Mutual respect for mediocrity spawned this fine bromance

[paulo61]

Good Article - well written, pretty accurate in the Irish Independent.

 

Mutual respect for mediocrity spawned this fine bromance

 

Sunday December 05 2010

 

We've all had enough pain. We've all had enough misery and dissembling. But the next 24 hours will bring more, although it will be disguised as a heart-warming story of friends re-united. Gerard Houllier returns to Anfield tomorrow and he will be met there by his great friend Roy Hodgson.

 

If you had Roy Hodgson's away record, you too would have many friends in football. Since August 2009, Hodgson has won two league matches away from home, so it is no surprise he is greeted warmly wherever he goes.

 

Hodgson, as he repeatedly reminds people, may be one of the game's most respected figures, but when he walks through the front door of a football club, he is also a walking, talking three points for the home side. All that is left is to choose the wine. They spend a lot of time talking abut wine.

 

Instead of points, he accumulates friends, who tell him how well he's doing in his latest job, the management of the decline of Liverpool.

 

He will be emboldened by the words from his great friend Houllier, who returns to Anfield, despite never really having left. From afar, he guided Liverpool to victory in the Champions League in Istanbul. It was his side, a side containing Djimi Traore, that won the European Cup. At the UEFA conferences where he sees his friends or when he sits down with a journalist, Houllier tells them this and they nod sagely. It is a version of the truth. Signing Djimi Traore was Houllier's achievement. Winning the European Cup with Djimi Traore was Rafael Benitez's.

 

These stories of managerial bonhomie are not complete without mention of the "good bottle of red" that one has decanted for another. The mistrust of Arsene Wenger by many stems from the fact that Wenger, though clearly French, eschews the good bottle of red.

 

There will be more talk of red wine in the build-up to tomorrow's game than during a Keith Floyd show where he is cooking coq au vin with red wine gravy followed by a red wine tapioca pudding.

 

They are both friends with Alex Ferguson too. Ferguson has acquired many friends in football, but he has rarely shown up at a football ground without considering if he could build a lifelong grudge around the presence of some enemy in the vicinity.

 

Hodgson last week described Liverpool's draw in the FA Cup with United as "sad". There are eight members of the team that won 4-1 at Old Trafford still in Liverpool's squad. Hodgson will be able to pick on seven of them and the painful decline of Jamie Carragher means he will not miss the eighth.

 

If Liverpool have disintegrated since that time, Manchester United have got no better. Hodgson's sadness was over the meeting of two big teams in the third round, but there was the underlying sadness as he jokes about putting on his make-up for live TV that, once again, his real record would be scrutinised and exposed.

 

He is just a patsy. Most of those who appointed him are no longer employed at Anfield but yet he must muddle on.

 

Many of his supporters in the media castigate Liverpool fans for abandoning their principles and not showing the patience they have traditionally granted previous managers. This, they will claim, is a reflection, of our impatient times with its demand for instant gratification (my problem with instant gratification is that it takes too long).

 

Yet Liverpool fans were pretty patient with Benitez and that was six months ago. It may not be the times that have changed just the credentials of the incumbent.

 

Hodgson's supporters still point to his record, highlighting in all seriousness his exploits at Fulham. There is no real success. Hodgson has never won a league title outside Scandinavia.

 

His methods, as he put it himself, "have translated from Halmstads to Malmo, to Orebo to Neuchatel Xamax, to the Swiss national team".

 

Liverpool fans are not showing impatience with Hodgson, they are voicing their feeling that he was the wrong appointment for a club that demands more than going a year without an away win and nobody noticing.

 

It could be that those who praised Hodgson so highly weren't really paying attention. It was easy to praise a friendly and welcoming manager while he was at Fulham. It was easy, even if he was going from one end of the season to the next without winning away from home to talk about his exploits.

 

One journalist recently wrote a piece defending Hodgson (guess what? He needs time). Liverpool fans were criticised for chanting Kenny Dalglish's name and the writer wondered if maybe Liverpool fans should get Dalglish just to see how they would react if it was a Dalglish side that lost at home to Northampton, went into the bottom three or lost at Stoke.

 

It was Hodgson who did this but it seems it is always somebody else's problem.

 

Usually, it is Benitez's. Last week's news that Liverpool incurred £9m in agents' fees thanks solely to Benitez was another example. This cost came about "tackling the legacy of the previous regime" as it was widely reported.

 

Hodgson arrived saying Liverpool were over-staffed and then recruited Konchesky, Poulsen and Joe Cole while letting some young talent go and releasing a finally fit Alberto Aquilani on loan.

 

The reality is that Hodgson has discovered that Liverpool is a club apart, uninterested in the soothing words from the media.

 

"Everyone I know in football respects the job I'm doing here and aren't too surprised it hasn't been an easy start," he said last week as he anticipated a meeting with another old friend, Harry Redknapp, before reminding people that Jose Mourinho had said Liverpool will get "worse and worse". Hodgson left White Hart Lane pointless and characteristically fatalistic, even after a good bottle of red.

 

Tomorrow promises more warmth and conviviality. Hodgson and Houllier will talk about their mutual respect and reflect on their great gifts of survival, skipping over their exploits which have earned them such admiration from their many friends in football.

 

A draw would be the most fitting demonstration of this great bromance.

 

dfanning at independent.ie

 

Sunday Independent

[Section_31]

Can't disagree about the Hodgson comments, but felt this unneccesary:

 

He will be emboldened by the words from his great friend Houllier, who returns to Anfield, despite never really having left. From afar, he guided Liverpool to victory in the Champions League in Istanbul. It was his side, a side containing Djimi Traore, that won the European Cup. At the UEFA conferences where he sees his friends or when he sits down with a journalist, Houllier tells them this and they nod sagely. It is a version of the truth. Signing Djimi Traore was Houllier's achievement. Winning the European Cup with Djimi Traore was Rafael Benitez's.

 

The side was pretty much Houllier's bar two. Picking on Traore and not mentioning Hamann and Hyypia, for example, is a bit petty.

[ngogswilly]

I think its a decent article which I'd like to see more of from the press, instead of calling us all whining knee jerkers. Its good to see someone getting to the root of the problem.

 

Only caveat is its Fanning, and his weekly Rafa love ins have tainted him to some degree. But I agree hes spot on with most of the article.

[Juan Galonso]

Whatever people think of the ''balanced, well written article'' from Fanning and the implication that GH was mediocre by tarring him with the same brush as Hodgson the facts are he still won more trophies than any other manager in his spell since Dalglish so why would Fanning slyly insinuate the GH reign here was so mediocre? Absolute cunts trick that.

 

Nice to see he continues his anti-Carragher line ''in decline, won't be missed''. So this Fanning guy doesn't have an agenda then considering the manager who he is closest to and his relationship with Carragher?

 

Why hasn't he done a article yet about the transformation of Inter into a Barcelona style total football dream team yet? Oh yeah, 6th in the Italian league at the time of typing that is why. Totally skirt round that issue as well why don't you? Oh I forgot, it isn't about Benitez is it Dion?

 

Nice little skirt over the 9m agents fees as well there, I haven't seen or read anywhere that it was solely down to Benitez. Not Rafa's fault it screams. But everything is all Hodgsons fault he screams. Not about Rafa though is it Dion?

 

There may be eight players left from the side that beat United but there are also even more that finished in the side that finished 7th and lost 19 times in all competitions last season. Not about Rafa though is it Dion?

 

Who is this ''young talent'' we disposed of in the summer then? Also if Rafa Benitez would have remained here Aquilani would have still been out of the door. Not about Rafa though is it Dion?

 

He is probably going to be right about Hodgson and that is the sad thing he has to do it in such a cuntish snidy way to prove the point.

[Wee-bey]

I agree with the Hodgson criticism. I disagree strongly with linking Houllier to mediocrity. 2001 was a great year. Carragher is still our best CB, so that's a dumb agenda driven comment by Fanning.

[Il Fenomeno]

Nice little skirt over the 9m agents fees as well there, I haven't seen or read anywhere that it was solely down to Benitez. Not Rafa's fault it screams. But everything is all Hodgsons fault he screams. Not about Rafa though is it Dion?

 

It was Hodgson's fault. He paid the agents of Joe Cole, Aquilani, Insua etc to find new clubs or in Joe Cole's case a fee for helping him come to Liverpool.

[chauncey]

Whatever people think of the ''balanced, well written article'' from Fanning and the implication that GH was mediocre by tarring him with the same brush as Hodgson the facts are he still won more trophies than any other manager in his spell since Dalglish so why would Fanning slyly insinuate the GH reign here was so mediocre? Absolute cunts trick that.

 

...

 

He is probably going to be right about Hodgson and that is the sad thing he has to do it in such a cuntish snidy way to prove the point.

 

I agree it's unnecessarily snidey about Houllier and unmistakeably pro-Benitez.

 

However it is well-written, I think, and let's not forget that article is no less balanced than Bascombe's were twelve months ago. And at least Fanning's aren't scribbled in crayon.

[Juan Galonso]

I agree it's unnecessarily snidey about Houllier and unmistakeably pro-Benitez.

 

However it is well-written, I think, and let's not forget that article is no less balanced than Bascombe's were twelve months ago. And at least Fanning's aren't scribbled in crayon.

 

Fair enough and that is your opinion no problem wbut again I don't get the relevance with Bascombe. Short of posting pictures of him like you used to on here he doesn't have any relevance to the Fanning article. Bit puzzling how you say something can be snidy and well written in the same paragraph mind.

[lifetime fan]

Unfortunately the vast majority of posters/writers etc on either side are unable to make a valid criticism/defence of Hodgson without snide digs.

[Crazyhorse7778]

Good read.

[Trucker Paddy]

Fanning is a prize cunt, after him laughing and mocking us when we were 2 down to the mancs he deserves no respect.

He then says before Chelsea game(3 days after his hatrick v Napoli) that we should sell Gerrard. He has an agenda against Gerrard and Carragher because Rafa told him they were involved in getting him sacked, the fact he didn't buy a single player that improved the team despite spending £100m since Torres. Or the fact we dropped 25 points and went out of CL and FA cup had nothing to do with it in Dion(Rafas) eyes.

He was in Milan earlier this season and came back going on about how inter love Rafa, notice he's gone quiet on that recently.

[chauncey]

Fair enough and that is your opinion no problem wbut again I don't get the relevance with Bascombe. Short of posting pictures of him like you used to on here he doesn't have any relevance to the Fanning article.

 

Just throwing out an example of a journalist who was equally as one-sided in his articles. Both as bad as each other.

 

As for the pictures and gifs, my frustration with Bascombe has subsided and he's no longer worth the 'effort'. Let him get on with it.

 

Bit puzzling how you say something can be snidy and well written in the same paragraph mind.

 

Fanning has couched the snideness and agenda in some damn good prose, I think. Which is probably why he writes for a quality paper.

[coop]

Just what was needed on here another thread to bash Rafa with.

 

Thank fuck for that seem as we only have another 20 to go with on the first page.

[Juan Galonso]

Just what was needed on here another thread to bash Rafa with.

 

Thank fuck for that seem as we only have another 20 to go with on the first page.

 

But the current manager and the ex-manager before Rafa are fair game then I suppose with you?

[Il Fenomeno]

Fanning is a prize cunt, after him laughing and mocking us when we were 2 down to the mancs he deserves no respect.

He then says before Chelsea game(3 days after his hatrick v Napoli) that we should sell Gerrard. He has an agenda against Gerrard and Carragher because Rafa told him they were involved in getting him sacked, the fact he didn't buy a single player that improved the team despite spending £100m since Torres. Or the fact we dropped 25 points and went out of CL and FA cup had nothing to do with it in Dion(Rafas) eyes.

He was in Milan earlier this season and came back going on about how inter love Rafa, notice he's gone quiet on that recently.

 

Inter supporters demonstrated their backing for Benitez with a banner that read 'Rafa Benitez: one of us'

[Phoenix]

Rafa v Roy v Ged v Rafa v Ged v Roy ad infinitum

[coop]

But the current manager and the ex-manager before Rafa are fair game then I suppose with you?

 

Houllier did a superb job initially at Liverpool winning plenty of trophies but like he admits himself returned too early from illlness and it all went down hill from there.

 

Benitez much like Houllier started his managerial career off superbly with no-one going to ever forget Istanbul plus the FA Cup win and another appearance in the Champions League final plus Carling Cup final and a title challenge.

 

Rafa allowed the politics around the club to get to him and this affected his judgement and come the final season he had clearly lost the repsect of the senior players and it was time to go.

 

Hodgson who is currently the manager is setting all new records for shitness and is unlikely to match the two previous managers in bringing silverware to the club quickly.

 

People having a go at Houllier hardly take up any threads at all yet every single thread will be the same people attacking Rafa saying the same shite about how crap he was and then will come out with some bollocks about giving Hodgson time.

 

Complete agenda driven shite because many people who were attacking Rafa last season feel they must defend Hodgson because of saying stuff last season like 'anyone but Rafa'.

 

I can fully undestand people having a go at Hodgson because he is the 'current' manager and the last time i looked at nearly the halfway point of the season we are currently 4 points off relegation.

 

Rafa is gone get over it and find some other person to take your obsession out on and i would suggest looking at the current manager who is doing far more damage then either Houllier or Rafa ever did.

[Ponz]

He may have a blinkered view of Benitez's tenure and an unfair view of Houllier's but everything he says about Hodgson is true. Hard to argue that he's the worst managerial appointment the club have made in 50 years (at least Souness didn't have 30 years of mediocrity on his CV).

[JohnnyH]

Good article and spot on about Hodgson so far. Nice to see at least one journo telling it how it is as opposed to all the others who blame everyone else but Hodgson.

 

The digs at Houllier were a bit shitty though. Although the things said about Houllier by Liverpool fans towards the end of his Anfield days were a hell of a lot worse. Still not requried by Fanning though.

[Section_31]

Good article and spot on about Hodgson so far. Nice to see at least one journo telling it how it is as opposed to all the others who blame everyone else but Hodgson.

 

The digs at Houllier were a bit shitty though. Although the things said about Houllier by Liverpool fans towards the end of his Anfield days were a hell of a lot worse. Still not required by Fanning though.

 

People naturally became frustrated with Ged as the years went by, but putting him in the same 'mediocre' bracket as Hodgson is laughable quite frankly. He replaced shite defenders with great defenders, and replaced dilettantes like Ince with a truly world class midfield general, masterminding victories over the mancs and in Europe.

 

Hodgson has replaced Mascherano with Poulsen and continues to play down our pedigree and chances at every single opportunity.

[ngogswilly]

Have to admit I dislike Fanning slightly because of his obvious over the top love for Rafa.

 

But I'm so sick and tired of seeing Journos push the same old shit "You Liverpool fans are stupid and Roy hasn't done a thing wrong. Your all idiots"

 

So sick of that shite that I'm happy to see anything that calls Roy for what he is. A mid table manager not up to managing this club.

[Pidge]

Whatever people think of the ''balanced, well written article'' from Fanning and the implication that GH was mediocre by tarring him with the same brush as Hodgson the facts are he still won more trophies than any other manager in his spell since Dalglish so why would Fanning slyly insinuate the GH reign here was so mediocre? Absolute cunts trick that.

 

Nice to see he continues his anti-Carragher line ''in decline, won't be missed''. So this Fanning guy doesn't have an agenda then considering the manager who he is closest to and his relationship with Carragher?

 

Why hasn't he done a article yet about the transformation of Inter into a Barcelona style total football dream team yet? Oh yeah, 6th in the Italian league at the time of typing that is why. Totally skirt round that issue as well why don't you? Oh I forgot, it isn't about Benitez is it Dion?

 

Nice little skirt over the 9m agents fees as well there, I haven't seen or read anywhere that it was solely down to Benitez. Not Rafa's fault it screams. But everything is all Hodgsons fault he screams. Not about Rafa though is it Dion?

 

There may be eight players left from the side that beat United but there are also even more that finished in the side that finished 7th and lost 19 times in all competitions last season. Not about Rafa though is it Dion?

 

Who is this ''young talent'' we disposed of in the summer then? Also if Rafa Benitez would have remained here Aquilani would have still been out of the door. Not about Rafa though is it Dion?

 

He is probably going to be right about Hodgson and that is the sad thing he has to do it in such a cuntish snidy way to prove the point.

 

Snide about Ged, like a lot of people are snide about Rafa. Personally I think both did well here and both declined dramatically in their final years, both bought into and had genuine affection for the club and the fans. I like both of them and hate this popularity contest.

 

It's a shame that you feel the need to post an essay trying to tip the scales back against Benitez. I know you consider it a reply to a one-eyed (and yes, snide) article. But it doesn't feel that way on a forum that a reporter won't read. Why not email him, tell us what he says. I'd be interested in that.

 

As you say, however, he probably is right about Roy. I think he is. I'm sad about that, I wanted to give him a chance after he was appointed and if you felt inclined you could check that on the first five or six match threads of the season. He has been nothing but mediocre. This last week being one of the worst. We played a shit side with an AWFUL defence and we lined up with our defence on the 18 yard line again. Instead of players making chances by getting ahead of the man with the ball we saw everyone dropping to the half way line when we actually had possession. Not good enough.

 

I felt that Rafa's time was up last season. Roy's time is now. THAT is the issue here. He has to go.

[goatboy59]

I'll give Fanning one plaudit; if he pursues this stupid vendetta till he's a hundred, he'll never be as big a deluded snide as Ian Ridley.

[Ted]

Snivelling rat.

[BCM]

Im very greatful of everything Ged did for us, brought us all some great memories.

 

But im getting sick and tired personally of him constantly carping on about Istanbul. That is not his team, they didnt play in his style and wouldnt have made the final under his tenure.

 

Its one of the most ridiculous things ive ever heard.