In this respect, Sunday afternoon’s clash at White Hart Lane becomes Liverpool’s most important game of the season. Defeat is not an option as it would leave the Merseyside club some six points behind Spurs, and potentially nine points behind the top four. A draw would be no disaster, whilst a win would be a real confidence boost.
There are no reasons why Liverpool should not head to North London with confidence. Although they have lost on their last two visits to the Lane, it has historically been a good ground for the Reds. Spurs have notoriously struggled this season after midweek European fixtures, and Liverpool should be brimful of confidence after last week’s victory, albeit against a very poor West Ham. Whilst the loss of Steven Gerrard is an undoubted blow, it has afforded Raul Meireles with an opportunity to play in a more natural position, in which he seemed to thrive last weekend. In addition, Fernando Torres is looking more like himself with every passing week.
This does bring me to a real area of concern with regard to Roy Hodgson, and those are his terribly negative tactics away from home. I understand that he might wish to employ a 4-2-3-1 counter attacking formation, but even counter strategies work only if you get enough bodies forward to support the lone front man. Torres has, at times, been woefully isolated away from Anfield, and this will have to be remedied if Liverpool are to have any success. Such is the gap behind the deep midfield and the front man, that possession is consistently ceded.
I, like many others, grew up in a period when Liverpool Football Club dominated British and European football. It gives me absolutely no pleasure to speak about Liverpool in peripheral battles and fighting to rise from mid-table obscurity. However, that is the reality of things right now. There is talent in the squad, if not depth, and certainly Mr Hodgson needs to be more demanding of them.
They said that Rome wasn’t built in a day, yet Liverpool Football Club conquered it twice. Liverpool Football Club was certainly not built in a day, but two utterly despicable men brought it to its knees. Time is an enemy in modern life, but time is exactly what will be required to rebuild this club from its foundations. For now, Liverpool supporters should be grateful to have banished the Texans to the past, and to be climbing what is a very tight Premier League table.
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Lemmy and his band Motorhead at a French bar
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Look at Manc Hoof, for example getting a 2-2 ‘thrashing’ at Villa but poxing two late goals to scrape a draw, and poxing a goal in the last minute at home v Wolves, and enjoying countless dodgy refereeing decisions and penaly gifts, if it wasnt for that then Man Hoof would be close to the relegation zone.
Hodgson should throw Cole straight into the starting line up at Spurs and play him behind Torres. Lucas should return from suspension and replace Poulsen in centre midfield alongside Meireles. Rather than sit back and defend hoping to get a draw Hodgson should set a more offensive strategy and apply more pressure further up the field. We should really take the game to them and put them on the back foot right from the start. We shouldn’t really just let them come at us and play on the counter attack. Hodgson’s mindset’s got to be more offensive and we have enough quality to beat them especially with their shaky defence which includes the likes of Hutton, Kaboul and Ekotto.
Eric, I could not agree more. If we try and soak up 90 minutes against a side with their quality, we’ll come unstuck. I’d love to see him send out a side to compete high up the pitch and cause them problems.
This is what Roy said about away wins:
“I believe if we continue to play the way we did against West Ham we may get one or two but it is the level of performance which counts.”
One or two wins away from home, that’s the level of this mans ambition. He needs to pack his bags and get out now.
“much of it (the criticism) would appear to come from internet and media forums, as opposed to those supporters inside Anfield on match day itself”
I suppose that match-going fans don’t use the internet, and the chants for Kenny Dalglish were from in front of people’s TV sets right??
Also we have not employed a 4231 for the last 18 months or so – our formation has quite clearly been 442, or 4411 if you like (with Gerrard operating as a withdrawn striker)
Anyway, Liverpool have as much depth as Chelsea, Man U & Arsenal – our squad is just being severely mismanaged (and fwiw it was misused by Rafa last year also)
Roy deserves to be criticised. The points lost for example against Sunderland, Blackpool, Wigan and Stoke would have put us level with Chelsea and Man Utd. The Premier League is a poor standard as is shown by the number of defeats incurred by all the teams except Man Utd and Sunderland to a certain extent. Even with the average squad that Liverpool have they could still win the Premier League this season if they had a manager who knew how to deploy the players properly. Once Roy gives the players an excuse to drop points they tend to take it-this is not managing. We need to put Johnson on the rightwing to give the team an attacking threat like Bale does for Spurs. We need to utilize setpieces more-as tight games can often be decided by a setpiece. We need to bring Mavinga in at leftback as he is faster and taller than Konchesky. Use Jovanovic as an impact sub in the rightwing slot so that he can cut in and take shots like Adam Johnson does. Keep Kuyt up front with Torres. Keep Meireles in centremidfield. Liverpool need to concentrate their efforts totally on the Premier League as winning a cup competition is meaningless if they fail to qualify for the Champions League in the top three. Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal are not the forces they used to be, they are vastly overrated.
Spot on, its about time a blogger gave stood up for Roy and deride the people who claim to be lIVERPOOL FANS.
I have witnessed the worst small minded, vindictive screams from people on such blogs forums. We could easily end up like Newcastle if we hound every manager like that. Or would we be prepared to give a manager a year or two to settle in if it was one that you thought was a Liverpool manager? and not Roy Hodgson?
Ever since I saw SOS lead a gang of screamers in the street I have been disgusted..and embarassed!
John Says:
November 26th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
“This is what Roy said about away wins:
“I believe if we continue to play the way we did against West Ham we may get one or two but it is the level of performance which counts.”
One or two wins away from home, that’s the level of this mans ambition. He needs to pack his bags and get out now.”
I read that as one or two goals, not away wins. Strange how two people can read the same thing and come to differing understandings, but then again, I’m not a Hodgson boo-boy.
Jay Wright Says:
November 26th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
““much of it (the criticism) would appear to come from internet and media forums, as opposed to those supporters inside Anfield on match day itself”
I suppose that match-going fans don’t use the internet, and the chants for Kenny Dalglish were from in front of people’s TV sets right??”
Wrong. “much of it” does not mean all and the opposite means not much of it from supporters inside Anfied. Understand, or need a little more help understanding simple English fella?
Apply a little logic and you’ll quickly see why “much” of the criticism is online.
How many fans can get into Anfield on a match-day?? Compare that to how many fans can get onto the internet…
FYI – in case you’re unaware, there are “MUCH” more Liverpool fans that don’t regularly go to games, than do. Got that mate?
awbMaven whenever you say something you look more and more like Roy. You don’t seem to know about the amount of Liverpool supporters there are that have never been to England let alone Anfield. Why don’t you go support another team and annoy other people at some other website, mate?
Any “fan” who calls for the manager to be replaced should have their season ticket cancelled (and them given a refund for the remaining portion) and their seat offered to a proper fan, a fan who behaves like a traditional LFC fan. Simples.
Any “fan” who calls Liverpool FC a “midtable club” should have their season ticket cancelled (and them given a refund for the remaining portion) and their seat offered to a proper fan, a fan who behaves like a traditional LFC fan. Simples.
The mainstream media have treated Hodgson with kid gloves, seriously. If LFC was currently managed by a foreign manager, that person would be pilloried mercilessly. Hodgson deserves all the criticism he is getting and more. His lack of vision, ambition and inept tactics reflects a person well out of his depth.
Totally agree with you there Gary. The funny thing is that he actually thinks he has been treated extremely harshly, has consequently been making snide comments about the media and yet still they don’t pick him up on it!
I know that Hodgson failing at Liverpool would be deemed a massive blow for any English manager’s hoping for a job at a big club in the future, but it isn’t Liverpool’s responsibility to do a favour to everybody else at the expense of our own club.
““much of it (the criticism) would appear to come from internet and media forums, as opposed to those supporters inside Anfield on match day itself”
I am a LFC fan and Istay in India. How can you expect us to be at anfield,we love to be there but…. anyways Roy is bound to be criticise cause of his media interviews and more importantly tactics.. Everyone who supports him is because he is english. But what about LFC how can we see our team going down day by day. If he would be managing chels,manu or arsnel he would have out of the club by 6 games only.
fire roy pliz,thats my comment.i dont care hez english
If you are happy with him as our manager than good luck to you mate.I’m not and i will not be until he’s gone. Watching Liverpool play is very depressing. That man does not deserve to be our manager. If we had to replace Rafa with an english manager than i would rather had Ian Holloway than him
Disgrace LFC is an international club and we welcome all our supporters from all over the world not just the ones who make it to Anfield. Roy would have had the press calling for his head if he’d been foreign. His inept tactics and ridiculous comments post match not to mention his criticism of the players means he has to go.
Royal biggest problem is that he has a mid table mindset. Never thought it was good idea to get rid of Rafa but it doesn’t make sense getting rid of Roy until Guus Hiddink becomes available. He was originally put off by the old owners but now that has changed.
As with the sacking of Rafa it’s more about who you replace with, Martin ONeil is exactly the same as thing as Hodgson. Rikaard had an amazing set of players at barcarole when he arrived, Kenny is our past and since Blackburn had had. Little success as a manager and Jose HATES us! Other than Hiddink who has the Premiership, Champions league experience to take us back to where we should be? So the best we can hope for is that Roy doesn’t completely mess things up because the funny things is that with everyone beating everyone we could actually top the table with a good run this season!