The unsatisfactory situation on the playing front has clouded the otherwise positive developments of the last months, leading most notably to the exit of the unloved Hicks and Gillett and – perhaps equally importantly – the meddling influence in football affairs of Christian Purslow. The new owners have brought the fans back on board with their inclusive and intelligent tactics; potentially resolved one of the sources of instability at Liverpool since the fateful resignation of Kenny Dalglish by appointing a Director of Football Strategy; and generally acted responsibly and coolly in the face of an agitated fan base calling for Hodgson’s head from the very beginnings of his management tenure. Recurring, stuttering performances, especially in away games,, however has thrown the management issue into sharper relief.
The first question is whether the owners should persist with Hodgson in the New Year, giving the manager the opportunity to have a second try at the transfer market and the Liverpool Board of Directors time to consider its options on the management front over the coming months. It would however seem that this strategy, while attractive to NESV as newcomers to English football (and soccer more generally), would simply postpone the inevitable need for a new manager who can turn round the performance of the club sufficiently to at least compete for a place in the top-4 positions of the Premier League.
Assuming that the owners do make up their minds to replace Hodgson, the second question is of course who to replace him with. I have argued elsewhere for the merits of bringing back Rafa Benitez as a low-risk option in view of his past track record, intimacy with the current playing staff at Liverpool and experience in the Premier League. In a follow-up to this article, I will review the other options for Liverpool at this time and suggest the advantages and disadvantages of plunging for the different candidates (Rafa included).
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Hopefully not a matter of if but when he leaves. Was nothing more than a vanity project taking on the job in the first place. Will become a bigger hate figure than H & G if he doesn’t offer his resignation, He said when he was at Blackburn and got the sack that he would have resigned had he have known he wasn’t wanted. He’s obviously waiting for his pay off because it’s quite apparent that he’s not wanted. I think this flies in the face of Fleet Streets assertion of him as a dignified man. Dignified men put pride before money. We don’t want him, we never wanted him. There’s as much chance of us winning a Serie A and La Liga double this year as there is of us finishing in the Champions League places with Hodgson in charge. NESV are damaging their own reputations at this crucial embryonic stage of their stewardship by allowing what was the last sting of a dying wasp to remain in charge any longer. We’ve had a tough few years and we’ve had enough. We want Hodgson out and we want him out sooner rather than later.
It’s quite obvious that Roy Hodgson is not the man for the job. We’re in mid season and we’re currently 6 points above the relegation zone and 15 points behind leaders Manutd. Hodgson has, so far, done nothing to convince me that he’s the right man to bring the club forward. Bringing in players like Brad Jones, Paul Konchesky and Christian Poulsen shows that he doesn’t know what he’s doing. The guy’s out of his depth and I hope NESV realise soon that they haven’t got the right man in charge. Also, during the live LFC tv show with Werner and Henry, they were quite hesitant and awkward when asked about Hodgson’s future which I think is a good thing. They know nothing about “soccer” but I do hope that if they want to be successful, they need to make changes and part of that is to appoint a new manager.
Bringing back Rafa seems a good option to me. He will have no problem settling in and he has worked with most of the current players before. He’s without a job and currently in Liverpool which also makes him a good option. Rafa clearly has unfinished business here and unless we can get someone like Hiddink, it’s best to reappoint Rafa. Some people will not want Rafa back but most of them seem to forget that he won us the Champions League, got to the final again in 2 years, won the FA Cup, won the European Super Cup, got second in the League (our highest ever Premier League standing and point tally) and won away at places like the San Siro, Bernabeu, Nou Camp, Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. During his time here, he had little funds to make transfers, did not have backing from the board and Hicks and Gillett wanted him out. With new owners now, Rafa will be able to work with their support and no doubt he will bring us back to the top.
Have FSG brought the supporters back on board? Apart from Comolli’s appointment, they’ve nothing. They’ve allowed Hodgson to carry on regardless, dragging the club further down. Actions speak louder than words – get shut of Hodgson and replace him with somebody we can identify. If he stays we’ll be sponsored by Werthers!
Fulham’s away win today is the first in a season and a half. How long has Mark Hughes been their manager!!! Says it all doesn’t it.
We failed to win the Premier League under Houllier and Benitez because they had this inferiority complex with the so-called big three. Benitez couldn’t hack it at Inter Milan. Benitez thinks money grows on trees. Put Phil Thompson in charge, sell off the primadonnas, start fasttracking players like Kelly, Wilson, Shelvey, Amoo, Pacheco, Wisdom and Ngoo. The same Benitez that is lauded in this article insulted Xabi Alonso and had him go to Real and look how last season went in his absence. This myth that Aqualiani would be the club’s saviour is ridiculous, he was never going to be able to handle the pace and physicality of the Premier League.
We failed to win the Premier League under Benitez but you seem to forget that we’ve never even won the Premier League before. To add to that, Rafa was the one who came closest with a second place finish and 86 points, highest ranking and points. Benitez couldn’t hack it at Inter Milan cause he inherited an ageing squad and injuries to players cost him. “Benitez thinks money grows on trees” what exactly are you on about? Real Madrid offered 30 mil for 28 year old Xabi Alonso, the board made Rafa sell, it wasn’t his choice. He wanted to replace Alonso with Aquilani and Jovetic but because of lack of funds, he was only able to buy one of the two so he chose Aquilani because we lacked a quality central midfielder. During the second half of the season, Aquilani proved his worth by putting in quality performances, scoring goals and providing assists and showed he was more than capable of handling the pace and physicality of the English League.
which primadonnas to you want us to sell?
In response to Eric, where is the evidence that the board forced Rafa to sell Alonso? Rafa fell out with Alonso when Alonso chose to stay with his pregnant wife rather than board the plane for the game against Inter Milan. You say Rafa inherited an ageing squad at Inter, this is the same ageing squad that won the European Cup in May. The injuries at Inter have been attributed to Rafa’s training methods. Aquilani had his chance in preseason and showed nothing. Eric in the 86 points season, the tactical mastermind could not beat Hull at Anfield or Stoke home or away, and you think he deserves credit?
In response to Matt Castellian, sell Reina, Carragher, Kuyt, Gerrard, Cole, Skyrtel, Torres, Konchesky, Poulsen, Insua and Aquilani.
Ok Kenny, so you would fasttrack those 7 players which are 2 strikers, 1 forward, 2 central defenders, 1 ? defender and 1 midfield. Are we going to use players we already have to make up the 11 or are we buying in the four missing players?
In response to Matt the sale of those players would generate in the region of 120 million pounds, I think this would give the club some genuine muscle in the transfer market, don’t you think?
It surely would Kenny, but wouldn’t let Roy near it!
After Man Utd’s draw with Birmingham tonight, Liverpool are the equivalent of 13 points behind United. Liverpool pulled back a 13 point lead on Arsenal in 1989. Instead of Liverpool concentrating on rubbish like the Europa League and the FA Cup Liverpool should push on in the rest of this season and win the Premier League.
I think I want to put you in charge Kenny. You make it sound so simple to win the league. Tell me, which clubs have you managed and done this with before??
Oh Touche! Bob. Oh Touche!
In response to Bob and Julie the likes of Blackpool can win away from home in the Premier League more than once a season with little or no resources, explain that if you can. Do you two think it is acceptable to perservere with the likes of Torres and Gerrard who clearly are just at the club for the big wages. Maybe if we got a second centreback who can head the ball unlike Skyrtel. Maybe if we played with genuine width rather than midfielders who cut infield the whole time and leave our fullbacks without protection. Maybe if the team was not so one dimensonal with everything having to go down the middle rather than stretching out opposing defences with genuine width. Maybe if we had a centreforward who could actually score a few headers from crosses. Maybe if we had a central midfielder who could get forward into the penalty area to score from crosses and cutbacks and knockdowns. Our supposed worldclass players Gerrard and Torres are not earning their wages, it is time to sell them while some clubs might still be stupid enough to pay big money for them.