It matters not an iota how loyal you are to the club and its players, last night’s performance by Liverpool in Utrecht, as with most in recent weeks, was simply not good enough. In fact, it was not remotely close.
I have defended Roy Hodgson during the early stages of his Anfield tenure, and will continue to do so, but I cannot attest to being convinced either by his tactics or selection. There was a seemingly endless queue of ex-Liverpool stars who criticised Rafael Benitez’s selection policies during his time with the club, and whilst I did not always agree with ‘Rafa’s Rotations’, I always felt that he had a good idea of his best XI – even if he might have played it more often!
At the start of this season, I get the distinct impression that most armchair pundits, not to mention those who will already be selecting their Liverpool teams on the newly released FIFA 11, have a similarly sure notion of the best XI that Hodgson can name for the Reds.
The calamitous League Cup exit apart, Hodgson has not been making wholesale changes, but still enough of them to impact the team’s stability. Moreover, this is a team with new players settling into the club, bought to play in key positions. They must be given the opportunity to play together if the team is to move forward. I firmly believe, like many, that the trio of Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole, and Raul Meireles are the three creative players around whom any success will be based. I present a summary of their selections this season, excluding the first round of Europa Cup qualification:-
Arsenal (h) – Gerrard & Cole
Trabzonspor (h) – Cole
Man City (a) – Gerrard (Cole suspended)
Trabzonspor (a) – Cole
WBA (h) – Gerrard (Cole suspended)
Birmingham (a) – Gerrard (Meireles used as late substitute; Cole suspended)
Steaua (h) – Cole, Meireles
Manchester United (a) – Gerrard, Cole, Meireles
Northampton (h) – None of them
Sunderland (h) – Gerrard, Cole, Meireles
Utrecht (a) – Cole, Meireles
I accept that Joe Cole’s suspension, and the late arrival of Meireles have not helped matters, but the simple fact is that Hodgson has not selected the same combination in consecutive games at any time this season, and whatever we might think of our rivals up the East Lancs Road, that was never a great venue at which to select them together for the first time. Added to this, Meireles has played in 2 positions since his arrival, neither of which is the position in which he excelled during the World Cup.
I have no idea of Roy’s views on the concept of telepathy, but it will not develop unless this group of players are selected together on a regular basis, and that should have included Northampton. Not only is it their understanding of each other, but the ability of their team mates to link with them.
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The sooner Roy is sacked and Kenny takes over the better chance we have to salvage 4th.
I nearly hope we only draw with Blackpool so Roy is removed.
He is out of his depth at a club like Liverpool. He does not have the CV after 35 years in the game to inspire faith in the fans to support him.
Lets face it, Hodgson is a f*cking moron, a Yes man and is a sacking waiting to happen, the only question is when will it come, with morons also in the boardroom dont expect it anytime soon and expect a relegation battle.
start lost patience with Hodgson tactic for LFC…..Hodgson wife is close friend with H&G wife, that’s why he get this job at LFC….for me Hodson not qualified for anfield job…He’s not aggresive enough for title race……
if you cant get a smile on your best player’s face, if an average midfielder is allowed just to go through the motions, if players are out of their best positions, if two uncreative midfielders are played together, if you wont speak positively, if you wont defend your club and your players, if you are out of touch with what is really going on, if you insist on negative tactics. then you have come to the wrong place roy – so come on get positive, get the players thinking positively, get the crowd behind you, GO FOR IT ! liverpool fans will think more of you no matter the short term results.
I will continue to post these comments, until Woy Hodgson is REMOVED…..Woy Hodgson is bloody clueless…I want to know WHY? and whose decision it was? to appoint him…probably by the know f..kall about football of the three commedians, that is made up of, Purdy, Broughton and Atwell……These wa**kers also need to go, along with the other two cowboys……..Anything less than that and we are doomed……they are destroying OUR club people!!!
I agree with your views and dislike this moral high ground of Stand by your manager no matter what – you’re right we didnt when Rafa had a bad season.
As for 2 holding Mids against Blackpool – dont agree with that or against any team which we should strike fear into by playing our most attacking and creative players
Reina
Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Kelly
Gerrard, Meireles
Kuyt, Cole, Milan
Torres
we need someone to control the tempo and Stevie can only do that from Centre Mid
Sacking Rafa was a big mistake! Roy hodgson will never be better then Rafa. YNWA
i like seeing aquilani play behind torres. but rafa was criticized for buying aquilani to replace alonso. rafa goes and in comes woy. woy buys meireles to play in the alonso role, loans out aquilani and still play meireles behind torres??!??! SACK CLUELESS ROY!!!!
Have to say I agree, Roy was never the man to take over and still isn’t the man to take us forward. Terrible appointment by a terrible regime. The sooner the better the board are gone and we can look for a manager who’s willing to display more ambition than Hodgson currently is. There’s not even the remotest hope of a Champions League place with the man at the helm. He’s not got the aura or level of astuteness to inspire either the players or the supporters. Sooner the better this sorry episode in our proud clubs history is put to bed.
All the comments above are pathetic. Teenagers or early 20’s I’d guess, with little or no patience. Completely pathetic. It takes time to change the playing style of the team. Roy might be successful, he might not, but you can’t tell anything after 6-7 games. Judge him at the end of the season for F###s sake.
Also SNG, if you don’t think Meireles looks better than Aquilani already, then I’d question your judgement.
Roy is our manager so deal with it. instead of giving the man abuse all the time – back him!!! he has been in the door for 5 minutes and uv all stabbed him in the back. It is going to take him time to find his best 11 and get them playing well together
End of the season, Mark? LOL. We might be 17th if Woy lasts the season.
Did Chelsea wait til the end of the season to sack Luiz Scolari – A WORLD CUP WINNING MANAGER?
No, they seen the OBVIOUS signs he wasn’t the right man and acted by getting Hiddink in mid-season. Chelsea finished well because they acted.
We can’t afford to sit around HOPING a 2nd rate 63 year old manager who never managed at this level but for a short 18month spell at Inter Milan will suddenly make a top grade manager. He never has in 35 years so why would he be able to now?
I’d agree with all the players your selected in your team there, apart from Carragher. I think the time has come for Jamie to step aside and let the two younger centre backs take over from him. That’s always been part of our problem: we’re a sentimental club, but we can be too sentimental sometimes. We’re all aware of what Carragher has given the club over the past decade and more but he has been poor this season and needs to let Skrtel and Agger be tried together and develop their partnership. Those two would be an awesome block for any future manager to build from. Good article.
Thanks everyone for your comments – think it shows the passion that we all have for the club. The beauty of football is that there will never be an occasion on which everyone agrees. The most important thing is that we all get behind whichever XI takes the field on Sunday.
YNWA
Mark:
October 1st, 2010 at 4:15 pm….
Nobody is judging Woy after 6 or 7 games as you say….WE are judging Woy after 35 years in management with, NO MAJOR TROPHY’S to show for it…Get it?…!!!
35 trphieless years, moves from a bottom of the table club to one of the world’s renowned clubs. The aim: to uplift the spirit, restore confidence and win trophies. The dude can’t even tie his own shoelaces. Roy can’t even motivate a team of the world’s best 11 players to beat a pub team that has never played football in their lives! Sack this clueless muppet and install King Kenny, as was meant to be. I don’t blame Torres for sulking, who wouldn’t when you were promised good new signings and still find yourself with a brainless manager and still playing with Lucas, Ngog, Kuyt and co? Bring King Kenny or let Torres go, end of.
mark, this teenager was watching liverpool from the top of a tree in anfield rd (only half the pitch)when we were in div 2, patience is good when you can see what the manager is trying to do – can you after 3 months actually see it, if so let us all know. i hope roy succeeds i really want him to, but he has done nothing to convince me that he will, other than buying joe cole and i’m not sure that was his doing.
@Mark @Stan I agree completely – people seem to forget that Roy inherited a side that finished 7th and was sliding … not the team that finished 2nd.
I am all for giving him time, but I do think he has made a few early decisions that I would question. Thanks again for your thoughts.
” I grew up watching Liverpool play and based all my teams on the pass and move method of Liverpool” Woy Hodgson
I wish you would pass the reigns to Kenny D and Move on to manage a small club (Everton)!
alan made a very good point about big phil, chelsea acted on the obvious and i think lfc should do the same! also agree with david tyrer regards carra, i’ve been saying the same for 18months.on team selection,
personally i would give ryan babel the chance he was promised, and my starting 11, given a decent run of games, would be this:
pepe
kelly…skrtel…agger…konch
johnson…SG…mereiles..babel
cole
torres