We don’t quite know what the situation’s going to be in January. It’s our first transfer window and it’s something we’ve been studying day and night.
    “There’s no doubt the play that has gone on this season, and for the last half of last season, is unacceptable for Liverpool to accomplish what it wants to accomplish.
    “We’re in sync with the fans with regard to what it’s going to take for this club going forward.”

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Indisputable *PROOF* that the fan's are not always just a ravening pack of wolves to be dismissed out of hand.  In fact, the owner and board recognizes that they should get in sync with the fan's with regards to what it's goign to take for this club going forward.  Twist individual quotes from peoples associated to LFC all you want, but don't dismiss the general concensus from informed Liverpool fans, just because the rhetoric is heated.  And the unmistakeable general consensus is that we don't want to see Hodgson's style of football become Liverpool's style of football.  It has featured rigid, predictable patterns of play, shape over possession, long ball out of the back - and unnaceptable away form.  One step forward is accompanied by one step back - and when you are standing still in premiership football, you are going to get left behind.  Of his own accord - Hodgson has been standing still for 35 years now. 

    ReplyDelete
  129. Shelvey admits he is having to adapt his game to cope with the step up in quality.
    "The games are totally different," he explained. "There are a lot better technical players and, no disrespect to the lower leagues, but the ball is always in the air. You're always using your head or just hooking things on. In Europe you can get the ball down and play football.
    "You have to be very tactical in Europe, you have to know when to press and know when not to.
    "The defensive side of the game is very new to me. The manager here organises you well defensively, and he's helped me as a person on and off the pitch.
    "I'm not so attack-minded any more, I'm getting to know what my job is in the team. I enjoy it here and hopefully I can get more starts and be a Liverpool player for a long time."

    ReplyDelete
  130. adorable post mate.
    We must stick together to defend the Liverpool's way, and avoiding terrible and catastrophic quick decisions, which could make Liverpool the New Newcastle.
    Credito to You.

    ReplyDelete
  131. I think we'll win the home games (as we've been strong for those over the last 5 games) and draw the away game

    ReplyDelete
  132. A great quote! Where is the interview  from?

    ReplyDelete
  133. If we where talking on a political level I would agree with you. as I can recall phrases like "for every opinion now accepted, it was once eccentric"  Marting Luther king was repulsed by the majority and now hailed by the majority. The fact is this is football, a sport, and Roy Hodgson is no Martin Luther King and will never be, he is no shankly, and likening him to Benitez is as stupid as choosing which is worse, stepping in dog shit or cat shit, who cares your stepping in shit!!!.
    The majority did not want him at the start this is fact as I have seen may polls so they must have a real idea of what the majority wanted. You have supported Roy from the start and compared him to Benitez to justify his claim as being a decent manager, he should really be doing this with results, if he did there would be no need for comparison. I agreed with the decision to replace Benitez so am not like a scared person who will continually compare their new birds to the last one.
    With our away form looking bleak and finishing 4th starting to look more like a dream than a reality. Face facts, Hodgsons record says he is rubbish, even when he gets to cup finals he chokes, liverpool are woefull away from home, no clue, idea or result. If they do get rid of him and manage to get someone like hiddink in, i really am looking forward to the first 22 game statistics, I am sure Roy would look like a mediocre donkey!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  134. Time for him to go! Before this club is damaged further! 

    ReplyDelete
  135. Although I believe in supporting the players and the manager of the club regardless of the position Liverpool are in I can't agree with your assertion that a fan owned club would treat a manager in the way Hodgson has been treated by some Liverpool fans.

    The reason for this is becasue the fans would select the manager if they owned the club and that by its very nature buys more time for the manager from the fans. If the fans have the man they want in place they will buy into the philosophy of the manager and be more patient and supportive in testing times.

    I personally, did not want Roy Hodgson as manager of Liverpool. Had I have had the power I would've selected van Gaal and even if he had the exact same results as Hodgson at this point I would still have faith and confidence that he would turn it round and make Liverpool into the team I want it to be.

    Interestingly, I do think Hodgson can do a good job for Liverpool and I want him to be successful. But the reality is that he is failing to win the hearts and minds of supporters and the only way for him to endear himself to those who aren't happy is to improve results on the field. That isn't happening right now and the longer it remains that way, the more the pressure will build.

    ReplyDelete
  136. I agree with your sentiment.

    Opinions can spread like wildfire through the internet, via blogs, twitter, facebook etc. People can now gain instant validation for a point of view, without the need for critically examination.

    Theres no doubt in my mind that some people had already made their mind up about RH even before he had a chance to demonstrate improvement. Its natural that fans have high expectations, this is Liverpool we are talking about after all. However to ignore the transitional nature of this period in our history is naieve. Fans are right to be concerned, especially with the recent performance against newcastle. In a way, what made that defeat harder to accept was the fact that our performance as a team seemed to have regressed from the more positive form we had showed earlier.

    However, based on yesterdays comments, the owners still have faith that Roy understands the nature of the problems we face, and that he is the right man to turn things around. And seeing as his success as a manager means performances and results for LFC, he will continue to get my support too.

    ReplyDelete
  137. evilc, in the 51 years since shanks took over, only Bob and Kenny have had a better win percentage than Rafa, Kenny by about 5% and Bob by about 2%. 

    ReplyDelete
  138. We need an article like this because the treatment of Hodgson by the clubs fans is shocking and any Liverpool fan should avoid engaging any of this type of behaviour, as soon as something goes slightly wrong Hodgson takes all the flak, in the end he hasn't got the players, he is trying to give the likes of Lucas confidence by speaking highly, the best Lucas has ever played in a Pool shirt has been under Hodgson, same with Maxi, this is a manaager who has been criticised for signing Poulsen and Konchesky but the finances weren't really there after he wanted Meireles who was the biggest transfer that should be scrutinised by fans and this transfer has so far been a success, but do any of these idiots praise Hodgson for that?  No lets be fair lets not mince words that is cuntish behaviour, wouldn't like to comapre our fans to Manchester United fans but at the minute we are even worse than them, behaviour needs to be improved by fans,  Shankly was a socialist people should look up that word. We should be embarrased we are treating a man like Hitler, people on RAWK actually have said they would like to kill him, then again RAWK became a joke site long ago what else should we expect.   Will love the time when Pool fans actually talk about football again.

    ReplyDelete
  139. Whether Kanwar likes it or not, Hodgson will be sacked. He will be sacked because he will be judged on his results, and the hierarchy at the club club will see that the results are not good enough ( Hodgson himself asked to be judged after 10 premiership games, not 1year, 2 years or 5 years).

    We cant compete for the small band of elite managers in the world, but we can attract a world class manager, with a track record record of winning trophies ( which Hodgson has never had )

    ReplyDelete
  140. There is even a thread on RAWK about Rafa Benitez coming back to replace Hodgson again since he forced out by people not involved in the club anymore, at this present time Hodgson has Liverpool in a better position to win the league than Rafa Benitez does at Inter Milan, pretty stupid logic and it was a harder job messing up Inter Milan but Rafa somehow managed it.   Liverpool would not be in the mess they were in if Rafa Benitez didn't decide to alienate his trusted backroom staff he had worked so hard for, lets be honest Hodgson didn't have Champions League football to prove himself, Hodgson walked into a mess, give him a chance please.

    ReplyDelete
  141. I did some statistical research of my own today and this is what I came up. I will hold my hand up and say that there are some issues with the stats:
    1) I didn't use the same date in January as a reference point - But it was generally the 1st week of January.
    2) I didn't take into consideration the number of matches played on the date I used. 
    3) There are probably other things wrong but I'm too tired to worry about it. 

    My interpretation of these stats is as follows:- 
    1) In January (I think we can expect to get 6 points from our 3 matches), and therefore still be short of Chelsea who are in 4th with 31 points. That's if every other team stopped playing or gained any more points.
    2) Besides Leeds United in 00/01, every other team that has finished 4th has been at most 4 points off the pace of 4th. 

    One obvious glaring problem with my analysis is that we are not in January and therefore everything is speculative - However, I highly doubt that the teams above us will not gain anymore points and I highly doubt that we will get 9 points from our 3 games. This will probably be better served in January when I will look at it again. Jaimie has been asking for someone else to do some legwork and here we go -- Is this all Roy's fault? We'll get into that debate soon but the point is, we are in trouble. 

    ReplyDelete
  142. Hi LFC
    An interesting post. However it does appear from the Q&A on Monday, that the owners are currently still backing him and have faith in him being able to sort the problem out. They also intemated, because of its transistiory nature, that they didn't have unrealisticly high expectations for this season. So surely, baring total capitulation, there is every chance Roy still be there in the summer, when NESV will evaluate their long term strategies?

    ReplyDelete
  143. Hi Paisley2011

    Yeah. I am surprised at whats going on at Inter. Whilst I felt it was probably best for both parties that things came to an end, I always thought he was a pretty decent manager. After all his record speaks for itself, 2 la ligas and the UEFA cup at Valencia.

    Even with Liverpool he took us to second, and third but one point of second, in the two years when weren't playing in the CL finals. However he is now part of the past at LFC. And while he will always be appreciated for the sucess he did bring us, Hodgson does deserve a chance. I think Rafa himself would vehmently argue this point seeing as it applies to his as well!

    Inter are 7th after finishing 1st last season, we are currently 9th after finishing 7th, with pretty much the same squad. The point is, unless a manager is totally out of his depth (ie Ramos at Spurs), IMO its unrealistically harsh to sack a manager after 16 games. Hodgson should be backed, and I'm glad the owner acknowledges that and have faith in him to improve away performances.

    ReplyDelete
  144. Hi Michael

    Totall agree with your sentiments. Its fine to be critical of a manager, but to be actively calling for his dismissal and ignoring all the difficulties he has faced this season...its not something I agree with. People talk about us having the same squad that Rafa did, and yes thats true. However Rafa also had Mascherano and we still finished seventh. Quite simply, in its present form the squad is struggling to get that top four position and a considerable way of a  sustained title challenge. A few crucial players current lack of form is costing us heavily.

    I don't think anyone can disagree that had Skrtel and Torres played better, we could concieveably have come out of those last two away games with 6 points. Before the outcry starts let me make it clear, I'm not blaming them for the problems this year, or saying they should be transferred. Both players, especially Torres have been fantatsic servants to the clubs. But every player in all sports have dips in form, its human nature. 

    I merely want to illustrate just how tight the margins are in the prermiership, and how a couple of players in key positions playing poorly can make things difficult.
    The argument is, that as Roy picks the team and tactics, he should be ultimately resposnible. And yes, to a degree thats right. However he has big problems in defence, Skrtel is our only practical option till Carra and Agger are back (though he may be casting an eye over young Wilson)

    Roy should have been more decisive up front, but despite his protestations he is clearly feeling pressure from the fans. I'm presuming thats his reason for not wanting to cause controversy by replacing a clearly out of form striker with Babel who did a great job deputising for Nando against Villa. That all said, the squad is going through a difficult time and it certainly is all Roy's fault. The owners obviously see this and have faith in Hodgson's plan to imrpove things. 

    I think I like your last statement most of all though....for me that day can't come soon enough!

    ReplyDelete
  145. Hi Michael  
     
    Totally agree with your sentiments. Its fine to be critical of a manager, but to be actively calling for his dismissal and ignoring all the difficulties he has faced this season...its not something I agree with. The squad is going through a difficult time and its certainly unfair to place all the blame on Roy. Injuries, poor form, and a lack of strength in depth are all making things difficult. The owners obviously see this and have clearly stated that they have faith in Hodgson's plan to improve matters.   
     
    I think I like your last statement most of all though....for me that day can't come soon enough!

    ReplyDelete
  146. I can't sleep so I went back to my numbers - I realize that I may have made a mistake --- A different situation would be to look at the amount of points a team has been trailing by without taking into account the number of points a team has lost to fourth place over the course of a season. Leeds' run in 00/01 will skew the data, but I suppose those who still think we can finish 4th will cling to that with almighty abandon. 
    A) So, for those teams who have been outside the top 4 in January, they have all been on average within 4 points. That data is heavily skewed with Leeds. 
    B) However, I can tell you that only 6 times in premiership history has a team been outside the top 4 in January and then been in the top 4 at the end of the season. 

    ReplyDelete
  147. I meant 7 times

    ReplyDelete
  148. A great idea in principle that does appeal to my socialist leanings. However the disparity in opinions held by LFC fans could cause two things to potentially occur under fan ownership of he club:

    * because of the massive differences in the supporters points of view, factions would soon appear, causing widespread bickering, and making even the most simple decision a nightmare to implement.

    * One overiding strong element of supporters would effectively take over the group, effectively rendering supporters with differing views impotent.

    If people don't believe me, read Animal Farm.......its all in there!

    ReplyDelete
  149. Hi Smurph,

    An interesting post. It does appear that the owner recognises the importance of fan consensus, especially in certain areas, such as the stadium plans etc. However, in my opinion they disagree with many fans discontent with Roy. Tom Werners made the following statement:

    <p><span>“We just got here, Roy got here shortly before us. You can see what Roy said, nobody, least of all Roy is happy with our performance last weekend. We all know we have to perform better on the road.
    <p>“But we believe in what Roy is doing, and certainly feel like the performance has to improve, and he would be the first to say that.”
    </p><p> 
    </p><p>It seems clear that they feel that Roy has identified the problems and that they have faith in his methods to improve the situation. 
    </p></span></p>

    ReplyDelete
  150. The money wasn't there? He bought Konchesky and Fulham bought Salcido, who is a left back who can also play centre back, who has performed well in the Champions League for about 5 years and who did a good job for Mexico in the world cup. He's a year older than Konchesky and he cost 3,5 million less, plus we would not have had to give away two young players. He bought Poulsen for 5 million, I cannot believe that there was no one else he could have bought for that money. If not, buy nobody. The thing those two players had in their favour was that the manager knew them from before, that was it. If money is tight, you don't spend it for the sake of it and buy players who don't improve the squad. For the combined money of Poulsen and Konchesky, he could have bought N'zogbia, who can also play at left back, probably better than Konchesky can. Yes, Meireles is a good signing, but not if he sticks him back out on the right. There was a lot more he could have done with the money that he spent on those two players, they are nowhere near good enough and if he could not find better he should have kept the money in the club. Fact is, this season has not been good enough, our players are better than that, and I'm all for seeing how things are at the end of the season, but if we don't even make the Europa league, a real possibility at the moment, and then our best players leave, we will have even more of a rebuilding job to do and it would have been because we took to long to make the decision. Same as last season, we should have moved Rafa on after we lost at Pompey. Had we done so, we might have made 4th. This year, not changing might be even more catastrophic. There are a couple of decent managers available now, that might not be the case in the summer. Sometimes you have to seize the moment when it presents itself. O'Neill has never had a team that underachieves. Rijkaard puts out attacking teams and lots of players would come here to play for him. Better players than Konchesky and Poulsen. When Fulham come to town, lets see who has the better left back. It's laughable.

    ReplyDelete
  151. Sumon, Michael and Paisley2011: At least there's still some good old common sense in our fans base.
    Spot On!

    ReplyDelete
  152. There have been times this season where I have seriously doubted RH ability to manage Liverpool, however when ever I have these doubts the same thought keeps springing into mind.. the lack of depth and quality of the squad, also it is not his squad either.

    With that in mind I have tried my best to remain neutral and I will judge him on his performance from Jan to the end of season and the quality of the signings he makes.

    In regards to the fans shouting for him to be sacked, I wonder if Kenny D did take over in the summer and he had the same level of performances as RH has had, I wonder if people would be screaming for him to get the sack?

    ReplyDelete
  153. Hey Gab

    Definitely some interseting point in your post! For whats it worth I think Nzogbia could be a good addition to our club for not a ridiculous outlay. the fact that he's only 24 means he could represent quite an attractive proposition to NESV. I always thought that Salcido was decent player, but I havn't watched many Fulham games this season so I'm not sure how hes coping with the prem. Do u have info on this?

    Its a fair point that the two realistic candidates who are free at the moment could well be snapped up by the summer. However, Rijkards failure at Galatassary worries me. Talking to some of my Turkish mates it transpire he made quite a few errors. Apparently the success at Barca was attributed to Rijkard and Henk Ten Cate, who is currently unavailable, working very tightly together as a team. 

    MON did very well with a pretty threadbare Aston Villa squad. There is no doubt that he is a very tactically astute manager. However I think think that NESV would be wary of the suddeness of his departure due to the lack of funds released by Randy Lerner, who was considered a model American owner by many.

    The reality is NESV are still in the process of developing their long term strategy at LFC. Whilst understandably concerned with away form, they seem happy to back Roy at the moment. Because they are so new to football, I would imagine from their point of view, it would make more sense to make a considered decision at the end of the year, when potentially a lot more candidates could be realistically sounded out with the controversy of dragging a manager away from a club halfway through the season. i think that also represents the fairest opportunity for Roy, we can see what he can do with the stability and support NESV bring.

    ReplyDelete
  154. Cheers Rick! The way I see it, hes manager of LFC, and is clearly backed by the owners and players. His success is LFC'S success so for me its a no brainer!

    ReplyDelete
  155. Very good point Vas. the owners themselves have acknowldeged this point several times during interviews. However I feel there is quite a bit of pressure on the team to get a result at Blackpool. Roy knows Liverpool have a point to prove, and I quitely confident of a decent performance and subsequently taking 3pts there.

    ReplyDelete
  156. All of you who want Roy out are still crying about Rafa being gone, just look at the great job he is doing at Inter. =-O  They have become mediocre and a shadow of the team which Jose M was managing.

    We should be thankful now that Rafa is gone otherwise he would have still been shafting LFC up the bum. Our club is going through plenty of changes IMO good ones. Our new owners are paving the way for a great future but the Rafa lovers have to realise the changes wont happen overnight.

    Anyone who was expecting another manager to walk into the job and play magician still have their heads up Rafa's ass. He won zip in his last four seasons and had a shocker in his last. Now we have Roy who needs to pick up the pieces and is expected to create miracles 5 months into his tenure.

    Our fans will be the ones who send this club down the drain the way they carry on...

    ReplyDelete
  157. Hodgson hasn't yet made Liverpool better, but he hasn't left us in a worse state when Rafa left, we are pretty much the same, where as Mark Hughes is making Fulham a worse team even if you think he is buying good players.

    ReplyDelete
  158. To Vas and Sumon, obvoiusly we would not have been calling for Kennys head because he liek Rafa have both proven themsleves to be be top quality and have won big trophies in big leagues. roy on teh other hand ahs not and throughout his career has proven himslef to be mediocre. He has done a mediocre job at Liverpool so far and at 63 of age and 35 years of management this is unliekly to change. Most can see this, a few over you need to open your eyes

    ReplyDelete
  159. My god man! Stop making sense. You should try and be a true supporter i.e. a rabid "fan", and call for Hodgson's head.

    ReplyDelete
  160. lol...

    So what you are saying is that so long as the manager has won something in the past.. regardless how long it was or what league it was in, then the results don't matter.. utter rubbish.

    It doesn't matter who you are, what you have done in the past, its about performances and results.

    You say rafa is a great manager who has proven himself.. fair enough, however that stands for nothing at Inter at the moment where he has taken charge of a team who won a historic treble and is currently  struggling in 7th.

    All you have proved is that you have double standards

    ReplyDelete
  161.     I believe that some of LFC fans are delusional, we still blame rafa and the squad that RH has inherited. I am pretty sure that RH did not inherit a squad that is capable of challenging Chelsea or ManCity, but I believe he has more than enough strength to beat Newcastle, Blackpool. etc.....

    ReplyDelete
  162. I am actually saying that results speak for themselves. If it was not for the team above us stuttering this year, we would have been more than 20 points off the pace.

    ReplyDelete
  163. Hi Guest

    I think thats a very fair point, and we should have got at least 4pts minimum out of those two  games.

    Roy and the team now have 3 very winable games ahead of them. I would suggest that 9 points would be a great way to get the winning menality back.

    ReplyDelete
  164. Call me madly optimistic, but I believe a good win against Fulham will inspire us to victory at Blackpool. There is also the revenge factor to figure in, and of course the massive need for a morale boosting away win to prove that we can break the curse! I'd agree with a Wolves win and Bolton draw. 9 out of 12 I think.

    ReplyDelete
  165. Vas,

    The point being made here is that if you have previous trophies on your CV then it proves you've got ability to manage. Benitez has substantial evidence of his ability as he's won numerous trophies in the big leagues and in europe.
    Hodgson has none of this and compounds this by playing horrendous dour football. Its no surprise the fans can't stand him and want him gone!

    As for Inter, i'm not sure if you've actually looked at their situation more closely or not, but theyve had a shocking number of injuries to their main players. Far more than hodgson has had at LFC. Its not always as clear as it looks on the surface.

    My main point really is that many fans would have more patience with RH if he either had a better track record OR he was trying to make the team play good football. Nobody wants to go to anfield every week or two and watch dour defensive hoofball.

    ReplyDelete
  166. Please explain how ive proved i have double standards

    By what standard do you judge managers? I'm judging them on success

    Why keep goiong on about Benitez at inter, the only way Jaimie makes Liverpool's situation look better is by drawing up sets of fixtures and results needed. Through extreme optimism bordering fantasy he concludes that well finish fourth or even higher( i often read here how well finish top 4 not fourth) . Im sure if you look at Inter's remaining fixtures and possible results you will see them climbing the table as well,  especialyl with returning players.

    Jaimie and others in being so defensive of Hodgson seem to forget that Benitez was the manager of Liverpool as well and deserves as much if not more respect.

    ReplyDelete
  167. look at roy today. another embarassing comment. apologize for not using torres. which manager does that?

    on another note, he always twist his words. after beating aston villa, he felt proud for not selling the players that was earmarked to be offloaded, in fact, praising Maxi and Lucas.
    "I got a list from Christian, who had strong opinions on lots of players. I listened but made it perfectly clear I wouldn't act on it.Now, to be fair, when we've spoken or texted he's the first to recognise what a good job we didn't do these things as the boys have turned out well."


    a week later when we lost to newcastle (with almost the same team - 10 same players), he came out and said that it's not his team, not his players.
    <span>"The owners have made it perfectly clear they are in it for the long term. They realise it is going to take time. They realise we can't turn things round overnight and they also realise the team I am working with is not the team I put together. It [the speculation] doesn't bother me because I can't do more than I am doing. I can't work harder and I can't work better."</span>

    ReplyDelete
  168. I can't speak for others, but for Rafa Benitez has clearly proven he is a top quality manager. Two la Ligas, UEFA CUP, FA CUP, and premiership and champions league runners up awards do not come by magic. I do feely very bad for RB and the team that we didn't quite get that premiership title....rather than boost the team and manager up (ie showing how close we were), I think it really deflated the team. It has to be hard on some players (SG,JC) who surely realise that they will not have another opportunity to the win the most coveted of prizes, the league title. I do not consider last year to be a true reflection of Benetiz's calibre as a manager.

    However, it does show that there were problems with the squad last year regarding form and motivation. I just don't believe Roy can be expected to work miracles and turn things around in a few games. Its obviously more difficult for a manager to enjoy instant sucess with a team that isnt his. But there is a consesus that the quality of football had been improving. We showed discipline and could have defeated a maurading spurs side that have only lost once at home all season. The next four , emminently winnable, games, have presented RH and the team with a great chance to show us that they can carry on improving and getting results. John Henry and Tom Werner will be scutinising those performances with great detail. Quite simply, its imperative that this opportunity is taken!

    ReplyDelete
  169. Rafa is only 4pts off 2nd place if he wins his game in hand.Rafa has a world cup final coming up and the possibility of an unprecedented quadruple is still on.When Inter played Lazio last week he only had 5 regulars.

    ReplyDelete
  170. Hi Sumon
                 it seems inconceivable, given that they spent 300 million, but I wonder if NESV realise the importance of the European football, particularly the Champions League, to players. To give Hodgson till the end of the season, which I am just about prepared to accept, is a risky ploy. In some ways, if you are going to give someone a year, you might as well make it three years. Because if we finish out of Europe this season, we will lose our goalkeeper and our best striker, no doubt about it. Players will know that when they are thinking of signing and if the manager does not impress them, they will expect us to finish no higher than 6th. That only gives a margin of error of two places, 6th or 7th, before we are out of Europe altogether. Then the club goes down a notch and then it is harder to attract the better players and managers. It could take us years to correct. So the next 6 months of Hodgson could affect the next five years at the club. If we had to sell Torres and Reina, and were out of Europe, we'll be getting derisory offers and then have the problem that no one will want to come here as we are not in Europe. So the policy with youngsters will be much needed. Of course, everyone will know we have funds from the inevitable sales, so the prices will go up for us. Maybe not Man City proportions, but everyone will recognise our need to get players in. NESV need to understand that we are probably looking likely to lose our best player and our goalkeeper in the summer, so their long term strategy needs to be formulated quickly before all the goalposts change, pardon the pun.

    I heard Rijkaard wasn't great in Turkey, my understanding was that he was working with Neeskens now and that Neeskens is a decent coach. I think the name would attract players and he seems to promote attacking football, so that would suit me. Marin O'Neill could point to what has happened at Villa this season as vindication of his argument. I'm sure if NESV promised to pick up Ashley Young for him he'd be quite happy. We had a better squad than Villa last season and they finished above us. I could see O'Neill getting us into the top four by the end of next season with very few additions to the squad. Actually, from the Villa game, I have to say that I was really impressed with Downing, he looks like a much improved player and I'd happily see him on our left side. Puts in a decent shift and has a bit of quality about him. I thought he played better than Young at the weekend as well.

    Looking at the BBC website, there's an article about Salcido getting injured for a month at the beginning of November, and the reports on his form seem positive. Hughes said he had made a 'huge impression', which sounds better than Konchesky. The team's form has dipped since he's been out as well. So, I think that at 1.6m he is a much better signing than Konchesky. To think that Hodgson wanted to buy Luke Young as well.

    ReplyDelete
  171. He's made Fulham harder to beat but they've not been winning many. But any of the bottom half sides, and Fulham are one of them, can go from 10th to 17th at any time. If they beat us at the weekend, they won't be too far behind us will they? Closer than last season, that's for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  172. The argument has been put forward already that Harry Redknapp did not need a year, Ancelotti did the double in his first year, even Allardyce got Blackburn playing in months. ONeill got Villa going in months, Owen Coyle only took months to get Bolton playing football. I'd suggest that Hodgson's excuse about not being his squad, for a manager with that much experience, is slightly misleading and deliberately so. He should know better than that. Even look at Sven at Leicester! I believed that Benitez was bad for morale in his final season, when that is the case, it should be easier, not harder, for the next manager if they have anything about them. THe problem, in my opinion, is that Hodgson is a similarly negative manger and also not the best man manager either. The club should have gone for a totally different type of manager. Listen to what some of you are saying, that it is ok that we are behind Newcastle and Blackpool are level on points, with a game in hand, because the manager has not had time to bring in his own players, when two of the players he brought in were Poulsen and Konchesky. At no stage, with the players we have, should Liverpool be floundering around teams like WBA and Blackpool and four points behind Bolton Wanderers, definitely not after this many games. There's no getting used to new ideas, or injuries that can explain that, it simply is nowhere near good enough. 

    ReplyDelete
  173. p.s. Roy's won zip in 35 years and he is performing miracles already, if you support Man Utd, he's taking the team to new depths. Which I thought was impossible after last season.

    ReplyDelete
  174. So tell me, Vas, what are Roy Hodgson's performances and results that made you think he was up to the job or doing a good job. And do you accept that if this season continues as it is, we are going to lose some of our best players? Do you want to risk the future on a man who has won nothing of significance in 35 years of trying? Is that the stature that you want for your club? Winning one away game in 6? There are better managers, who have won things, who are available now, for no fee to be paid to any club. If we don't act when we have the chance, we might suffer for many years. The situation can just about be salvaged at this point, maybe not champions league but possibly European football, by May, it probably will be past salvaging. There's nothing that I can see that suggests we are not going to get the decent performances littered with absolute dross. Watching the Utrecht game, Ican't believe how deep he has the team playing, no pressure on the opponent at all. Do that away from home and you are inviting pressure and the opposition goal seems a long way away. The club needs a bolder manager than Benitez in his last season or Hodgson in his entire career. I was all for seeing Benitez go, but the European Champions don't take you on if you are rubbish, I just think he'd past his sell by date with us. You can bet that Hodgson was nowhere on their radar this time. I also cannot see, ever, our club beating teams like Real Madrid and Man Utd, scoring 8 and conceding one, within a week under Hodgson. There's no double standard in saying that Benitez is a better manager than Hodgson, you just have to look at what they've achieved in the game, and Hodgson has had a lot longer to win things.

    ReplyDelete
  175. Spot on Edd.

    Thinks are getting better. Take the Spurs game, had Maxi/Torres taken chances there is no doubt we would have taken three points. Similar story at Newcastle, individual errors ( which can be rectified on the training field) cost us 1 maybe 3 points.

    Whilst Roy should take some reponsibility (especially in terms of team selection at the newcastle game where I felt that a tired Torres should have started on the bench) you can't blame him for experienced players making mistakes.

    I am confident that once we start ironing out defensive errors and converting the chances that we are creating, the results will come. My expectation for the next 4 games, a minimum 10 points from a possible 12!

    ReplyDelete
  176. Agreed! I fed with these inane stats been banded around..95% of fans want Roy sacked....quite frankly not representitive of the truth! There are lots of fans who agree with JK's belief that Roy has had a very difficult job and deserves time and support. 

    ReplyDelete
  177. Apparently depite wanting to play for LFC, Luke Young rejected us because the salary we offererd wasn't good enough!! Lets be honest as a player what greater honour could there be than to play for one of the world's most prestigious teams! Surely this move could have represented the pinnacle of, in top level footballing terms, a relatively mediocre career.

    However if theres one thing bound to depress u its players like Luke Young turning your team down! Whilst every man has the right to make their own decisons, this was one I couldnt fathom. I had this argument with a mate of mind, who loves to disagree with me. His point was that as he didnt have long left, Young was looking for a bumper pay day at the last two years of his career.

    I think he turned down our offer of a 2 yr contract at 30 000 a week. Thats still worth 3 million which is pretty much the same as 3 teachers life time earnings!! Is it unfair to accuse the man of being more than a little fiscally motivated?

    I have to concurr and say that Salcido would have probably represented a better option. Whilst not questioning his effort, its pretty evident that Konchesky has struggled to make the grade this season. I have seen a slight improvment overall, but at his age any progression is likely to be relatively minimal.

    As I mentioned previously, I always liked MON. Although Roy has my complete support, if asked directly whether I think MON would have mabe got better results, I'd have to say yes. However he is in his late fifties, and with the money he has made, could easily afford to retire in considerable comfort. If, during the summer he did decide to get involved with the LFC project, it would have to a long term commitment.

    (I say summer, because I feel sure that the owners are comfortable with Roy at the helm whilst they work out their LFC developement strategy. However in the summer they will seek to employ the manager who they hope will implement their long term vision. Whilst I feel Roy will not be precluded from applying, I'm not sure if would end up being chosen.)

    ReplyDelete
  178. The 99.94 % of Liverpool fans would like another manager because after we had success under the last manager we became used to winning trophies unfortunately we needed a manager who can win trophies and quiet frankly if Liverpool fans had a piece of paper and wrote down a list of 20 names roy would not feature on any of them and if they did then he must be really low because in all honesty u can give him all the money and players he wants he is an mid table manager and the expectation of the club and fans is not what he us used too. Merry Xmas and happy new year to all

    ReplyDelete
  179. It seems there is a divide on this,  either stubborn support for Hodgson or stubborn support to see his head on a plate.  My question's; we are nearly half way through the league season, Did you belive that at the start of the season with roy in charge we would be level on points with Blackpool at this point?. In what you have seen in Roy over the last six months has it given you the confidence that he can win the league at liverpool with a normal budget? Or do you think that it takes an extraordinary manager to win the league with a normal budget?? Roy is a good manager, he is not the best, if at a good club will bring good performances from them. He has the capabiltiy to go on a good cup run and produce a good finish. However, to win the league you cant just be good, you have to be world class, to win the champions league you need to be world class. Will roy make us world class, has any team he managed been world class?? no, as he is regarded as good and has only ever produced good teams, this is why he has never been signed by world class clubs. He has only been signed by middle of the road teams or big clubs have taken a chance on him when the big clubs are faultering or have money problems as they cant give a world class manager what he wants. Roy will produce good results, good performances but he wont set the world on fire and will produces nothing in the way of league titles at the highest level. This is not me just saying this;- he has been in football management for 40 years, and in that 40 years he has not won anything in the top 3 leagues in the world, italy, spain or england. To win in these three leagues you have to be regarded as a world class manager to be taken on by a very good team. As a world class manager you will be able to take the team from being very good to world class. Roy hodgson is a good manager. He has the ability to take a team to the next stage of being very good, but not world class as he does not know what that is as he has never been at a club or taken a club to that level, he has only been on the recieving end of a world class club battering his team into the floor.

    This is my reason why he should not be at liverpool as i regarded liverpool last year to be a very good team that had a dip, but they where still very good. What they needed was a world class manager to take them back up to the highest level. Instead they got a good manager who took a poor team in fulham and made them good, however at liverpool he has a good team and has the ability to keep them good but and a slim chance to making them very good but never world class. As a result he has made us a good team we are mid table and doing good, if that is what you expect as a liverpool fan then long live Roy Hodgson. If you want world class then we need world class at the top. this is how very good players become world class players as they are directed by world class. I f world class is directed by good then you wont get world class, you will get good performances, this is why our world class players are playing good but not the world class we are acustomed to so we think they are playing poor, when in fact they are playing good.

    ReplyDelete
  180. fair points, but who would have expected Blackpool to have 22points at this stage, those sort of comments are highly misleading.
    I'd have to disagree with the general theme of your comment. To argue that we could be competing for the league this season is fantasy if you ask me.
    Roy was never proclaimed as the man to deliver us our next league title, nor was he an appointment who ruffled many feathers; unfortunatley the club wasn't in the position to appoint a real top notch manager over the summer; and i really doubt any manager could have us competing at the top end this season.
    As you rightly point out, we have a good squad, and a good manager.  I think he will prove to do a solid job here.  If he matches last seasons position and there are no outstanding candidates available, he deserves to continue his job.  If he delivers a top 4 position, he undoubtedly deserves to continue.  To even remotely expect anything more from our current squad, compared to the rest of the competition, is pure fantasy in my opinion.
    Looking long term, past his current 3yr contract, one would have to expect to see our club backing in the thick of it consistently.  I believe with the input of JH/TW our squad should be competing for these top accolades by 2012/13, perhaps RH will be the man for the job then, but in the meantime I believe he certainly is.

    ReplyDelete
  181. I never said a world class manager would win the league this year, a world class manager has a capacity to win the league, Roy hodgson doesnt. A world class manager will sign the best players as the best players will want to play for the best. Who has the greater pulling power irrespective of the team, alex ferguson, wenger, ancellotti, redknapp or Hodgson??? If hiddink or mourinho was at liverpool from the start of the season, do you think we would be where we are or have the inconsistency??? I suspect the initial signings they would have made would have been better and i would have expected they would not farm out players who are currently playing at their loan clubs better than their replacements at liverpool. Do you think hiddink or mourinho would have signed konchesky or poulsen??? would mourinho sign joe cole, he lost favour with him at chelsea.

    Also if he matches last season he should be allowed to stay????. Where we sacked a manager for coming seventh as this was the only dip he did, however we will applaud hodgson for it, this is madness. We should look at last season as a dip and rebound back up with a better manager, this is exactly what totenham expected with harry redknapp and they got it. As soon as he was appointed tottenham was transformed overnight.

    There is no chance of Hodgson coming 4th, no chance, 9 pointrs off and with only a biased blind faith would you expect us to. As for the quote about blackpool and 22 points. Blackpool will have set a target of around 40 odd points for safety, they are on target as we are HALF WAY THROUGH so they are on track. What was liverpools target at the start of the season. It was 4th at all costs, stop the rot and get us challenging, not for the title but for that elusive 4th spot. Looking at the league we are not on target. The top 4 sides have all had there slumps so would expect them to have a better second half to the season like most teams do. Liverpool on the other hand will struggle to reahc what they did last year so will have not progressed.

    About the excuses of the squad, how can a squad of players win so many at home and play good football, be so bad away from home and not get the results they need from what you would expect as easy victories and that is with the current squad. It is called the 'HODGSON EFFECT'. He has a history of building teams at the highest level who win at home but fail to win away. This EFFECT is listed right through hodgson history in management, it will only be blind faith that you belive this will change, 40 years says it all. In three years if he is still here, NESV will have got all their figures wrong.

    I want liverpool to at least come 4th, if we do then quality, if we dont then sack the manager and get someone in. When working for a company, if you want excellence in what you produce then excellence is what you need to run right through it. If your expectation is small then dont expect big things to happen. People give man uts fans for being arrogant, however this arrogance is pressure and knowing that you expect success. liverpool fans used to have this, now we are slowly loosing faith passion and expectation of liverpool achieving success. for all benitez did last year, at least for the years before H&G he did give fans this. Roy has not, all he has given is blame to players and excuses. His record says he is no winner and he will prove this with liverpool.

    ReplyDelete
  182. 'Fans' are terrible human beings who know not what they do... Damn those 'fans' Jamie... Damn them to hell!

    ReplyDelete
  183. And which world class manager did you have in mind?! Hiddink and Mourinho may have done a better job, but both weren’t interested so that argument is a non starter, there was no world class manager available, we had to make do with the LMA manager of the year.
    As for signings, Poulsen hasn’t been great, but he seems to be an ok understudy to Lucas.
    As for Konchesky, what other left back would you have signed for c£4-5m.<span>  </span>Perhaps Insua could have been kept, but PK had a better season the year before.<span>  </span>Lb is an area that needs strengthening though.
    Cole certainly has the potential to be a great acquisition, and this was a deal that was not started under the RH administration.
    I was disappointed by the loan of Aquilani, but it was by no means a disastrous transfer window, especially given the circumstances, ie. the club being up for sale.
    Please don’t misquote me, it’s rather annoying, I argued if we match last seasons performance, and no better candidate is available, he should be allowed to continue.
    There is a chance of us coming fourth, even greater if the negativity of the fans turned positive.
    Don't give me that rubbish about Blackpool, at their current rate of point conversion they'll reach over 52 pts, more than they could have hoped for in their wildest dreams, as is their current position of 10th in the league.  The bias in a statement like the one you presented is ott, I could also say "who would have thought after 17 games that we'd be 5 positions ahead of Villa, and 6 ahead of Everton" but thats clearly misleading, as was your Blackpool comment.
    Yes our away form is worrying, but it was also bad last season, we picked up only 10pts of a possible 27, this year we only have 5pts from 27, but do you see my point.  The performance versus Spurs was encouraging atleast, but this clearly does need to improve.
    Right now our expectations should be Europe, top 4 ideally, but to expect this when squads such as City, Spurs are much superior is unfair.  With NESV our expectations will rightly grow season by season and we will begin to become a lasting force again, perhaps Roy won't be the man, but i'm hoping he is, as we all should, and for now i've seen enough evidence to suggest that Roy is the best man available to do what is required for this season atleast, and quite possibly beyond.

    ReplyDelete
  184. he did not need to sign a left back, insua and aurellio are better, why waste 5 mil, especially on konchesky!! poulsen back up for lucas, funny that lucas was a back up for mascherano!!! its seems your happy for us to go backwards!

    Another question, as i have said before harry redknapp turned tottenham around instantly, they are finally regarded as a top side, they have had an array of managers, was harry the difference??

    roy hodgson won the LMA, fair play, he did get fulham to a uefa cup final. The fact they where usless away from home the way liverpool are is overlooked due to this final.

    To be fair, about the candidates for the job, did they look hard enough!!

    against tottenham we did play well, but tottenham won. that is the sign of a good team, play poor but still win. That game has gone, looking at our last game we where again poor away from home and we have been all season. 

    Last season was poor for us, this is the reason why we supposindly kicked out benitez which i agreed with and hodgson was supposed to be better and fire us up the league. Even kenny Dalglish a man who has won more things than roy hodgson would ever dream of winning, a man who has been out the game for years wanted the job as even he knew that if they where going to go with someone like roy then he is definitely in for a shot as he thought he was better. 

    As for blackpool their wildest dreams are coming true, livepools wildest dreams are not, why is this. at blackpool where the team cost nothing they are behind the manager fully and confidence is high.

    In conclusion, liverpool are 9th, there away record is poor, torres looks like he wants to cry and the difference from the top 4 is growing, forget other teams , this year liverpool will cement themselves as a mid table club, if as a fan your happy with that then its no problem. As for roy being the best man available, that is absolute nonsense!!

    ReplyDelete
  185. The reason Blackpool have so many points is because the teams in the league are not as good as we are making them look. And the comments about Roy Hodgson being a good manager who is used to seeing his teams battered by the top sides explains his very negative tactics. Liverpool have to be meeting the top sides with some belief, the manager and his tendency to park the team in front of their own box suggests a lack of belief. Blackpool have more points because they are taking the game to the opposition and not being overawed, yet this is Liverpool and the team is looking too scared to attack in half the games that we are playing. We are sitting far too deep. If Blackpool can go out and show some courage, surely Liverpool should be able to.

    ReplyDelete
  186. Totally agree, Dixie, whatever target we set, being alongside Blackpool is not good enough. And the fact that the top teams have slumped so badly and we are still off the pace is a real failure on the manager's part. I've said it before, but no amount of transition should allow such a low amount of points from these fixtures ; Sunderland, Blackpool, WBA, Newcastle, Wigan, Stoke. 5 points from that lot? Is 15 points too much to expect when 3 of those games are at home? The team could have still lost one of those games and been up there with Chelsea. If people are saying that transition is an excuse for a meagre 5 points from that game, then we really are in trouble. Even four wins takes us right behind Chelsea. No one is complaining about losing at City or Tottenham, but the wasted points from these games are going to cost us. And when Torres and Reina, and maybe even Gerrard, say goodbye, if we don't make Europe at all, the task will become even harder. From what we've seen so far, can anyone really say that we are certainties for European competion next year. With his away record, do people really want to entrust our chance to move up in the table, and keep our best players, to a man who has never been able to set up his sides for away games? It's not just 'give him a chance and wait and see', the rebuilding job will be even bigger next year if we continue like this. The next manager will have it even harder and it will be harder for us to get someone who can do the job. 

    ReplyDelete
  187. Do you not think we've actually played well against the better teams? The performances against Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Utd at times are among our best this season; though City was a nightmare..
    I feel when the onus is on us to perform we're hit and miss, contrast Blackpool and West Ham..or Everton and Villa..
    At the moment, as with last year, setbacks are killing us, but theres been enough good performances of late to tell me there's the potential for a good run.

    ReplyDelete
  188. Hey ikcl,

    I have to agree with you on many issues. The reality is that during all the turmoil in the summer, in terms of the top calibre candidates there werent too many options. The money was a problem too, I'm sure Roy's not on mega bucks, and the compensation paid to Fulham was 2 million, were it for big name manager it would be considerably more. He was obviously employed as an interim manager during a very difficult tummultuous period and is starting to reasonably well.

    Obviously the away record needs to improve, but we were measuredly better agaisnt spurs and could have got a result at newcastle were it not for individual errors., which is something that can be worked on. I definitely agree with you, we do raise our game against the big teams. Well the pressure is well and truely on now for the next four games, so lets see what the team can do.

    The way I see it, if the owners choose to sack Hodgson now, they would have two realistic choices. Listening to JH refusal to even discuss the notion of a specific player belonging to another team tells me that he is a man of considerable scruples. I simply cannot see NESV approach another club's manager mid season.

    That effectively leaves KD, Frank Rijkarrd, or Martin O'Neil. Kenny has no doubt seen the amount of stick Roy has recieved (he is on twitter after all) and personally i think would be reluctant to take over at this point. FR is a dynamic young manager who could maybe be a good candidate long term. MON is another very talented manager, my concern would be if at 58 he was prepared to put in the time commitment to be part of NESV's long term strategy.

    The second option, and the one I believe NESV will pursue is to slowly draw up a shortlist for the summer, of young dynamic managers who are prepared to be part of the long term vision. Examples could include Rijkard, and my personal favourite, AndrĂ© Villas-Boas who is currently managing Porto. It could well be that RH as the incumbent at that point would be encouraged to apply, but personally I see him staying on at LFC in a more advisory capacity.

    However as you say, at the moment, and I'm sure till the end of the season at least he is the manager, is the right man for the job now.

    ReplyDelete
  189. Hodgson is reportedly on 3 million a year. Most fans regard him as an interim manager, however Hodgson belives he will be here for the long haul. Surley Dalglish would have been a better interim manager as he has been quoted as saying he would step down as soon as a world class manager was selected as he was thinking more about the club instead of himself. this attitude in itself is what seperates Hodgson and Dalglish. If we loose, hodgson jumps on either the players backs or he turns around and says this was not his team anyway, however if we stick 5 past man utd in the cup he will come out and say i have moulded MY players. Then the following week away we will get beat and he will be back saying " well we are still learning". He needs to face facts that he is not here for the long haul and he is not taking liverpool in the right direction, so it beggers belief why he is still there.

    If Dalglish had took over, he may have produced the same results, however everyone knew he was there only as an interim and yes there would be prssure to look a bit faster for a manager if this where to happen, but you know when you have found the right man dalglaish would step down as he cares more for the club than his own objectives, and to be fair his objectives and the clubs are the same anyway.

    Currenlty the season is looking bleak, you can see in players faces that they are not up for it especially away from home. Instead of keeping roy till the end of the season, IMO they should do what they should have done at the start of the season and appoint kenny as an interim manager, this will give NESV time to appoint a manager that is right for the summer, whislt not letting this situation with hodgson get out of hand. It also will alleiviate giving hodgson money in january which would be saved for the summer for a nemw manager to have a good go at transforming the team with the extra money, it will also leave commoli to identify some targets for the new manager.

    There have been may a person who says kenny is past it and is not right for the job. I agree he has been out of the game for a long time and this is why i belived he would have been a good interim as the pressure would have been off a bit.

    Me personnal, i would like to see kenny take over now till the end of the season as unlike hodgson i have faith in kenny that he will do best by liverpool and not himself. Given that he is a winner at the highest level and was confident he could do the job better than roy, well i defy any liverpool fan who would not put there faith in kenny, if he has stated he could do it better!!!.  For what he has done for the club throughout his years, I would at least give him the chance as unlike hodgson kenny has actually earned the title of KING OF THE KOP by being world class as a player and manager.

    The one thing this appointment would bring instantly is inspiration and motivation. Gerrard has long been regarded as the catalyst of any liverpool comeback, if gerrard plays class, liverpool normally do. Imagine how motivated gerrard would be if kenny was giving the team talk!!! imagine how the atmosphere would be for his first game, this massive lift maybe not tactics and resulst but what it will give is motivation, inspiration and belief, some thing that liverpool are severily lacking.

    Maybe we may carry on like we are under dalglish, mid table. however he is an interim so will only be looking after the team till the summer. But maybe he may start winning, and move us back up the table, get the liverpool mentality back, inspire the team and mitivate them. start getting results. then the board have a hard decision to face as he will become un sackable as the fans would revolt.

    Is this the main reason why he [...]

    ReplyDelete
  190. hey dixie222

    I do agree with many of the things you say. There is no way Kenny is past it, footballing terms LFC. Despite not managing for a good few year, hes stayed heavily involved in the game, and has interacted with players, and actively watched many games. Those who say its been too long since he last managed a team are ignoring the fact that he consistently demonstrated the key skills and attributes of a top football manager. The premiership has changed, but the basic tennants of good management haven't.

    I was very suprised, that KD wasn't given the post in the summer. There could well be something in your theory, I had never thought about it like that before....a very interesting point. If you were to have asked me after Rafa left who i would have thought right for liverpool, with all the impending stress and turmoil, I would have said King Kenny without even thinking about it. 

    However, whilst every LFC fan would dream of Kenny at the helm, we have to face facts. for whatever reason, he wasn't given the job. And frankly we have no way to know if he still wants it. Roy was given an incredibly tough job, and whilst he has definitely made mistakes, I still belive there is room for progression under his leadership. Judging on the comments made by Tom Werner and Roy Hodgson, they are still keen to support Roy, and they believe he has the ability to sort out our away day malaise.

    Furthermore recent performances have shown definite improvement. Our first few matches were awful, we created nothing. Now the chances are there, but they are not always taken. The biggest problem over the last three matches IMO has been mistakes by experienced professionals. these are issues that can be remedied by hard work on the training ground.

    It seems the owners and their advisors have noticed this and agree, hence their continued support for RH. Lets be frank, if they felt that Roy was destined to keep the club mired in midtable mdeiocrity, they would have ditched him ages ago. After all who playes around with a 300 million pound investement? These guys are shrewd businessmen with extensive experience of running sports clubs and franchises.

    ReplyDelete
  191. sumon,

    I do agree that there have been some good performances. However I still cant see past the fact that I dont think Roy has the capability to make liverpool a top class team, its like I can never see poulsen or konchesky setting the world on fire. These players do remind me of roy, they have it in them to produce some good performancees and at times produce a performance that is sublime, however you know it would'nt last and too often than you would like they will put in a good performance and mess it up with a shocking mistake that costs you the game.

      NESV will no doubt stick with him as an under pressure manager who is fighting for his job is perfect if your a new owner trying to make major changes. Any manager that is under pressure will agree to anything whilst he has this going on, as he will be happy that he still has a job. So it does seem sense for them to keep him untill they have a solid plan of where they are going

    As for NESV, what people fail to understand is they came to liverpool, not as liverpool fans or for the love of football, or to make a statement like what is happening at man city. They came here to make money, and any plan they concieve will be revolved around this and not winning trophies.

    If liverpool fans did manage to own the club and the board was voted in, it would be all about winning, pay the bills yes, but the money left will go on players and wages not on dividends for another company.

    ReplyDelete
  192. Hey Dixie222

    There is no doubts that NESV are in this for the money. However at least they seem to understand the reponsibities that come attached to their investment. On the contrary H&G' game plan was to use mainly other peoples money to buy the club and sell as soon as possible in order to generate huge profits for themselves.

    You have raised an interesting point about Hodgson compliance being a positive asset to the owners. That could well be a reason that would choose to support him.

    I understand your point of view about RH not being able to make LFC into a top level team. However I don't think that's his remit. Most fans and indeed the onwers understand the transitionary nature of this season. I think a fair expectation for Roy would be EL football next year (ie 5/6th finish minimum) and to be reasonably close to 4th spot. Personally, I'm quite sure he will manage this.

    I think if you look at the squads Man City and Spurs have assembled, realistically it would be tough to finish higher than both of those teams with the squad we have now, no matter which manager we had.

    ReplyDelete
  193. totally agree with you sumon.

    ReplyDelete
  194. I think your spot on Sumon, couldn't argue with a single point you've made!
    Heres hoping for a great result at the weekend 8-)

    ReplyDelete
  195. Cheers guys! its always great to debate about Liverpool. At the end of the day we're all passionate about the club which is the most important thing. Bring on Sparta Prague! I'm sure well get that result tomorrow too! YNWA!!

    ReplyDelete
  196. Fernando Torres urged to declare his intentions!

    This headline, from the Liverpool Echo, quoting Phil Thompson, nonetheless, should have every Liverpool supporter worried. It says a lot of things that give a hint that things are not right within the squad. Firstly, Thompson coming out with this kind of comment, that Torres should 'nail his colours to the mast' is not helpful. More to the point, people should wonder why Torres seemingly is not doing so. And if he does not want to, why should he? Some of us think that we can amble through this season, leaving the club's future to a man who has won nothing of note in 30 years, and then expect our top players to hang around, whoever the next manager is, while we are out of Europe. I'm sure Torres is of the viewpoint that should we improve he will stay. The fact that his body language is all wrong, suggests, to me, that he does not have faith in the current set up and does not think things will improve. On what we've seen so far, who can blame him? Anyone who has played football at a decent level knows that when a manager gives instructions and the players have not bought into those instructions, what you see is a lack of decisiveness, that looks like lack of effort, and the type of half hearted effort that we have seen all too often this season. Part of getting people to run through walls for you is making them believe that what you tell them to do is possible. The other half is them having the desire to want the same as you do. If someone tells you to run 100 metres in five seconds and they'll give you a million pounds, you won't even bother trying. If they tell you to do it in 15 seconds, we'd all be at the start, eager and ready to go. I doubt that there is no desire on the parts of Torres and co, I just don't think that they have faith in what the manager is saying, and so it shows in the half hearted performances. That is down to the manager. We also have a number of attacking players being asked to do things that really is not in their make up. I disagree with the view that we played that well against Tottenham. They were playing their third tough game in a week, Wigan beat them after a European match, they lost their best player in the first half, had their best defenders out and we still managed to let what should have been a tired team score against us in the last minute. Everything was in our favour for that game. To top it all, there was space all over the pitch, and we had the quickest player on either side, bar Lennon, sitting on the bench, and then we brought Aurelio on to cover Konchesky, that did not work. I was really disappointed that we lost that game, had we won it, we'd be right up there with Tottenham now. We've wasted too many points at this stage to get close to 4th, and I think that the only way the board will get the top players to 'nail their colours to the mast' is to get an inspirational manager who they believe will lead the club to better things sooner than later. Even if we don't make 4th, Torres and co will want to see the form of a team in the top 4 by the end of the season in order for them to stay. Under Hodgson, that will never happen, in my opinion. The owners have to understand the importance of European football to these guys. Maybe now the Europa league is starting in earnest, the players might be slightly more motivated, but I fear we'll have to win it to even come close to our big names staying if Hodgson continues to be the manager.

    ReplyDelete
  197. We have a better goalkeeper than Tottenham, a better striker, a better midfielder than Tottenham, who have two top class attacking midfielders. We also have a number of players, in the squad who would get into their team, at right back, we have a better player and Meireles and Lucas could do as good a job as the likes of Palacios. Where they are better is that they have Gareth Bale, their central defence is better but they are always injured. So, in my opinion, it is Reina, Torres and Gerrard vs Modric, Van der Vaart, also injury prone, and Bale. Seems pretty close to me. City are on another level, but Chelsea have been floundering, Arsenal are always flaky, which only leaves Man Utd, and I still think they have a dip to come, provided Rooney does not start firing soon. We should be closer to these teams now, they've all had shaky moments. In fact, until Tevez went mad this week, it is a wonder City are not running away with it. All these teams will probably pick up in the second half of the season, though, so we may have missed our chance to get close to them with poor performances against teams like Blackpool, Wigan, Sunderland, Stoke and Newcastle. This first half of the season has been a real waste and unless our away form improves, and how can we expect that, I don't see how we are going to get much closer than we are to the top sides. We'll overtake Bolton and Newcastle, hopefully, Sunderland might take some catching, especially as we have to go there before the end of the season and they don't leak too many goals, apart from at Newcastle. 7th again, in my opinion. Will that be good enough for our top players? I doubt it.

    ReplyDelete
  198. Hey Gabs

    I defintely agree.... Spurs key strength has been their speedy wing play especially courtesy of Mr Bale. I wonder if they can hang on to him, they are adament they will, but when a £40 million pound offer comes flying in, Im not so sure! Actually,it does highlight an area where we ourselves could do with some reinforcments.

    People have mentioned Eden Hazard who has got loads of potential, but  at a young age with no prem experience, he could represent a gamble. Nzogbia( who I think you may have mentioned?) would be a good option and considerably cheaper than Ashely Young who I would also like. It would be great to sign Johnson from City, but again his price may well be prohibative. Lets also not forget Arda Turan, a quality player who gets bonus points for the sheer desire he exhibits to play for LFC!

    ReplyDelete