One of most interesting things in recent days is the reaction of some ex Liverpool players to the defeat against Blackpool at the weekend. Alan Hansen, Ray Clemence and Mark Lawrenson today have all refused to blame the manager, rather they have blamed the players for their performances this season. Lawrenson said in the Liverpool Daily Post today:
“Players having a lack of ability you can forgive because that’s how it is, but not giving your all is unforgivable to Anfield regulars. And what is even more depressing is, I’m not even sure what can be done about it. It’s not like you can sign a couple of players to turn things round any more. Which is a shame because the new players here aren’t doing it and some of the old players aren’t up to it. It’s clear that Liverpool have been relying on their top stars for too long, and now the mediocrity in the squad is being exposed.”
Although there is a ring of truth about what he says, it plainly skips over the many tactical decisions that Roy Hodgson has got wrong this season. If we look at Liverpool’s current squad, the majority of the players are still there from when the club finished second on 86 points two years ago. If we look at that team’s best starting eleven: Reina, Arbeloa, Aurelio, Carragher, Agger, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Kuyt, Riera, Torres; only four of those players are not at the club now. With three of those being replaced by Raul Meireles, Joe Cole and Glen Johnson, it suggests that the quality of the two squads are not that far apart.
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The clear fact is two names – Masch and Xabi. We’ve lost two of the best midfielders out there and replaced them with rubbish.
I’ll blame the players if they are put in a position to win and still under-perform. Hodgson continues to persist with his ridiculous system (4411) with no width while the entire team retreats into our own half and invites pressure onto them, so as far as I am concerned it is the manager’s fault.
He also had the chance to sell certain players and buy replacements but chose not to do so due to ‘the quality in the market not being of the required quality’, so blaming Rafa for the quality of the squad is just another tired excuse.
Rafa made plenty of mistakes, but when Hodgson has had the opportunity to rectify them, instead he has exacerbated them and undoubtedly deserves the criticism that he is receiving
Hodgson is out of his depth. The pundits are stuck in the past about giving him time. Look at his record at Blackburn to see why he needs to go now. In his interviews he looks like a buffoon. Look at his interview after the Blackpool match! A man devoid of energy or ideas.
Get him out, please. Before the season is over before it started.
mascherano is not a world class midfielder
and benitez forced alonso out of the club
wise up guys, if we sack roy the same thing will happen that happened to newcastle swapping managers the year they went down. its all in the players mentality and some of them are crap especially out wide, no enthusiasm no anergy and no creativity. nobody could manage this team at the moment. we just have to gain confidence and momentum. may i just say also carragher needs benched, hes done, and i think with torres out we may see a bit of what ngog showed earlier in the season!
Paul@
1) Masch IS world class in his position (Argie captain)
2) Benitez wanted Barry AND Alonso.
Roys a nice man but severly underqualified. Fickle fans bought into the whole “Rafa lost the dressing room” rubbish. If this was true, where are all the smiles now the apparent shackels have gone?? The thing that annoys me the most is the fact that Roy was supposed to be this magical man manager?? To me this is proof that he definitely got shuffled into contention by the British xenophobic press.. Sad times.. YNWA..