Roy, you asked us to give you ten games to fully evaluate your performance. Well we are now eight games in and it is surely reasonable to start assessing your actions and I hope you are listening to our concerns and ideas, unfortunately I worry that you are not.
On your arrival at Anfield the one thing you said that stood out and appealed to the fans the most is that you intended to develop a more creative and attacking team. If a poll was conducted close season about what improvement Liverpool fans most wanted to see from our treasured team then I imagine these two characteristics would have far outweighed any others. Your first moves on this front were positive: you managed to persuade Gerrard and Torres to stay, and signed Cole and Meireles. But from our very first game a lot of concerns have risen that your ability to follow through on these desires has been constricted to say the least, and the blame cannot solely be focused on limited manoeuvrability in the transfer market.
If you take the four players named above and add to them Kuyt, Jovanovic, Johnson, Maxi, Ngog, and Babel it is plain to see that we DO have plenty of creativity and attack-minded players. Additionally include the youngsters on the verge of the first team: Pacheco, Eccleston and Amoo and we have 13 attacking, creative and capable players vying for six positions. So surely we should have the capabilities and the competition for places to allow our attacking force to be something worth fearing, but sadly at the moment it is not. Why?
It is a fair point that we need more natural width but that is something we will need to wait to January to improve and our on field issues need rectifying with immediate effect. The other present issues are form and maybe a lack of potent strikers. Firstly I disagree that we are in dire need of strikers. For example, Ngog has scored seven goals this season and when he came on against Everton on Sunday he did have a couple of encouraging moments. He is our top goalscorer yet as soon as Torres is close to fit (but not close to top form) Ngog is sacrificed to make way for our talismanic lone ranger. It is glaringly obvious to everyone that Torres needs more support upfront and with Ngog’s form (and hopefully continued improvement) I expected to see this partnership at least given a chance to develop, yet they have had all but no opportunity to do so.
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To be honest, if the Arsenal model of building over a period of time then it is vital we get a manager with the right age, experience and ability. Easier said than done! Rafa made his mistakes but we have some promising youngsters like Wilson and Shelvey (identified by Rafa/Macia) as well as Sterling, Suso, Silva, Pacheco, Ayala, Wisdom and Kelly. These players need to be given a chance in the future. It will save us money and it will be a shame that they are ignored!
Look at how Hodgson is sidelining Pacheco! Marginalising Agger who is a young centre back at 25 who (injury permitting) should be coming into his prime as a ball playing centre back.
I’ll admit that I have been guilty of baiting Roy and that’s not right. He is doing his best and has shown he isn’t a troublemaker like Sir Alex but niceness isn’t a requirement to manage Liverpool FC. I feel sorry for the guy because he has been ruthlessly exposed but I feel worse for Liverpool.
Rijkaard would fit the bill but he has to see this as an opportunity to really make his mark after an unsuccessful stint at Galatasary. There are some talented German managers too in the Bundesliga
For those who want Rijkaard as Liverpool manager,He will by sacked by his turkish employers soon.Galatasaray are languishing 12th in their poor league!!
From what I read ,hear,and see Liverpool’s owners,board,players and fans are convinced LFC is no longer a great club!!
In two or three years we will be happy just to play in the PL.
Please let’s change our poor mentality and look for a great manager with a big CV!
For those who cry for the likes of Rijkaard, O’neal and co, Please open your eyes they are no better than RH.
This is A great club. We are GREATER than AC Milan,Juventus,Inter Milan,Barcelona,and Real Madrid but our Big problem is;
Stupid and childish board
Lack of ambition from owners and alot of fans too.
Those who want Rijkaard ,O’Neal to manage Liverpool, they just should give this sh**t clueless RH more time!
This is avery critical time,let’s unite behind aproven world class hero” Bring in King Kenny”
What a moronic attitude
Would not want MON, would be happy with Pellegrini or Rijkaard because I know they both have the right approach to the game. Rijkaard would be my first choice with Pellegrini a close second.
Let’s be honest lads, this season will be a write off in terms of getting back into the Champs League but would provide the new man a long enough period to get to know the club, the players and adapt to the league.
With either manager at the helm, I could actually safely give him a chance like Liverpool supporters usually do and we can’t have a nomark at the helm. We’re a big club and should appoint a manager accordingly. Former Real Madrid and Barcelona managers who weren’t failures. See Barca’s success under Rijkaard and Real’s record points haul.
Above all HE IS NOW available!
King Kenny as a top manager was when Jesus Christ was playing full back for Israel!
Fair point on Rijkaard’s unimpressive stint in Turkey but I still feel he’d be reinvigorated by a challenge at a worldwide giant.
Remember we want to build and as JW Henry says, he’s no sheikh! We can compete but will need to look at youth and sign wisely. I feel Rijkaard can do that whilst bringing the right approach to the club. The stint at Gala does change something. He’ll be hungry to restore himself and the club. It could just be the right fit. Progressive football is there, experience and success…
He will be ready to prove a point now and with a more progressive club freed of the shackles of debt.
Spot on Blindside! A fantastic opportunity to show that his Barcelona success wasn’t a one off and he truly is an elite manager for elite clubs…
right thats it he has to go, he is resting some top players in probably the one competition we can win, resting players for blackpool at home and now blackburn, he dos’nt get it at all he has nothing of the liverpool way in him – get him out now. what we need is consistancy and you will never get continually changing the team, he is too worried about his job, out out out.
He’s resting them so he can stand on the touchline at Anfield and glumly watch Blackburn give us the next thrashing.
How long is this to go on????
Away to an Italian side who are currently fourth in Serie A and he’s resting players? No win in the past 5, 3 defeats and Roy’s resting players. Great. If we lose the game, then it’ll be 3 straight defeats heading to Anfield with confidence low against Fat Sam’s black-and-blue-burn. Oh, it seems that Roy’s doing his best to give us what we all want as soon as anyway…
i’m sure we have more points this season if we never had a manager at all and left it to the players, it’s daft but it’s true. he has to get at least 6 points from the next three games, anything less and he should be sacked. ive tried to defend him but he is making no headway at all, we cant afford to keep him if he dos’nt turn it round now, these next games should be make or break, no more chances. wins not whines is what we want.
The odds of getting relegated are getting shorter by the minute. It’s Last Chance Saloon for Roy next Sunday…If he doesn’t change his ultra defensive tactics for this game ,we are doomed.
That SOB from Blackburn must be chortling away and can’t wait to get stuck in to RH’s inept side come Sunday. We ARE doomed with this prat.
James
This article is so fantastic like your reading my every thought,great minds think alike. Now for the next trick! Can we get Roy to listen and read this article? I also believe we have the players to be playing better football than we have been.
Lucas isn’t as bad as many make out but he is a reserve. However, Konchesky and Poulsen do not belong at LFC. I hope they’ll leave soon after Hodgson does but lesser clubs sack their managers for similar results.
People keep saying Rafa left Roy with average players but even so, 19th place? Average is 9th, 10th or 11th in the league. 19th is plain shit. We don’t have shit players, some may be average but you can’t pin this one on Rafa journos and naysayers.
If we lose the next two games it’ll be worth it so that Hodgson can go. Unforgivable words but our future is at stake!
You’re correct the so-called useless one got us to 7th! Now we have this expert and we’re 19th and like the lift in “Are you Being Served?” going down……
Although i think the manager is to blame the players must carry some burden that was probably the tamest derby i have seen between the two.
If the club is to appoint a manager he must be young enough to be there 5 to 10 years so that to me rules out Hiddink.
Good read and all very valid points which I think most Liverpool fans would agree upon, however I don’t remember Chelsea ever playing with a diamond shape. They are best when they play 4-5-1 which easily switches to a 4-3-3 like Barca. We need attacking intent like this with players who can dominate midfield. Clearly with cole, meireles and gerrard, we have this ability and it’s a shame that they are not used to their best potential.
Goddamn Ferguson with his Rooneyblablabla.
He and Hodg are teapals are they not?? Ofcourse he wants Hodg to stay……….wake up, reporters around!!! You’re beeing misled. Keep the mediahotspot were it should be, the worst Liverpool start since most of us were born. Please leave.
Im shocked at how negative we are, Roy looks terrified of failure. He must be ready to change games with tactical adjustments, does he want to fail, who knows?????
Take my word for it. Rooney is on his way to liverpool I know because I heard roy hodgson saying looks like waynes coming.I didnt hear any more because it started pissing down and I had to run for cover .
Oh I like it!!
roy hodgson and a few players etc have been telling us to lower our expectations, well we wont ! NEVER, we are liverpool supporters. they had better start highering their expectations and if they cant do it then GO and we will get people with higher expectations to match. i urge the new owners not to fall for this – it will take time, 3 wins out of the next 5 and we will be in touching distance of the top four, NEW OWNERS PLEASE DONT ACCEPT PEOPLE WHO WONT DO IT NOW.
A complete wasteof breath! What the H*ll use is an open letter? He doesn’t read anyway.
I know Roy is doing poorly but we’re proud LFC fans and insulting the manager like that is out of order. Roy isn’t a bad man and the only criticisms should be about how poorly he is managing the club.
I understand your frustrations Blindside on how useful an open letter really is and Hogdson’s poor management but let’s not get too personal!
YNWA.
C stars my was just a joke to lightin the sittuation but respect your right mate we do not need all this shit about our manager I must admit i did not think roy was the right man for the job in the first place but he needed time but what i have been told today by a very good source that purslow is throwing his hand in over roy being asked to tenner his resignation in on friday what ever the result at Napoli thatt dalglish gerrard and torres are talking with the new owners and frank riykard today and he will be installed as the new manager of liverpool fc on friday.
Albey, you sound like you’re not one for bull*hit so fingers crossed! I too was quite apprehensive about Roy and didn’t want Rafa to leave.
We need to look forward and unlike Hodgson’s appointment, I can see a lot of positives in Rijkaard as our manager. Are there a few doubts? Of course there are but I hope you’re not leading us on!