Commentary on the games through the season....

[the dude abides]

Found it.


http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/john-tom-and-ian-6-free-videos

GREAT link, kopite.  Many thanks!

Watching it here as I type.

[Juan]

Agreed cheers for the link Kopite, its great to see the owners answer questions like that.

I have to say so far I am impressed. I know people are wary and worried by the fact that Hodgson is still here but listening to Henry especially in that piece reaffirms to me they know exactly what they are doing.

I wouldnt let their outward support for Roy fool you. These guys are statisticians, they know that Roys away record to date at any club has been poor, they know hes won very little in a long career and they certainly know how the majority of Liverpool fans feel about him. And if they didnt they certainly know after that. I had to laugh at the guy ringing in from Bristol. He obviously told the researcher he spoke to first that he had a different question to ask but once getting through to the studio he apologises to "the lady on the phone" and then goes on to slate Roy.

As expected for me that program confirms Roy is a sitting duck, he wont be Liverpool manager this time next year. For me Henry and Werner do have a plan regarding a new manager and they are going through the motion with Roy until that plan comes to fruition. I think its a matter of sitting back and watching Roy manage himself out of a job. One or two more away defeats might just do it but i suspect it will most likely be end of season.

[Tes]

They probably have a very decent idea of who they want and who they can get. Keeping Roy in situ might lose us a couple of players (on this season's form the idea of life without Torres is more frightening than the current reality) but will allow a transition from him to the new manager and we'll all be relieved and grateful when it happens. Alternatively, bring in a temporary appointment, who does well and gets us into the top four on the last game of the season and how do they then remove him for the new man? A temporary appointment may bring an instant uplift in fortunes but may not be the long term solution. However, the short term 'success' would make his removal less popular and provide for a less easy ride for the new man early on. 

We've probably got to take short term pain to achieve longer term gain.

[Juan]

We've probably got to take short term pain to achieve longer term gain.

Dare I say it but I think I trust Henry and co so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt about their future plans.

As you say it will probably mean Roy sticking around for a bit.

[Tes]

As you say it will probably mean Roy sticking around for a bit.

In the mean time it would be nice, for example last night with everything to gain and nothing to lose, to see more positive football and given the likes of Pacheco the full 90.

[Martinmarx]

I don't know where to begin. Some stats, perhaps? Wolves was the worst awayside in the entire FA-system. That's right the worst of 108 or so teams. Liverpool haven't lost to Wolves at home since January 1984. That's 27 years give or take a month.

Of course this must spell the end for Roy. I'll have it said once and for all - I don't see a way forward with the current manager. Having said that tho, I think the players should have their fair share of the stick.

Torres - you're not a Liverpool player anymore. I don't think you deserve for a second to wear that red shirt. Your attitude and body language is a disgrace. If you don't want to be here, just p**s off please.

Lucas - what can you say that haven't been said already.

Konchesky - it's not your fault Roy had the poor judgement to sign you but you just aren't up to this level.

Johnson - a poor man's Ashley Cole if you like. Overpaid, overrated, overwhathaveyou.

Skrtl - another s***ty signing no thanks to Rafa.

This was the most disjointed, unimaginative, confused, unspirited, what have you Liverpool side I've seen during my + 30 years of supporting this club. No pride, no passion, no nothing that once made this club the greatest in the world. You can hate Roy all you like but the players really really really need to take a hard look at themselves as well. I think this humiliating and disastrous defeat signals the end of the 20 or so years long journey back to mediocrity. We're the losing side. ManU, a*senal and Chelsea managed to move on, we didn't. We've swapped place with City and Tottenham and it'll be years on end before we can even dream of making an Everton 2005.

I was never into the money argument of how to make a club successful but after Rafa there are so many weak spots in our side it'd take the combined money of Chelsea, Tottenham and City to even make us ready for 4th.

We need:

Two top CB's

One LB

One CM

One RW

One LW

Two strikers

That's to form a starting eleven good enough to challenge for 4th. Add to this you need back up for most of those positions and you might realise it's not about Roy being here or not. It's about this club's been mismanaged for over a decade.

In the current team I can only see a future for Reina, Gerrard, Kuijt and possibly Johnson despite what I said above. Mark my words we're the new City, Tottenham of old so to speak. In any case it's heartbreaking to have to watch us get hammered like this.

[Tes]

And the most worrying thing is the next appointment, the biggest since 1959, is down to a bunch of football virgins.

[Martinmarx]

I don't know tes. I think we need to start over meaning we'll have to work out a plan on where we want to be in 5 years time and work towards that goal. I fear the worst thing we could do now is to linger in the belief we just need to fix this or that crack and it'll be a shiny house again. We need to bring the whole thing down and rebuild not only a team but an identity. In that sense I both agree and disagree with you on the importance of the next appointment. Again, most important of all is that we all realise how far we've sunken during the last decade. GH and Rafa turn out to be costsome mistakes, add to that the ownership trouble and we seem to have lost forever the advantage we built during the 60's, 70's and 80's. None of this is Roy's fault, he's just not the right man to bring stability to the club. I previously thought he was the right man to that end but now admit I was wrong.

[DeepestL0NGROD]

This is heart-wrenching to see. I wont be surprised to see Anfield half empty soon.

[BatChainPuller]

I don't know tes. I think we need to start over meaning we'll have to work out a plan on where we want to be in 5 years time and work towards that goal. I fear the worst thing we could do now is to linger in the belief we just need to fix this or that crack and it'll be a shiny house again. We need to bring the whole thing down and rebuild not only a team but an identity. In that sense I both agree and disagree with you on the importance of the next appointment. Again, most important of all is that we all realise how far we've sunken during the last decade. GH and Rafa turn out to be costsome mistakes, add to that the ownership trouble and we seem to have lost forever the advantage we built during the 60's, 70's and 80's. None of this is Roy's fault, he's just not the right man to bring stability to the club. I previously thought he was the right man to that end but now admit I was wrong.

I think that's taking being charitable to the extreme. He has to take some responsibility for the consistent underperformance of practically the whole squad. No sign of his famous 'arm round the shoulder'.

[barticus]

I wasn't shocked by this result because i expected it tbh under Roy.

We can blame past regimes and our downfall due to Souness, but we never had a divine right to win...

We can blame the players for not stepping up and not being fit to wear the shirt.

But when all is said and done...

These players should be challenging for 6th, and have not become bad players over night. Torres has played every game so far, Rafa got us to 7th when he was missing half the season...

The reason we are currently 3 points from relegation is down to one thing...Roy Hodgson.
The players have no faith in Roy, because after experiencing his 'style' for half a season, know that he hasn't got a clue.
He blames everyone but himself (no John Henry mind), 'it's this player is useless or that one too well paid'...his continous derisory news statements and laughable decision making actually half make me think that he's a manure supporter in disguise sent out on a sabotage mission.

Unfit to manage and way over his head, he has to be sacked off today.

[Martinmarx]

I think that's taking being charitable to the extreme. He has to take some responsibility for the consistent underperformance of practically the whole squad. No sign of his famous 'arm round the shoulder'.

Of course he has to take responsibility and before long I think he will. However, I think many of the problems we've seen this season were there before Roy arrived. He's failed to fix them so far true, but coming on here and elsewhere you'd be excused for thinking he was responsible for every existing problem at Anfield. Rather than moaning about Roy I'd like to take the opportunity to speak out about a player I find it harder by each game to see in a red shirt. To be frank and honest about it, I think Torres is an outright and spoilt child who can go do whatever for all I care. Fair enough he had a brilliant first 18 months for us. The last 2 seasons tho, he's been out injured half the time, the rest of the time you could watch him dive, sulk, do whatever but earning the right to hold this club to ransom, let alone wearing a red shirt. Fernando, if you want the money or titles so badly, just leave. Stop being such a drama queen and start deserving the millions you're currently robbing this club of.

We need players with heart, with pride and self-respect.

Barticus, your analysis is dangerous to this club. If you're so deluded you think our problems start and stop with Roy you're seriously mistaken.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

MartinMarx,

Shame on you for using such an appalling word in a public forum. I suggest you edit it out. We're all annoyed about the situation but language like that just isn't acceptable.

[Martinmarx]

Am sorry ASI, hope that's better. Didn't mean to offend anyone.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Am sorry ASI, hope that's better. Didn't mean to offend anyone.

Thanks. I know you didn't but people of all ages read these pages and we need to keep it civil.