The definative Hodgson poll.

[Red Phoenix]

I really think that when we attack, defend and press well it scares the shit out of any team we play, wherever they're from. Have never seen a side cope with it as far as I remember. If ourselves and Barca played those three aspects to the best level possible and we were playing eachother it'd be one of the best matches I could imagine, and from any footballing era I could think of.

[TheHowieLama]

I really think that when we attack, defend and press well it scares the shit out of any team we play, wherever they're from. Have never seen a side cope with it as far as I remember. If ourselves and Barca played those three aspects to the best level possible and we were playing eachother it'd be one of the best matches I could imagine, and from any footballing era I could think of.

 

Three years ago yes - not with this group of players. But you are right that 12 or so teams in the league would have trouble dealing with us.

[Red Phoenix]

Three years ago yes - not with this group of players. But you are right that 12 or so teams in the league would have trouble dealing with us.

 

Admitted, realised I was thinking of players like Xabi and a while back after I'd posted that. :/ We can still do it though, am sure there's enough of those players to remember how to play like that, and that it'd inspire the others.

 

Still look at the players we have though and am baffled that we aren't winning away games regularly.

[ngogswilly]

I really think that when we attack, defend and press well it scares the shit out of any team we play, wherever they're from. Have never seen a side cope with it as far as I remember. If ourselves and Barca played those three aspects to the best level possible and we were playing eachother it'd be one of the best matches I could imagine, and from any footballing era I could think of.

 

Nando and Stevie playing off each other is enough to scare the shit out of most teams in the league.

 

We havn't seen enough of that this year.

 

Pity Stevies out for a month though. Maybe Cole can step in and play that role for us.

[Red Phoenix]

Nando and Stevie playing off each other is enough to scare the shit out of most teams in the league.

 

We havn't seen enough of that this year.

 

Pity Stevies out for a month though. Maybe Cole can step in and play that role for us.

 

Yeah...remember hearing Andy Gray waffling about Stevie being in central midfield a bit ago when watching a stream, was glad the others had foreign commentators. He's clearly lost his head in ways I wouldn't dare imagine if he really thinks that. No team can cope with those two players at their best in attack.

[stringvest]

Errr wash more dirty linen in public...

 

Besides didnt his son do that?

 

I wouldn't worry about what Paul Dalglish says. Worry about what Kenny says. Kenny doesn't have a problem with Roy.

[stringvest]

Just out of curiousity, how do you know he lied?

 

He doesn't. He's got himself frothed up into a angry meringue.

[Jose Jones]

Roy hastily apologised for his Rafa/Kenny nonsense a couple of days after it didn't he?

Still I didn't pay that much attention so that could be wrong.

 

I think we've seen enough of Roy to know that this season is going to be a mixture of decent enough home form with the odd disappointing draw or loss, pretty crap away form with the odd good victory. Obviously frustrating tactical decisions and an over-reliance on Torres and Gerrard to create almost all our attacking play. We’ll swing between decent runs of form and momentum killing defeats, the manager will say stupid stuff at times to justify himself and defend some of the poor results. We’ll finish somewhere in the top half, which could be 4th or 5th if things go pretty well or 8th or 9th if they don’t.

In other words, exactly like last season.

[Kevin D]

Roy hastily apologised for his Rafa/Kenny nonsense a couple of days after it didn't he?

Still I didn't pay that much attention so that could be wrong.

 

I think we've seen enough of Roy to know that this season is going to be a mixture of decent enough home form with the odd disappointing draw or loss, pretty crap away form with the odd good victory. Obviously frustrating tactical decisions and an over-reliance on Torres and Gerrard to create almost all our attacking play. We’ll swing between decent runs of form and momentum killing defeats, the manager will say stupid stuff at times to justify himself and defend some of the poor results. We’ll finish somewhere in the top half, which could be 4th or 5th if things go pretty well or 8th or 9th if they don’t.

In other words, exactly like last season.

 

One improvement is that now that Rafa isn't here we won't be seeing 30+ page threads about him.

 

Man, they were boring.

[Red Phoenix]

I wouldn't worry about what Paul Dalglish says.

 

Paul Dalglish is what a lot of Scousers would call boss I think, seems like a great person, has made me laugh quite a lot on twitter too. Maybe he rubs people up the wrong way because he speaks his mind every now and then.

[ctkeepercoach]

From Football365;

 

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson believes his team have been tainted by two matches which have done "untold damage" but insists the improvement from the start of the season shows they were written off too early.

 

Saturday's 3-0 win over West Ham at Anfield was achieved with the minimum amount of fuss - somewhat helpfully in the injury-enforced absence of captain Steven Gerrard - against a side who struggled to rise above mediocre.

 

The Reds' fourth victory in six Barclays Premier League matches came on the back of a defeat at Stoke the previous week, lifting them to within touching distance of the top four.

 

Having endured their worst start to a campaign since 1953/54 with six points from eight games they have now accrued 13 from their last six.

 

Encouraging performances from Raul Meireles, given the freedom of central midfield by the Hammers, and Glen Johnson show there can be optimism despite Gerrard being sidelined for a month.

 

Hodgson thinks, however, that his side is still being judged on their early-season form.

 

"There are two games this year which have done us untold damage," he said.

 

"The first was when a total reserve team - although it does not seem to have been noticed we had 14 first-team players who didn't play - lost to Northampton in the Carling Cup.

 

"The other was the disastrous (2-1) defeat to Blackpool at the end of a three-match week when we played in Europe.

 

"Those two defeats were costly for us because they encouraged people to make bold conclusions but we've lost once in eight (in all competitions).

 

"There are still a lot of things to do but what pleased me against West Ham was the shape, discipline and organisation of the team.

 

"If we can keep that going with the quality of players we have got we can have a good season.

 

"Don't ask me what a good season is because I don't know but after the start we have had where we are now is making us feel pretty pleased."

 

 

Finally, Roy is being honest with us...

[Phoenix]

Yup, and we all know who the good cop is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember ripping Phoenix a while back but he/she seems cool so I just left it!

 

haha....guess im the bad cop then.

 

or still working on it!!

[Phoenix]

I wouldn't worry about what Paul Dalglish says. Worry about what Kenny says. Kenny doesn't have a problem with Roy.

 

Dont listen to him....his views might not fit with your own.

[Code]

Our next 4 games coming up in the league are

 

Spurs away

Villa home

Newcastle away

Fulham home

 

As it stands now we have 19 points, last year we had 23 points after 14 games.

 

After 18 games last year, before the Christmas period started we had 27 points and found ourselves in 8th position

 

Maybe those crying out for Rafa`s comeback should try and reflect a little bit on that.

 

Roy is not doing a great job, especially not away from home, but compared to last season its not really that bad is it and thats so even if we have lost two of our best performers from last season in Mascherano and Benayoun.

[Jose Jones]

Our next 4 games coming up in the league are

 

Spurs away

Villa home

Newcastle away

Fulham home

 

As it stands now we have 19 points, last year we had 23 points after 14 games.

 

After 18 games last year, before the Christmas period started we had 27 points and found ourselves in 8th position.

 

Maybe those crying out for Rafa`s comeback should try and reflect a little bit on that.

 

Roy is not doing a great job, especially not away from home, but compared to last season its not really that bad is it and ts so even if we have lost two of our best performers from last season in Mascherano and Benayoun.

 

We were awful last season. Slightly worse so far this season, but pretty similar really.

I think we should win both of those home games coming up. We normally beat Newcastle away and lose at Spurs.

8 or 9 points would be a decent haul and give us a chance to close on 4th. 6 or less and it will be the continued struggle with mediocrity.

[stringvest]

 

Dont listen to him....his views might not fit with your own.

 

That's nice

[Lucky Pierre]

Our next 4 games coming up in the league are

 

Spurs away

Villa home

Newcastle away

Fulham home

 

As it stands now we have 19 points, last year we had 23 points after 14 games.

 

After 18 games last year, before the Christmas period started we had 27 points and found ourselves in 8th position

 

Maybe those crying out for Rafa`s comeback should try and reflect a little bit on that.

 

Roy is not doing a great job, especially not away from home, but compared to last season its not really that bad is it and thats so even if we have lost two of our best performers from last season in Mascherano and Benayoun.

 

We were told nobody could do worse.

[stringvest]

 

We were told nobody could do worse.

 

Let's wait and see where we are at the end of the season

[Jose Jones]

Let's wait and see where we are at the end of the season

 

Can we not have the debate after every game?

You disappoint me Stringvest.

[stringvest]

 

Can we not have the debate after every game?

You disappoint me Stringvest.

 

I'm just reprising the line I used last season when people called for Rafa's head

[Jose Jones]

I'm just reprising the line I used last season when people called for Rafa's head

 

Ever thought you should get some new material?

Slacker.

[Jack the Sipper]

I wouldn't worry about what Paul Dalglish says. Worry about what Kenny says. Kenny doesn't have a problem with Roy.

 

I'd be surprised, and dissapointed, if Kenny was happy to see the Liverpool manager use his and the previous manager's name like that to score points with the press - regardless of whether or not Roy was telling the truth.

Edited November 23, 2010 by Jack the Sipper

[ctkeepercoach]

We were awful last season. Slightly worse so far this season, but pretty similar really.

I think we should win both of those home games coming up. We normally beat Newcastle away and lose at Spurs.

8 or 9 points would be a decent haul and give us a chance to close on 4th. 6 or less and it will be the continued struggle with mediocrity.

 

Except that: a. Last year wasn't good enough and b. The league is there for the taking this year and we're still 9th.... and that we have scored fewer and conceded more and played even more dire football....

 

other than that we're pretty close to the same as last year....

[JermainePennant]

Our next 4 games coming up in the league are

 

Spurs away

Villa home

Newcastle away

Fulham home

 

As it stands now we have 19 points, last year we had 23 points after 14 games.

 

After 18 games last year, before the Christmas period started we had 27 points and found ourselves in 8th position

 

Maybe those crying out for Rafa`s comeback should try and reflect a little bit on that.

 

 

Roy is not doing a great job, especially not away from home, but compared to last season its not really that bad is it and thats so even if we have lost two of our best performers from last season in Mascherano and Benayoun.

 

Masch was playing cack at this stage last year and rafa was dealing with an injury crisis which included his key players.

 

Roy has had most of his key players fit this season apart from last game and has had 20m to improve the squad so shouldnt he be doing better then rafa, not to forget we have had 2 of our worst defeats in history to blackpool and northampton.

[Code]

Masch was playing cack at this stage last year and rafa was dealing with an injury crisis which included his key players.

 

Roy has had most of his key players fit this season apart from last game and has had 20m to improve the squad so shouldnt he be doing better then rafa, not to forget we have had 2 of our worst defeats in history to blackpool and northampton.

 

Injuries to Agger, Johnson, Kuyt, Cole, Gerrard, Torres, Babel, Aurelio etc makes me wonder what people are talking about when they say we have had almost a full squad to choose from all season and not to forget Cole`s 3 match suspension on top of it all.

 

So Roy has had £20M to spend this summer, well aint he lucky, Rafa usually had £40M to spend every summer so thats another point I clearly struggle to follow.

 

We have lost Cavalieri,Mascherano, Benayoun and Riera, two of them down to Rafa and his ego while the other one already had decided his future lied elsewhere before Roy got in and the 4th one wanted first team football.

 

On top of that we loaned out the worst signing in PL history to save some wages I presume and maybe on the hope him playing back home might raise an interest so we could recoup some of the insane money we paid for him the summer before.

 

So all in all I`d say Roy`s not come into the best environment even if he had the massive amount of £20M to spend on players and he has done almost on par with what I expected of him.

 

Compared to Rafa at this stage last season he is doing ok to be honest considering Rafa had much more options in his squad.