In defence of Hodgson and the utter disgrace that we call football....

[TheDrowningMan]

Err... We'll likely finish 7th or around there, despite a horrid start.

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Unrighteous]

Based on what exactly? The promise we're showing in matches or the improvement that bringing in Lahm, Ashley Young, Iniesta and Forlan in January will make?

 

We have two world class players, and that alone should help us finish in the top of the table.

 

Part of it is optimism. Part of it is sheer disbelief that we'll finish below 10th.

[RobbieOR]

BBC Sport - Football - Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson concerned by relegation form

 

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson admitted his side are currently in a relegation battle but said he is more concerned by the form of some of his players.

The Reds were beaten 2-1 at home by Blackpool and are now third from bottom of the Premier League.

Hodgson said: "There are 31 games left but when you are in the relegation zone you are in a relegation battle.

"But I really don't think my concerns are with relegation, my concerns are we are not playing to our full potential."

When asked if six points from seven games was unacceptable, Hodgson replied: "Yes of course it is. This is Liverpool. We are a big club and big team and none of us would accept it is a correct total.

"We can't do anything about that now but we certainly have to work very hard to do better in the future."

Liverpool went behind to a Charlie Adam penalty and a Luke Varney strike and, despite a second-half rally which saw Sotirios Kyrgiakos pull one back for the Reds, Blackpool held on for a famous victory.

Hodgson added: "Their great result is our nightmare result. It is a very bad day and there is nothing I can say.

"At the moment things look bleak and really bad and it is difficult for me to put a bright face upon it.

 

In the first half we were correctly punished for a lacklustre display. We had the ball as much as them but did not do anything with it anywhere near enough to satisfy my, the club's or the players' demands.

"We conceded two goals on counter-attacks but in the second half we came out and tried to turn matters around but could only get one goal."

Liverpool's disastrous start to the season, their worst since the Premier League began, has also seen them eliminated from the Carling Cup with a defeat at home by League Two Northampton.

Hodgson also had to contend with supporters calling out Kenny Dalglish's name during the game on Sunday. The former player, who has an ambassadorial role at the club, was reported to have been keen on the manager's job before Hodgson was appointed this summer.

Dalglish was at the match and would have witnessed the team being booed off at the end of the game.

But Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt is confident the players can turn things around.

"It is still early days for the manager and we have to keep working but one thing I do know if that we will come back stronger for this experience," he said.

Following the international break, Liverpool's next game is the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park against Everton.

Kuyt added: "It's frustrating that we have got the international break now because we will have this result hanging over us and everyone in the dressing room wants to put it behind us as quickly as possible."

 

[On Match of the Day 2 former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen called the result a "disgrace" and said the club's past glories counted for nothing.

"If that performance came when they were top of the league it was bad but third bottom - it's a disgrace," he said.

"Forget about history and tradition, forget about the honours and the manager, it's all about the players."

Kuyt admitted it was one of his worst times in a Liverpool shirt.

"It's probably one of the hardest defeats I've had to take since I've been here and we're sorry for the fans.

 

"The first thing we have got to do is make sure we start winning games again and then we can begin to take things from there," the Dutchman said.

Liverpool were not helped with striker Fernando Torres having to go off after 10 minutes against Blackpool because of an injury.

"It is a groin strain, I don't know how severe," said Hodgson. "It came as a surprise to us, we had no awareness there were any problems in the groin area.

"I don't know if it was something which happened during the course of the game."

 

Should he really be saying things like this?

[El Rojo]

We have two world class players, and that alone should help us finish in the top of the table.

 

Part of it is optimism. Part of it is sheer disbelief that we'll finish below 10th.

 

I probably would have been of the same opinion as you before yesterday, but I genuinely doubt we'll finish that high now.

 

Jesus, I've just described seventh as finishing high.

[Unrighteous]

I probably would have been of the same opinion as you before yesterday, but I genuinely doubt we'll finish that high now.

 

Jesus, I've just described seventh as finishing high.

 

I know what you mean, but our start had a few disasters: Joe Cole's redcard, and a scrappy goal from Arsenal; Mascherano refusing to play vs. Man City; Berbatov being very unBerbatov-ish(read: Scoring) vs. United.

 

A loss to Blackpool, I unfortunately called it, so I wasn't really surprised... but two weeks for the players to stew on it? I'd suggest that we'll come out looking to fight with Everton.

[usernameunknown]

Astonishing to hear a Liverpool manager mentioning relegation, I knew it'd happen eventually under these owners, but didnt expect this clown to help sink us so quickly.

[rebel23]

I know what you mean, but our start had a few disasters: Joe Cole's redcard, and a scrappy goal from Arsenal; Mascherano refusing to play vs. Man City; Berbatov being very unBerbatov-ish(read: Scoring) vs. United.

 

A loss to Blackpool, I unfortunately called it, so I wasn't really surprised... but two weeks for the players to stew on it? I'd suggest that we'll come out looking to fight with Everton.

 

If that dickhead is in charge we'll be humiliated

 

I wonder if Gerrard's face will explode with puzzlement

[Original202]

BBC Sport - Football - Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson concerned by relegation form

 

Should he really be saying things like this?

 

What's wrong with what he's said there? That headline doesn't relate to his comments at all.

[cmuller]

The least I've ever looked forward to a derby - just can't see us getting anything at all from going there apart from getting beat. And maybe a red card for Gerrard as he tries to do everything and eventually boils over...

[Randy Marsh]

Oh well, makes Hansen's "the worst Liverpool team" in 40years comment a couple of months before Istanbul look even more ridiculous.

[Kennys_spell]

You fucking whopper. Half the posts on this thread state that the majority of fans wanted Rafa to stay and yet you credit the OP with hounding Rafa out. Fact is (read his recent interview with Dion Fanning) he had come to the end , was sick of the fighting and politics going on at the club, stuff which continues to this day and after discussing what was about to happen cut the ties and took a well paid job in Italy so criticise away as regards to the original post but try and stick to facts.

 

The thing is, and plenty of us were saying this, that it was completely the wrong time to get rid of Benitez - regardless of if you think he should or shouldn't have gone the timing was just about as bad as it ever could get.

 

The ONLY thing Benitez departure could have led to was a massive step down in the ability of the incumbent manager. Now anyone with a modicum of common sense should have been able to see that was the case and that there was no other realistic candidate for the post. For the few (that appear to have incredibly short memories) who are now suggesting that we "give him a chance, he's only been here for 7 league games" - I'd just like to ask, what, in his last 35 years of management can you point to that gives you the confidence that he will be able to turn this around and get us into the Champs League?

[The Guest]

I find it strange that Benitez could make a lot more of a horrendous decision than playing Meireles on the right yet it would be completely ignored. He could play Lucas in nearly every game last season when it wasn't working just like Hodgson appears to be doing with Poulsen. He is getting slaughtered for playing Johnson (rightly slaughtered) at right back after he has made mistake after mistake. Yet the same people ignore that it was Benitez who paid £18m fo him.

 

In my opinion Rafa Benitez was sacked correctly for footballing reasons. We were fucking shocking last season and it was down to him. Poor signings and even worse team selections, substitutions and tactics were at fault. He needed to be sacked to move forward and we needed someone who wasn't negative to come in. Hodgson seemed like the man. Fulham had played some good football under him and he had signed some good players and got the best out of them.

 

Yet for some reason he is doing a Benitez. Being overly cautious not making the obvious decisions that just take a bit of balls to do. He is making all the mistakes Benitez made but going even further. This doesn't suddenly mean Benitez shouldn't have gone. Just that Roy needs to pull his head out of his arse and make the right decisions.

 

It's like the current government. The economy is fucked because the country has gone too far to the right and big business and banks gained too much power with little risk. So to fix it the country votes in a party even more right than the last one thinking it will fix it. I just hope Roy is a socialist at heart and sees this before it's too late, if you catch my drift,

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Brought what upon myself? Calling for support of a manager who has been here 3 months?

 

I'm a right evil, devious so and so me.

 

Your work last season and how you went about it. You weren't on your own, but you were one of the most vocal on here and did it in a way that rubbed people up in the wrong way.

 

And for you to start a thread in defence of Roy after your behaviour last year, and you should be well aware of how people would react to you starting this thread would create carnage. You started and then walked away for others to argue amongst themselves. Text book Ant in my opinion mate.

 

I know I threw some insults at you last season and I am looking to avoid doing that but offering you some feedback instead. I don't think some of the presonal stuff is worthwhile, even though I have done it in the past and I am apologise for that.

 

I said this many a time to you last season, have a proper think about what you are going to post and how you post it.

 

He's been here 3 months and is not up to the job, there is no defending what has been happening, none whatosever.

 

Your not devious, but definately a drama queen.

[hamstrung]

I find it strange that Benitez could make a lot more of a horrendous decision than playing Meireles on the right yet it would be completely ignored.

,

 

You've not been here long, have you?

[RobbieOR]

What's wrong with what he's said there? That headline doesn't relate to his comments at all.

 

A Liverpool manager should never be saying we are in a relegation battle. Never. But, hey, he's a safe pair of hands.

[Kennys_spell]

I find it strange that Benitez could make a lot more of a horrendous decision than playing Meireles on the right yet it would be completely ignored.

 

You're joking right - the high pitched whine about Kuyt, Lucas and Insua became almost unbearable at times.

 

He could play Lucas in nearly every game last season when it wasn't working just like Hodgson appears to be doing with Poulsen.

 

Poulson makes Lucas look like a Brazillian of the 80's best team ever. Hodgson is making the mistake of playing BOTH Poulson and Lucas together. That's unforgiveable.

 

In my opinion Rafa Benitez was sacked correctly for footballing reasons.

 

You appear to be suggesting that Hodgson is a better manager (football reasons) than Benitez. Really?!?!?!?!

 

He needed to be sacked to move forward and we needed someone who wasn't negative to come in. Hodgson seemed like the man.

 

You seem to be suggesting that we've moved forward - Really ?!?!?!?!

 

Fulham had played some good football under him and he had signed some good players and got the best out of them.

for Fulham yes - those performances last season for Fulham were good enough for them but not for us. That's why they finished 12th!

 

Yet for some reason he is doing a Benitez.

 

Ahhh so it's Benitez fault that Hodgson is shite - OooooooKayyyyyyyy

 

Being overly cautious not making the obvious decisions that just take a bit of balls to do. He is making all the mistakes Benitez made but going even further. This doesn't suddenly mean Benitez shouldn't have gone.

 

But it does emphasise the fact that he shouldn't have been replaced until a better manager could be put in place - last season was completely the wrong timing.

 

Just that Roy needs to pull his head out of his arse and make the right decisions.

 

What in his 35 years of previous management makes you believe he can do this?

[Finbar]

Problem here to me seems to be consistency. Benitez was rightly sacked for playing poor football and 'losing' some of the players, it seemed like a good number of them had lost faith in him so the club backed that view and got rid.

 

I know we're only a few games into the season but Roy has been here for a good few months and the players don't look like want to play for him either. Going to form the club should be looking to give him a deadline to sort it out, get the senior players properly on board or beat it.

 

This may be difficult for him as from what I'm seeing I think the players know what jobs he wants them to do but they neither understand why or enjoy what they are being asked to do.

[t1971]

But it does emphasise the fact that he shouldn't have been replaced until a better manager could be put in place - last season was completely the wrong timing.

 

 

Exactly right. you cant say it was right to sack Rafa but wrong to hire Hodgson. You have to look at who you can bring in before deciding to sack the current manager. lots of us were deluded in thinking that

 

a) we could attract a top class manager

 

b) Purslow and the rest could be relied upon to identify a better manager, and appoint the manager for the good of the team.

 

If you cant bring in someone better, then its the wrong decision to sack the manager you have.

[lebron]

What hope and promise was this?

 

Was it the home loss to Graz, coupled with the booing and the slow handclaps (for scraping through on agg). Or was it successive away defeats to Bolton, the mancs, and Chelsea all in his first two months, or even the home loss to Birmingham a month later? Not to mention the snoozefest at home to Coruna and the embarrassment in Greece. These 7 games provided the sum Goals For total of, 1 Goal, an o.g. btw. Did you call for his head on the back of all this "promise", as you are now?

 

I think it was actually the games against weak opposition and the we swept away shite like WBA, Norwich and Charlton with. The Norwich game in particular (granted Alonso had one of his best days at the office), but our ability to pass and move seemed to be on its way back, which was a nice change from the last dark days of Houllier. I wouldn't have minded losing to both City, United and Arsenal so early in Hodgsons reign, it's the complete lack of possession football and taking the game to the opposition that bothers me the most.

 

Oh, and before you beat me to it, we played most of the first part of that season without our only world class player.

[Gary Mac Legend]

If the word 'relegation' came out of Rafa's mouth, what would the reaction be like? I rest my case.

[Kobayashi Maru]

In defence of Roy....atleast he's doing his bit in trying to make it as hard as possible for the cunts to get refinancing.

[stringvest]

Oh well, makes Hansen's "the worst Liverpool team" in 40years comment a couple of months before Istanbul look even more ridiculous.

 

not really, we've just broken the record several times since :(

[Guest TK-421]

Tricky stuff this ship steadying business.

[Gary Mac Legend]

Tricky stuff this ship steadying business.

 

I see the logic in Roy's thinking though, if we plummet right to the bottom, then the ship can't sink any lower and thus is Steadied? Then the only way is up?

[Kobayashi Maru]

Tricky stuff this ship steadying business.

 

More a case of rubber dinghy rapids.