After watching the game at St. Andrews on Sunday afternoon – and the previous 6 or so games under Hodgson – I’ve come to the conclusion that Roy is suffering from an identity-crisis. He thinks he is Rafa Benitez.
Watching Liverpool on Sunday was like watching the same side from last season. Under Benitez, Liverpool regularly started away (and often at home) against ‘bottom 10′ sides with two holding midfielders; where Rafa had Mascherano and Lucas, Hodgson has Lucas and Poulsen. The effect is the same: Liverpool have plenty of destructive capability and hard-tackling but very little creativity. And like under Rafa, Liverpool started with one up front and one just behind in what is effectively a five-man midfield. Those two players were the same for both Hodgson and Rafa: Gerrard and Torres. Despite Sky Sports’ attempts at showing Liverpool playing a 4-4-1-1 – as part of the fledgling campaign to show Roy as being infinitely better than Rafa – it was 4-5-1 – Rafa’s favoured formation since Torres signed. During Sunday’s game, from midfield to attack, Liverpool were overly-cautious, looked short of ideas and as the game wore on began to look nervy at the back. It was like watching the whole of last season compacted into a single game. We can only hope that Meireles (and the returning Cole) will instigate a change in this department.
As for defence, few things have changed either. Konchesky has replaced Insua; Skrtel seems to be favoured over Agger, and Carragher and Johnson remain. Few could argue with what is a pretty solid backline but the new man has experimented very little with what is mostly Rafa’s old side. It’s as if he’s afraid of what came before.
One thing Hodgson has changed is moving from zonal to man-marking. But as the one major alteration you have to wonder whether it was a wise choice at all. After all, this is not just a team but an entire club that has had to switch from 5 years of zonal-marking to man-marking near enough over night. The effect has luckily not been too detrimental to Liverpool – yet – but the side does look much more ropey when defending set pieces than it used to. However, changes needed to be made to the way the side plays and gradually the players will get used to defending set pieces in a different way.
Sadly, the one massive thing that Roy hasn’t changed from last season is the turgid, boredom-inducing football. And as much as that is in part the players’ responsibility, the manager has to be the catalyst; it is often a strong manager’s personality that comes across in the way his team plays. Last season, Liverpool played some mind-numbing stuff. So far this season – and perhaps the first 15 minutes against Arsenal aside – nothing has changed (and moving on half the reserves and youth team is proving nothing to anybody.)
Rafa was moved on to instigate change, to introduce a new man, with a new methodology; new tactics and his own ideas. Rafa was moved on because last season his tried and tested formulas that had worked so effectively for the 4 seasons previous failed last season. So if things are to truly change – and if the change in management is not going to be a wasted opportunity – then Hodgson needs to shake off his case of mistaken identity, implement some serious changes and enforce his own will and personality on the club. Until he does, no amount of cash from whoever owns LFC will make any difference to the way the side performs.
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Silver Fox – He may not be the best in the world but yes I think he can do as good a job for us as anyone else we’ve got and looks like you’ve made up your mind about Poulsen already. You see we’ve all got our own opinions and reasons and when you (and others on this site) don’t agree with the opinion of the writers or other comments, you can all sound like arrogant know alls “this is wrong cos I said so”. This site is asking for more article writers so how about it.
Probably a bit early to judge Roy, but as some others have said, Rafa played 4-2-3-1. Many teams in the world cup played this formation. Spain played it and won the world cup. Rafa also believed in pressing teams rather than sitting back. He liked his teams to be organised zonally all over the pitch, to stop headless chickens running about. This is often construed as negative or defensive.
I’m not sure about ditching zonal marking. I think it worked well for us, as we were consistenly in the top 2/3 least goals conceded. I’m not happy that Aquilani was loaned out when he could provide the creativity we need right now. I’m not happy we signed a left back that seemed unable to pass to a team mate in his first game.
This is almost the team that finished second two seasons back. We SHOULD be challenging, not making excuses. We should be fired up by the manager, not making comments like we are happy with a point at birmingham. I know Roy is playing down expectations, but he has to realise this is Liverpool and not Fulham. We need to get fourth. On paper, our first 11 should be a test for ANY team, but we seem caught up in some self pitying phase where we are saying we can’t do this or that.
Come on Roy. Let’s hear something positive.
kev crawford. Agree, I’ve said something similar myself. The lads who write on here are not journalists and not saying they are experts – they’re just fans like us. I think it’s takes guts to leave yourself open to idiots who just like to ridicule. So to all the ranters get writing your articles and lets all have a look. Look on the homepage for the email address.
See Mikey83 can do it
Jim so if you disagree with an article your’e an idiot and a ranter. That is exactly why I gave up writing articles last season. Through my ‘scout’ I was able to impart exact information, not rumour or speculation, including team news day or so before games but people got so upset that I was giving important information out I gave up. My ‘scout’ has been spot on with team news for every game so far
Silver Fox: is it possible you can get your scout to have a word in Roy’s ear that we need to see some spark in the side pretty soon.
Thanks
I like to think he could mattylad, I think your’e right, no urgency, slow a predictable, we need to have a spark on Sunday. Should be interesting on Thursday to see what team Roy picks, I’ll let you know what it is on this blog when I hear
it started so well, but from the ridiculous decision to jettison Aquilani in a lose-lose deal (fao Vinod) with the most pathetic justification for a transfer I’ve ever heard, it’s all fallen apart.
Anteater, Roy has even given up on the original mantra of saying the business side of things is irrelevant to him, and now that the transfer window is closed all of a sudden the ownership issue is the moat important issue at the club to him too!
Roy seems to be going for the easy option, thinking that if he makes as few changes to the team as possible then any failures can be directly apportioned on Rafa leaving him a weak squad and the American’s refusing to allow him to overhaul the squad. In reality, our players are much better than they have been made to look over the past couple of years, but unfortunately neither manager has chosen to play to our squad’s strength
Agree with the above. The team is not that different from 2009. COME ON!!! Let’s get stuck in and play quick, passing football.
If in doubt watch highlights of us v Hull city or Stoke at the start of last season – with Lucas in the team!!
Roy should never have been given the job. He doesn’t have the right stuff and doesn’t have respect from players anywhere in the world apart from fulham. He is tactically inept and managed a good cup run last season by battling. So did millwall a few years ago in the FA cup, it doesn’t mean the manager is ready for the big time.
oh and Silver Fox LMFAO your “Scout”, more likeYour “Mum”
I think we will have a good indication as to exactly where we will be at the end of the season come Sunday. Manure will let us know exactly how inept or not Roy is. We will either be proven to be wanting, or we will show that there is hope, giving some time for Roy’s restructuring.
It will be the true indicator as to how far we have fallen, and if we have fallen that far. As a big loss will no doubt prove that Roy is indeed inept. But if we are able to keep Manure at bay, and if we can come off with a point or even a win, then that should show that we are not to far off from the top, and we should cut Roy a little slack.
Sure, we have not really played entertaining football, but the last few weeks have also been shrouded in contraversy, with the Masch debacle, and Cole sending off, with very few players to fill those vital roles.
Lets be patient guys, Sunday will be the true indicator as to where we are this season under Roy, and whether he is up to the task of taking us to where we need to go.
A little faith goes a long way.
Silver fox – no, anyone can disagree but give constructive reasons thats all I’m saying. Some on here do just rant and say nothing. you give your reasons sometimes but in a superior way. If you gave up writing articles like this it was probably for the above reasons.
In case anyone is still looking at this thread here is tonight’s team
Reina Kelly Kyrgiakos Konchesky Maxi Meireles Spearing Babel Cole Ngog
Sorry and Agger