The Roy Hodgson Thread

[Tes]

Insane indeed. This line caught my eye...

We've had one good victory and a couple of reasonable draws but I'm afraid in this league away victories are hard to come by.

Spoken like a true Fulham manager who would only expect to get a couple of away wins each season. For a top 4 club I would expect to win around 35-45% of our away games with only a handful of defeats. Just like the 08-09 season.

Mediocrity personified.

[Tes]

Roy admits transfer U-turn

Last updated: 26th November 2010



Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson insists he is now keen to keep the current squad intact ahead of the January transfer window.

The Reds chief has previously signalled his intent to bring new blood into the club after a disastrous start to the current campaign that left them marooned in the bottom three.

But Liverpool have returned to form of late and Hodgson is pleased with the current contingent in the Anfield camp.

The 63-year-old admits he has changed his opinion on players he inherited from predecessor Rafa Benitez ahead of the trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

"Basically I know what my best team is - the best team is more than 11 players," said the Reds boss, who accepts his view may have been tainted by poor results.

"I could have a best team and say one week it is with X and another week it is Y but it still would be my best team because the players are interchangeable.

"I have a very clear picture now of what we should and need to be doing and the squad is stronger and getting stronger.

"It was probably stronger than I realised at certain stages in the early part of the season when we were losing games.

"Hopefully that will mean we won't need to do too much in the January transfer window because it might be nice if we can keep all of these players fit and well and add the odd player or two who can help us.

"I have a lot of faith in the players who are playing at the moment because in the last two or three weeks we have put in some good performances."

Hodgson and his scouting team have been spotted at various matches on the continent in the last few weeks.

But his belief that things are improving, allied to an uncertainty of what transfer funds will be available, is likely to mean a limited amount of activity in January.

"I don't know what is going to happen in the transfer window," said Hodgson.

"We are doing a lot of work, covering a lot of matches and looking at a lot of players.

"We are trying to arm ourselves as much as possible with information.

"It is the work in progress which every club has to do - constantly monitoring players and what is out there, what might be useful for you because you never know what is around the corner.

"When push comes to shove in January none of us know as yet what transfer funds can be made available and we have no idea if there will be any guarantee the people we are watching will be available.

"I would like to continue with this squad of players until the end of the season because I have no ambitions or desires to move anyone.

"But on the other hand I can't give a stone certain guarantee that there won't be players moving in January, and if so we would need to know where to go for their replacements."


http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_6528835,00.html

I guess as the weather's changed again, so has his mind. It seems like he made his mind up in haste about too many players, Dalla Valle probably falls into that catagory too.

[Clem]

So...the Yanks aren't investing then? Suddenly the squad is stronger? It is a right dog's dinner of a statement.

[Tes]

So...the Yanks aren't investing then? Suddenly the squad is stronger? It is a right dog's dinner of a statement.

I guess as far as January goes it will be a case of 'if the right player, at the right price' putting everything Henry, Comolli and now Roy have said. It's always harder to get a good deal anyway in January, and you'd hope that the sort of player we'd be looking at would be hard to get a club to release, either as they're important to the club or they're cup tied for European competition.

It doesn't show him up as much of a judge of a player if he's been so surprised, by so many players, as there has hardly been many setting the Premier League alight. Smacks more or bottom covering and talking up the results and performances again.

We've been 'overmanned', 'short of quality', 'short of squad depth' and now 'stronger'.

'Unbelieveable!'.

[the dude abides]

We've been 'overmanned', 'short of quality', 'short of squad depth' and now 'stronger'.

Roy talks too much.

And each new day, brings some new attack. 

I imagine, in these first few months at anfield, he has alienated himself from many at the club.

My worry is that the longer Roy is at anfield, the more damage he will do, to our team/squad.

Roy seemingly does not know what Liverpool FC are about, nor does he know the type of player quality we need.  He seems hot on several Lille players.  I have doubts about such lads.

[Tes]

My worry is that the longer Roy is at anfield, the more damage he will do, to our team/squad.

Exactly. He'll end up finishing Hicks' and Gillett's job for them.

[Tes]

The Hodgson journalistic fan club is out in force this morning:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/28/roy-hodgson-liverpool - borders on being sycophantic with some unbelievable quotes about the manager's ability.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8164992/Tottenham-Hotspur-v-Liverpool-no-old-pals-act-as-Harry-Redknapp-and-Roy-Hodgson-become-foes-for-a-day.html - again very pro Hodgson and some of the points used in his support are dubiously based in reality at best.

Shame that foreign bloke who was here before didn't receive the same sort of 'understanding'.

[Clem]

Great post TES. I stopped reading the Guardian because its anti-Liverpool bias was turning my stomach on too regular a basis.  This article is a scandalous indictment of the paper's attitude as a whole. As soon as I saw the baiting 'calm down' I knew what was coming. This kind of bias shed should make us all more determined to get rid of Roy.  The club would have to bow to customer pressure in the end.  The man is H&G's last gasp. He needs to go. And when he does, don't expect compliments from this rag.

[Tes]

Great post TES. I stopped reading the Guardian because its anti-Liverpool bias was turning my stomach on too regular a basis.  This article is a scandalous indictment of the paper's attitude as a whole. As soon as I saw the baiting 'calm down' I knew what was coming. This kind of bias s*** should make us all more determined to get rid of Roy.  The club would have to bow to customer pressure in the end.  The man is H&G's last gasp. He needs to go. And when he does, don't expect compliments from this rag.

It's the differing standards by which Hodgson and Benitez are measured. The only 3 transfers that can truly be credited to Hodgson are Konchesky, Paulsen and Brad Jones. Yet not a word is said about the appalling standard of players he brought in. Yes, Benitez's last two Summer windows were also shocking and many of us on here stated we no longer trusted him in the transfer market.
Whilst Rafa was flamed for rotation (he's not unique amongst top managers with teams challenging on several fronts) and zonal marking, Hodgson's negative small team tactics pass without a comment being made. Then again, how many journos really understand what they are seeing when watching a football match unfold?

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Three points from Henry Winter's article jumped out at me...

• Liverpool’s new board convenes on Wednesday and transfer targets are sure to be discussed.
• He must, though, buy players good enough for Liverpool, not good enough for Fulham.
• A good manager, Hodgson just needs to be more positive in word and strategy. Certain results, like the defeat of Chelsea, show his ability.

So he's seeing what we're seeing. Too cautious away from home and still thinking like the manager of a small club. How soon his atitude changes to a manager of a big club is crucial to our wellbeing. I just hope that if we do win the baord won't take the attitude that we're okay until the summer. Injuries, or the lack of them, make all the difference when you have a big squad like Spurs.

How timely is that board meeting. If we lose today it will be painfully obvious the team needs strengthening in January. Hopefully the list of targets will contain some high-quality strikers as Torres needs a partner quickly.

[the dude abides]

It's the differing standards by which Hodgson and Benitez are measured. The only 3 transfers that can truly be credited to Hodgson are Konchesky, Paulsen and Brad Jones. Yet not a word is said about the appalling standard of players he brought in.

exactly Tes.  I have been meaning to post about this issue these past few weeks.  These new players we brought in this past summer are average at best, and in some cases pretty dire.  They are not Liverpool class by any stretch.  If Rafa had done this, (or Houllier), he'd be roasted by the usual hacks in the media.   I wish someone would have the guts to raise this with them, in interviews or chat shows (that analysis show on Sky on a Sunday morning).

The little englanders/racists need to be challenged. 

• He must, though, buy players good enough for Liverpool, not good enough for Fulham.
• A good manager, Hodgson just needs to be more positive in word and strategy. Certain results, like the defeat of Chelsea, show his ability.

henry winter is spot on ASI, re the need to bring in Liverpool-class players.........but I don't agree with him when he says that Roy just needs to be more positive.  I don't think a snake can change it's stripes.....and it isn't fair to ask.   Roy has got to where he is (in his career), playing a certain type of football.  He cannot be expected to radically chnage hos outlooks.beliefs now....certainly not at his age.

We need a new man.

[Tes]

We need a new man.

Over to you, Mr Henry. [/list]

[Tes]

Excellent piece on Hodgson here:

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2010/11/mid-table-mindset-mid-table-position/

[the dude abides]

good article.

[Ageing Stick Insect]

Good article and he picked up on the same thing as me. Why when Ngog came off did Babel not get used? Roy promised to give him a chance and has failed to do so. Against tiring legs Babel would have made a real nuisance of himself.

If I was the owner I would get Roy out this week and offer Anchilotti a deal. Then give him £30M to spend in January.

Gerard Houllier was sacked despite getting Liverpool to 4th in 2004 because the club felt he was not improving the team quick enough. Different reasons why Roy should go - inability to have a superiority complex. A certain level of arrogance is required and I'm afraid he has none.