Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has reflected on the Reds’ difficult start to the season under new boss Roy Hodgson. The Spaniard said to LFC Weekly:
“When you have so many changes moving in a new direction under a new boss, things don’t happen instantly. It can take between three and six months before you see improvements. Obviously the quicker we adapt and improve as a team the better it will be for everyone. That doesn’t just happen overnight. Each of us has to adjust to working in a new way. With the passing of each day I get used to it and what the manager wants. It’s the same for all of us. We need to be patient.”
There is a lot of truth in what Reina says here. After all, the squad is coming off after 6 years of management under Rafa Benitez with his own style of management and training methods. I think it is safe to say that Roy Hodgson is completely different manager both in personal and technical terms. He is known for his unique training methods and it will most likely be completely different to what most of the players are used to (with the exception of Paul Konchesky and Christian Poulsen who have worked under him before).
It will surely take time to get used to new methods and Reina is right to highlight this. After all the same thing happened when Rafa Benitez arrived back in 2004. The team he started his first campaign with was generally Gerard Houllier’s team, and this much is clear by the amount of players that were bought and sold by Rafa in successive seasons. It didn’t stop Rafa being successful in his first season though as you won’t need reminding. Despite the heroics of Istanbul it must be remembered that Rafa finished outside the Champions League places in his first season in charge. Why the disparity between European and domestic campaigns? The answer is that it is much easier to organise teams in one off matches in cup ties, rather than playing week in, week out in the league campaign.
Despite the humiliating defeat to Northampton, Roy has started very well in the Europa League with 5 wins from 5 games. In this regard you can see similarities between Rafa and Roy. It wouldn’t be surprising if we do have a successful run in the Europa League like Roy did with Fulham last season but the fact that it will not be in the Champions League means he will not be able to placate the fans like Rafa did so wonderfully with that amazing 2005 success.
This means then Roy will not have six months to get his team in shape; it will more likely be six games. With the players at his disposal though, such as Joe Cole, Raul Meireles, Steven Gerrard and a fit Fernando Torres, Reds fans are not expecting much from Roy to see a gradual improvement in the team’s play. In some senses the draw against Sunderland was a step back from the match against Manchester United where the Merseysiders managed to get back on level terms and threaten our rivals away from home. Supporters only want to see progress, and they need to see some sign, some hope to cling onto, after starting the season with only six points from six games.
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The results are bad, but the ‘style’ of play is even worse: negative, disorganised and boring. Roy has got to wise up, he’s managing Liverpool FC and this isn’t good enough – no excuses!
Blackpool signed 6 players 3 days before the start of the season and won 4-1 away – ENOUGH SAID
I can’t beleive that Hodgson has had been hard faced enough to claim that the problems are new players gelling together and it was always going to take time. I’m sorry Roy but Man city are gelling more new players than anyone and look how they are doing with their results. I think the issue is the quality of players you have brought in.
I also do not understand how a team that was so strong defenceivly fails to defend a cross into the box. I also seen Jamie Carragher out jumped and hoof the ball 40 ft up in the air too often now. I’ve no doubt this comment will cause some upset amongst the blinkered but Carra, as wonderful servant he has been, is past his best and getting caught out regluarly. I recommend we play Agger, a ball player, and Skertl, a tough tackler aka Carra role. Jamie could move to the bench and benefit from playing less, as did Sami Hyppia looking fresher for a rest when he did play. However Roy won’t play Agger as he doesnt fit with the tackle and hoof it mentality that suits the smaller clubs he is better known for success with.
I’m not one to jump on the manager usually but there is an opportunity to bring O’Neil in for nothing. Whilst I may not like the man he is a good motivator who knows how to get results. A good result being something we badly need. By keeping Roy in place we are just postpoing the inevitable sacking when new owners finally arrive.
There are managers and there are managers. I am afraid that Purslow and other fans of Hodgson totally lack the understanding of the difference. I saw Hodgson at Halmstad and at Malmö and from my Swedish point of view he is still that minor manager: I couldn´t believe they wanted to replace Benitez with him. It is therefore very difficult for me to share your optimism. We have the players, without doubt, and I am sure their individual skills will lead to some good results this season. But we are talking about the ambition to reach, and compete, in Champions League, don´t we? I hope I am wrong but I can´t see Hodgson organize such a team at all. Until we have a safer ground I wish him the best, come what may. But as soon as possible we have to find a new manager. What always strikes me in British newspapers is the overvaluation of British managers. I take the risk to disqualify myself on this blog with the opinion that I don´t think O´Neill is a choice either. For the level of Europa League, maybe. But for the level of Benitez, and the propulsive force, we have to dig in Europe.
Six minutes, six weeks or six months it won’t make a lick of difference. Roy is at best a mediocre manager, with less than mediocre tactics that produce less than mediocre results. Time to gel is just an excuse. Lets take his tenure at Blackburn as an example. He was given the boot for the exact same situation as to what we are facing at the moment. So why are we so “patient” as to let him further destroy our credibilty and let us slide further down the table.
Don’t be fooled people. We have the talent to make it to the top 4. But we lack a manager who has the ability to take us there. Actually, we have a manager who lacks the ability to achieve any form of success, aside from succeding in relegation.
Should we continue down this path with Roy, giving him his time and patience that he requires, we will find ourselves battling the relegation zone come January, and i fear that our “stars” will have little option but to either request a transfer in the January window, or prolong the inevetible and bow out in summer.
I was not a fan of Roy, but i said i would stand by him. Well, in the grips of battle, you have to stand by your leaders and have faith. But when that faith starts to dwindle, and you suspect that the ones leading the charge could inevitbly cause your demise, you start to question as to the validity of his actions. Well, thus far he has proven that he is not right man to take charge, that his actions have caused more dismay than the previous man in charge, and i am resolute in the fact that there can only be one outcome in this battle. We will die trying, but our general has no real leadership skills, nor battle skills, and we will fall under his regime.
If he is still here come January, then we will all fall in the battle……