Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson said yesterday that he will not take any excuses from his star players over the lack of transfer funding if the team fails to perform on the pitch:
“If they are not playing well and not helping the team to win, I will be advising them to look in the mirror, not look for excuses elsewhere and blame the owners for not spending £500 million. As a player you have chance to change things. If you do not think the team is doing as well as it should, you can do something about it, and if you are a big player, maybe you will. Players are only world class if they play to the best of their ability. If not, they are only world-class names.”
After seemingly having a relatively important say in persuading Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to stay at the club, such words indicate to me that he knows how to use the carrot and stick approach. Man management is crucial in modern football to get the best out of your players, and Hodgson has certainly shown so far that he has good powers of persuasion.
In the long arduous Premier League season though, talking will only get you so far, and as Roy says, the players must go out and play to their expected levels. Even with all the problems Rafa Benitez faced with injuries and the lack of senior squad players, there were still many top class players playing for Liverpool last season, and the seventh place finish was just not good enough for the players on show. Many players, including Steven Gerrard, were off form for large parts of the season and Hodgson is keen that no such eventuality occurs this campaign.
Everyone is hopeful about Liverpool being sold before the end of the transfer window on August 31st, but I agree with Hodgson, that even if the Reds are still under the American’s ownership, the players still won’t have any excuses to not perform. Torres, Gerrard, Reina and Cole all provide the top class talent on show at Anfield next season, and even if there are no world class arrivals between now and the end of August, Hodgson should expect good things from them.
In such a situation, not many Reds fans will be expecting an exceptionally strong title challenge but they will expect the team to play well and be within the top four teams. Hodgson himself also has a lot to prove, and although he has got off to a good start, not only with the acquisition of Joe Cole and his win over FK Rabotnicki, but also his general demeanour in addressing players, fans and the press; the pressure to win the first Premier League game of the season against Arsenal will be there.
I am sure though he is relishing the opportunity to get started in his first truly big job in English football after 34 years in management. Every single supporter will hope he gets off to a good start against the Gunners in two weeks time, and I for one am feeling the most optimistic for a long time about Liverpool Football Club.
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Liverpool’s revival is very important for Premier league. I was surprised to see Liverpool struggling after a strong 2nd place finish in the preceding season. Too much tinkering and injuries affected the reds. Hoping that liverpool can keep the big spenders Man city on bay that they are still a class apart from the likes of liverpool and Manchester united.