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View from the Kop

Is Roy right to show him the door so soon?

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It has been speculated in recent days that Liverpool forward Milan Jovanovic will be sold in the coming transfer window. The rumours are more believable though as they were also written in the Liverpool Daily Post, which is normally quite reliable in stories such as this.

It was always going to be difficult for the 29 year old to settle in England. After all, his signing was agreed by the previous manager Rafa Benitez and new coach Roy Hodgson had no choice but to go through with a deal for a player he clearly knew little about. Like most Reds fans, I was confident that the Serbian would be relatively successful on Merseyside. He showed his abilities during the World Cup for Serbia as he scored and hit the post as Serbia beat an impressive German side in the group stages.

I also had relatively few concerns that Jovanovic was moving from Standard Liege in Belgium to the Premier League. Although Belgian football is not of the highest standards, at 29 years of age and with a good deal of international experience behind him, Jovanovic seemed to have the capabilities both mentally and technically to make it in the rough and tumble of English football.

Serbian players are not generally known as shrinking violets and during his time in Belgium, Jovanovic had grown a reputation for being an outspoken figure, humorous in his dealings with the media and tremendously ambitious in his footballing career. The pace of the Premier League also seemed to be no problem for the 29 year old as he clearly showed during the World Cup he both has the acceleration and strength to make long, powerful direct runs.

His time at Liverpool started off optimistically enough as Roy Hodgson started him in the majority of his first matches in charge of the Reds. Although never spectacular, he impressed the Anfield faithful enough with his work rate, speed and guile. The watershed moment came for him though when he was dropped after the disappointing 0-0 away draw to Birmingham City in the league. After that match, he hass not started another Premier League game with Maxi Rodriguez taking his place in the side. His limitations in the wide areas were most obviously exposed against Man city in the 3-0 defeat. The late withdrawal of Javier Mascherano forced Roy into a late change in tactics, playing 4-4-2 against a City side who are known for their counter-attacking football.

With Dirk Kuyt and Jovanovic on the wings, Hodgson was basically asking two players who had been used to playing more as wide forwards as wide midfield players. The Serbian by trade was a striker but Roy has never used him in his most favoured position. His goal against Steaua Bucharest is an indication as to what he can do more centrally but Roy is either unwilling to use him there, or is unaware that Jova could solve his striker problem.

In any case, the Serbian seems to be on borrowed time, and although he has certainly not set the world alight with his performances, surely he deserves at least until the end of the season to convince Roy of his capabilities in a more central area. Like Alberto Aquilani, it seems that he isn’t being given the chance to prove himself.

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19 comments

  • Marshy says:

    Woy is never wight.

  • Ndebenkulu says:

    Roy is the one who should be shown the door first, together with his terrible signings Konchesky and Poulsen. And oh, while we still on it, add Rodriguez, Ngog, Lucas and Babel on the list

  • Eric says:

    Jova is a quality player who has been treated unjustly by Roy. You can’t expect the guy to set the Premier League alight in his first few games. He’s come in from a different league where his performances and goalscoring has been absolutely fantastic and he needs time to adapt to English football. True that his first few games here have been quite average but he deserves at least another chance in the team. I really don’t like the fact that because he hasn’t played well at the start, he has been dropped to the bench for three months. We know that this guy is quality, can play out wide and up front and is fast and can finish well. Hate to think because of old fat Woy he gets sold in January.

  • stavros says:

    Ndebenkulu shut up..Rodriguez,Ngog,Lucas and Babel should stay..we must build a squad with squad depth at last.these players can help us a lot.we are talking about maxi who is 28,but the other 3 are 21,22,23 and they are getting better and better,especially for lucas and ngog.babel will have his chances this season and the manager will know if we must keep him or sell him.but jovanovic,poulsen and konchesky are surely a step backwards and they arent liverpool standard,that’s for sure.My Liverpool line-up:
    Reina
    Johnson Carragher Skrtel Coentrao
    Gerrard Meireles
    J.Cole Maxi
    Torres Adebayor
    Bench:Jones,Agger,Kyrgiakos,Kelly,Aurelio,Lucas,Cazorla,Adam Johnson,Kuyt,Babel,Ngog.People must realise that we have a bad squad depth not a bad starting eleven.our starting eleven needs players in two positions,a left back and a partner for Torres.Coentrao would cost 12-15 million but is talented and young and Adebayor would cost 10 million,where we could loan him in January actually,since $ity dont want him.Cazorla in a central attacking role and Adam Johnson in a wide role.Adam Johnson could also be in the starting eleven but with Joe Cole and Maxi it’ll give some challenge for our wingers.i hope Roy knows that we havent had a proper left back for years and we need to give support to Torres!!i have hope in Roy and the NESV and i hope they give him a chance till the end of the season.he transformed fulham from fighting to the relegation zone to go in a europa league final.i prefer Roy than the fat benitez actually.Inter have been very wise to sack him before they get where he got us!!Fat Rafa stay away from Liverpool

  • Roy says:

    If Woy wants’ to improve things he should go. Then things may improve.

  • neil says:

    i put my head in my hands when we signed this guy, we want better players than the ones we have not just another player at a similar level to the ones that arent making the team every week ie babel

    hey but at least we got him free and maybe make a couple of million to put towards someone with talent

  • Richard says:

    Only if Roy is being a gentleman, … Holding the door open and allowing Milan to walk out before him.

  • daboy says:

    Letting him go is a good move if you are not prepared to play a person in their best position sell them.
    He is nearly 30 and really he needs to be playing regularly so it is best for both sides.

  • Henry-winter says:

    Only an idiot would sell a player without exploring exactly where they can play. Is that the line of coach we have now?

  • RoyWoy says:

    C’mon JOHN HENRY time to pull the trigger on WOY!!!

  • Julie says:

    If Rubroy thinks Milan should be shown the door based on 1 or 2 bad performances so be it!!! If he can’t play in the formations that you have so meticulously laid out than YES!!! by all means show him the door. But before you rush off to add him to the transfer window. Answer 1 QUESTION for the Anfield faithful!!! WHAT OF THOSE PLAYERS WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN SPECIFICALLY TO FIT INTO YOUR METICULOUS FORMATIONS WHO HAVE PLAYED CRAP FROM DAY 1. IT BEWILDERS ME THAT YOU ARE NOT ON CRUTCHES CONSIDERING HOW MANY TIMES YOU SHOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT!!!

  • JJ says:

    simple answer YES

  • Jay Wright says:

    The only logical position to play Jova in in the current formation is upfront with Torres (although it would make more sense to play him on the left of midfield than Kuyt or Maxi, neither of which offer anything from out wide).

    A switch to 433 would greatly benefit our wide forwards – Jovanovich, Babel and Kuyt – while also benefitting the central midfielders (Gerrard, Meireles, Lucas, Cole, Pacheco, SHelvey, Poulsen) by giving them more forward options, and also Torres (or Ngog) by spreading the opposition defence across the pitch

  • AShok says:

    Dear all pls understand one thing that liverpoolfc don’t like pacy players we have never possessed any pacy player in last 10 years and there have been exceptions of bellamy, johnson, torres but other than that we usually sell players who have pace.

  • YNWA says:

    RUBWOY should have the decency to RESIGN!. He knows quite well that, he will NEVER be accepted,why?, because he is a CLUELESS MORON, that’s why!!!

  • dex says:

    Stavros you are a retard, Roy should go so should everyone Ndebenkulu mentioned. Happy Christmas 🙂

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