The Roy Hodgson Thread

[Brownie]

Why should the OP 'get over it'? Plenty of our ex players still getting discussed on this forum even though they left the club yonks ago. Why cant forumites discuss one of our legendary managers and compare circumstances with the current incumbent? After all, a lot of people thought it was fair game to compare Lucas Leiva to Xabi Alonso.

 

How about giving the manager a few games to, you know, manage before comparing him with the previous incumbent?

[Vincent Vega]

I keep thinking I'm hearing the voice of Harold Steptoe when I hear him interviewed

 

 

"You dirty old man!"

[Juan Galonso]

I would be happy for a similar season to GH's first full season in charge here 1999-2000 next season. We were pretty solid throughout much of that season after an iffy start and even got to 2nd place quite late on in the season until a spectacular collapse at the end but in the main we were tough to beat that season. If he can instil the belief and confidence GH originally did that season without being flashy then I would be more than happy with that.

[Antynwa]

I've been reading the forum the past few weeks in regards to Hodgson, and I'll tell you this, the comments going around about Hodgson are both ridiculous and damn right disrespectful.

 

Fuck Rafa Benitez off for just 5 minutes. Hodgson is now our manager, Benitez isn't he's gone, he is now at Inter Milan. Roy Hodgson, however is our manager. He's been our manager for one day, and although we all should be expectant of our new manager, there is a massive difference between expectation and comparing expectations of both managers.

 

Don't pretend that Hodgson should have the same targets as Benitez would have had if he's still in the job. Thats not how it works, Hodgson needs time to make his mark, he needs time to implement his ideas but what shouldn't take time is the fans to give him our backing.

 

The man clearly is humble and honoured to be at Liverpool, you can tell that by his press conference.

 

Now I've seen plenty of hypocrisy, and by my own admittance I've been guilty of it myself. But I can hold my head up and say I never disrespected a manager that hadn't even managed his first game for us.

 

I'll be blunt, he wasn't my choice, but he's all that we've got and the last thing the fella needs is having to win the fans backing, people accused those expectant of the club of being arrogant, but those same people are being arrogant about Hodgson being our manager.

 

He wasn't my choice, my 2nd, or 3rd. But he's what we've got, and we should reward him with the loyalty of at least during pre fucking season supporting him like we have all our managers in the past.

[Walton Park]

By the way, it's interesting to see that the poll was stuck resolutely at 25/75 until his appointment and then it began to move in favour of the new man.

 

I know and its good to see. Its called having 'hope in your heart'.

 

Come on boys and girls get behind our new manager.

[razor]

I've been reading the forum the past few weeks in regards to Hodgson, and I'll tell you this, the comments going around about Hodgson are both ridiculous and damn right disrespectful.

 

Fuck Rafa Benitez off for just 5 minutes. Hodgson is now our manager, Benitez isn't he's gone, he is now at Inter Milan. Roy Hodgson, however is our manager. He's been our manager for one day, and although we all should be expectant of our new manager, there is a massive difference between expectation and comparing expectations of both managers.

 

Don't pretend that Hodgson should have the same targets as Benitez would have had if he's still in the job. Thats not how it works, Hodgson needs time to make his mark, he needs time to implement his ideas but what shouldn't take time is the fans to give him our backing.

 

The man clearly is humble and honoured to be at Liverpool, you can tell that by his press conference.

 

Now I've seen plenty of hypocrisy, and by my own admittance I've been guilty of it myself. But I can hold my head up and say I never disrespected a manager that hadn't even managed his first game for us.

 

I'll be blunt, he wasn't my choice, but he's all that we've got and the last thing the fella needs is having to win the fans backing, people accused those expectant of the club of being arrogant, but those same people are being arrogant about Hodgson being our manager.

 

He wasn't my choice, my 2nd, or 3rd. But he's what we've got, and we should reward him with the loyalty of at least during pre fucking season supporting him like we have all our managers in the past.

 

I don't want to cross swords with you, Ant, but saying you can "hold your head up" for not criticising a manager before he's managed his first game (note the disclaimer everyone!) isn't something to be proud of with your record of abuse towards our last manager (the caveat of it was after games doesn't wash: the principle's the same - abusing our manager).

 

Though to your credit, you do admit you are being hypocritical.

 

I do want to let go of the way I feel about the abuse he got, so maybe that's something for me to work on, and I will.

 

But I can't let it pass without pointing out it's an ugly post all things considered. I don't want to start the Rafa thing again, but I can't believe you would post this after what you did. Though maybe this post is part of the way you are dealing with the Rafa thing, and if it is, then genuinely and sincerely good for you - you're further down the path then me!

 

Anyway, we're in agreement: 100% behind Roy.

[Jennings]

[Phoenix]

Benitez had to go but i was hoping he club would be a bit more ambitious. Why get the best available? whats this all about steadying the ship(the two morons at the helm are the ones cuasing the problems)?

 

Respectful and dignified he may be, aswell as being press friendly...the first press conference sounds like a man...hoping rather than expecting.

 

Then again the premiership doesnt seem to require huge amount of tactical nous (just look at whiskey nose) and with lifting of expectation he might suprise us all.

[Red Nick]

By the way, it's interesting to see that the poll was stuck resolutely at 25/75 until his appointment and then it began to move in favour of the new man.

 

Are you suggesting LFC fans are lemmings?

[Chocoholic]

I've been reading the forum the past few weeks in regards to Hodgson, and I'll tell you this, the comments going around about Hodgson are both ridiculous and damn right disrespectful.

Fuck Rafa Benitez off for just 5 minutes. Hodgson is now our manager, Benitez isn't he's gone, he is now at Inter Milan.

 

So, the comments going around about Hodgson are both ridiculous and downright disrespectful. It didn't seem to bother you and others making similarly ridiculous and disrespectful, and highly personal comments about Rafa Benitez, and for a lot longer than a few weeks, did it, Ant?

[Antynwa]

So' date=' the comments going around about Hodgson are both ridiculous and downright disrespectful. It didn't seem to bother you and others making similarly ridiculous and disrespectful, and highly personal comments about Rafa Benitez, and for a lot longer than a few weeks, did it, Ant?[/quote']

 

Quote me on said comments and I'll apologise for them.

 

I've certainly never called him a 'Fat Spanish Waiter' if thats what you are suggesting.

 

Fair comments by razor, but I take exception to me abusing the fella, I've told him to fuck off on here a fair few times like but nothing personal I don't feel.

[Anubis]

I've been reading the forum the past few weeks in regards to Hodgson, and I'll tell you this, the comments going around about Hodgson are both ridiculous and damn right disrespectful.

 

You are not in a position to lecture anyone about respect for the manager. So just shut the fuck up you fucking human vuvuzela. Your avatar is spot on.

[Antynwa]

You are not in a position to lecture anyone about respect for the manager. So just shut the fuck up you fucking human vuvuzela. Your avatar is spot on.

 

But I am lecturing.

 

Two wrongs don't make a right.

[Brownie]

I wonder when we'll all stop arguing about Rafa fucking Benitez. I can't wait for the games to start.

[Section_31]

I wonder when we'll all stop arguing about Rafa fucking Benitez. I can't wait for the games to start.

 

Aye, some pro-Rafa have suddenly become anti-Woy and some anti-Rafa have become pro-Woy, for the simple reason that one is not the other. Quite amazing!

[Anubis]

I wonder when we'll all stop arguing about Rafa fucking Benitez. I can't wait for the games to start.

 

Can we add Xabi fucking Alonso to that list?

[Brownie]

Can we add Xabi fucking Alonso to that list?

 

If you think about it, that's actually about Rafa Benitez though in a roundabout way. The only times i've seen Xabi discussed on here lately are when Spain have played in the World Cup.

 

What next, criticism for Dave for pointing out that the lad played well during his WC round-ups?

[Antynwa]

Aye, some pro-Rafa have suddenly become anti-Woy and some anti-Rafa have become pro-Woy, for the simple reason that one is not the other. Quite amazing!

 

Maybe there is truth in that.

 

As I have maintained throughout I didn't want him as manager, but he has my full support, with him being new 'an all.

[Section_31]

A Liverpool manager deserves respect and he deserves a chance too, it's what the people who founded the club's legacy would demand and expect from the fans. For me, I've not been able to look far beyond the ownership now for a long, long time, and only when that is resolved will I feel any real joy at the prospect of a Liverpool game. Roy, or whoever else came into this job, would have had a hard time changing that fact. For what it's worth though, I feel his appointment is academic. When Cheslea and Citeh changed hands, both binned their current managers. If an owner wants a club as a vanity project, he wants hollywood players and a hollywood coach - Woy is not that, just as Mark Hughes wasn't.

[Anubis]

If you think about it, that's actually about Rafa Benitez though in a roundabout way. The only times i've seen Xabi discussed on here lately are when Spain have played in the World Cup.

 

Yeah, right. Good one. You never get 'if only he was still here' comments, do you? Which, as you've pointed out Ian, is really about Benitez. Anyway, I've reached the end of the line with Ant. He's on ignore. But he is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most annoying cunt on this forum. And I don't see why he gets a free pass while Rashid ended up banned.

[Brownie]

Yeah, right. Good one. You never get 'if only he was still here' comments, do you? Which, as you've pointed out Ian, is really about Benitez. Anyway, I've reached the end of the line with Ant. He's on ignore. But he is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most annoying cunt on this forum. And I don't see why he gets a free pass while Rashid ended up banned.

 

I'd just like to see us all get behind Roy and move forward. I'm not arsed about holding grudges with people i've argued with in the past. Unfortunately though, even though the main sticking point has been removed, regarding those arguments, the snotty comments don't seem to have subsided.

 

It's just really boring, childish and lame. I'm not having a go at you here, just something general i've noticed since coming back onto the forum the last few days.

[Red Phoenix]

But he is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most annoying cunt on this forum. And I don't see why he gets a free pass while Rashid ended up banned.

 

Rash never had the hidden powers of the vuvuzela to call upon.

[Anubis]

I'd just like to see us all get behind Roy and move forward. I'm not arsed about holding grudges with people i've argued with in the past. Unfortunately though, even though the main sticking point has been removed, regarding those arguments, the snotty comments don't seem to have subsided.

 

It's just really boring, childish and lame. I'm not having a go at you here, just something general i've noticed since coming back onto the forum the last few days.

 

And you'll find I haven't said a bad word about Hodgson, and he gets my support, and more importantly he should get time to build his own team. Personally, I don't want the arguing either, but there is one person ordering others about who gets my back up, and I've now dealt with that so I don't have to read what he writes.

[piscinin]

I see that he's been called a diplomat/diplomatic by many journalists in their write ups today. .

 

Maybe it's the cynic in me, but in those statements I see the genesis of the criticisms that will be leveled at him as soon as he struggles. Steady hand becomes limited. Statesman like becomes unable to inspire/uninspiring.

[BexBissel]

Roy Hodgson has said it is imperative that Liverpool's co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, sell the club this summer even though a takeover could affect his own position at Anfield.

 

The new Liverpool manager spoke to the Americans in a brief conference call on Wednesday night and, at his official unveiling the following day, promised to avoid the ownership issues that have blighted the club and the reign of his predecessor, Rafael Benítez, in recent years. Nevertheless, at a time when the Liverpool futures of Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano are all uncertain, and with only limited funds available for squad rebuilding, Hodgson believes the prospects of recovery are inextricably linked to the timing of Hicks's and Gillett's departure.

 

Asked if he wanted the club to change hands at the earliest opportunity, the 62-year-old said: "Absolutely. That is what all the fans want. They want new ownership, maybe in the way Manchester City found new ownership. I don't know whether that would be a possibility but I can understand the fans wanting that. The fans want the best for Liverpool Football Club. They want the best players and the best quality football, and they know the only way to get that is to have the quality of players on the pitch and they cost money."

 

Hodgson admitted his arrival at Anfield was due, in part, to Liverpool's £350m debt and the associated problems that have plagued the club since Hicks and Gillett arrived in February 2007. He added: "It's very unusual to get the job at the club you want to be at if something is not there niggling in the background. Obviously the thing in the background here is the financial situation.

 

"The financial situation doesn't bother me. This club will always find a buyer and there's always going to be people who want to be the owner of Liverpool Football Club. It's just a question of when it can be sold and whether the new owners, when they come in, are prepared to back the club as we all think it should be backed."

 

Liverpool's chairman, Martin Broughton, has confirmed there have been no offers for the club since Hicks and Gillett announced it was officially for sale in April, although he hopes to receive a first round of bids by mid-July and complete the sale before the end of August. A takeover would raise the prospect of the new owners wanting to appoint their own manager, but Hodgson is confident his work will dissuade such a move.

 

The Liverpool manager, who confirmed he is contractually protected "to some extent" if new owners decided they wanted a change, said: "You can't ever get stone guarantees with these things. I believe that I was selected fommm,,,,r the right reasons and that if there are new owners they would go along with that as well. If they didn't, and the new owners wanted a complete change, then I would have to accept that. It wouldn't make a major dent in my career but it would be very sad because I want to work here."

 

Hicks and Gillett remain the target of derision among Liverpool supporters and an "Independence Day Rally" will be held in the city tomorrow, organised by the Spirit of Shankly supporters group. The rally, at St George's Hall from noon, features speeches from John Aldridge and the newly elected MP for Walton, Steve Rotheram, the comedian John Bishop plus several musicians, and the SOS will launch its proposal for supporters to buy into the club.

 

A spokesperson for SOS said: "This is our chance to send out a message that we want true independence, not only from Tom and George, but others who work the same way as they do. We no longer want leveraged buyout merchants with their eyes on the accounts, not the football pitch."

Roy Hodgson wants Liverpool owners to complete club sale this summer | Football | The Guardian