Appointing Roy - A huge mistake

[Neil Young]

Personally I was bored to the back teeth of Rafa. So much so that had he still been here I would have struggled to tune into the games this season. It felt like he'd worn me down. But as I'd mentioned before I don't know how much was Rafa or football in general. A bit of both in all reality.

So any new manager would have filled me with optimism. Short term at least. But Hodgson is actually a manager I really respect. In two and a half seasons he did a fantastic job at a club with a small squad and small budget. He got the best out of some seasoned pro's, ones that had been disguarded by others. So given better resources what can he achieve?

Already he represents a lot of Liverpool past, good basic values, be polite, keep matters in house and try to reassure the fans wherever possible. I prefer this style to previous ones. All I want to see now is the players playing with a smile.

Maybe he'll fail and I'll hold my hands up. But then again the odds are stacked against any manager being a success here right now. All I know is I haven't missed a minute of any of our games so far and I am looking forward to seeing the new players settle in. That'll do for me right now.

I can see that but, perhaps to no surprise, I come from completely the opposite point of view.

I have little interest in seeing this mid-table team fail to string two passes together. It's really ****e.

That's far from all Hodgson's fault of course and we all know the reason for the low expectations we all have (no-one thinks we're going to challenge for the league, do they?) is because we have two parasites sucking away the lifeblood of the club.

All the same, from what (admittedly little) I've read of Hodgson's comments about the owners, I don't think the "keeping things in house" claim is justified. How would you have felt if that had been Benitez?

And how would you have felt if Benitez had sought to damp our expectations in the way I've heard Hodgson has? I don't think Hodgson is wrong about it but I can't help feeling some people would be less accepting if Benitez had done the same.

Anyway, Hodgson versus Benitez doesn't get us anywhere. I think it's only fair though that the same standards are applied.

I hope Hodgson proves to be a massive success as Liverpool manager. I'm not optimistic though.

He'll probably be OK and, let's be honest, the straitened circumstances at the club give him a legitimate get-out. So far he's done some good things and some that seem less than inspiring.

I'll be interested to see if he can match Benitez's first season though.

[Chris]

Two goals in the league (Blackpool have 8, Chelsea 17, Arsenal 13, Mancs 12)....one win in four, utterly ****e, defensive, one-dimensional rudimentary football.....****ing grade A alright

Chelsea have probably scored more goals than we've had shots on target!

Theyve had piss easy fixtures, but still, us going to Birmingham for a 0-0 is just sickening. We're gonna get leathered on sunday, and they arent even very good themselves any more.

[Shaggy]

Rafa was in charge for more than one season. Why is last season the only one ever referenced by Roy fans?

[red g]

Those stats are depressing. I would cut the team more slack if they actually played soem decent football but it has been dross. As bad as the darkest days under Houllier. We need to turn a corner real soon or this season will turn out to be even worse than the last one.

as i have said previosuly, we have played without our 2 hopefully very creative players in Merieles and cole. let them come in and lets see ewhat hapens

[red g]

Rafa was in charge for more than one season. Why is last season the only one ever referenced by Roy fans?

becuase your only as good as your last

[Shaggy]

yep, nothing have seen has changed form last year, which you have described so well above....although not sure if we won as much as 1 in 4?

It's worse, so far, much worse. The football is worse, the style worse, the whole dropping off and letting the opposition have the ball is a massive retrograde step. Look at the trips to Brum - last season was bad but we still contrived to miss sitters (Ngog missed 3), Maxi hit the bar etc. Rafa got slaughtered over that game, yet we created some stuff and should've won.

Under Roy we went there looking for a 0-0, got battered and had Reina to thank for the 0-0 Roy wanted.

Great.

[Exiled_red]

last english manager to be given a chance with a top side? Roy Evans......
and how many since 91'? Hoddle, Evans and now redknapp..... is that it?

But it's not just about the top clubs, obviously that will effect the league and Europe, but the cups should provide a decent opportunity for clubs, in the 90's (more so than now) there was a good opportunity for the cups to be won by different sides and there were plenty English managers around at the time.

Yes the current top clubs have provided limited opportunities, but the second tier of clubs has always had a decent number of English managers who have never really proved themselves worthy of stepping up IMO

[danperkins]

hmmm while i really want Roy to succeed the early signs are not good

a) dont like man marking
b) skrtel over Agger
c) Man City Line up
d) lucas/poulsen together.
e) Subs far to late.

Although i think c and d have been somewhat forced the others really worry me.

We seem to share very similiar opinions, i do like Roy and would love to see him succeed but yes he has made some errors, man marking i don't mind its just we have weak links in our defense like Johnson who is not a natural defender and Skrtel who is just a liability.

Skrtel over Agger was baffling, i'm not sure if Roy was trying to rest Agger but it didn't work out too well for us.

Man City line up i can excuse

Lucas & Poulsen together i hate but with Masch pulling out at last minute and Merieles only coming in before Brum game i can see why he did it, but he could have easily put Stevie in there and Babel upfront behind Torres, instead our midfield was stagnant,lacked movement and any sort of creativity. Lucas/Poulsen is a big no no as far as i'm concerned and i think, well i hope that Roy with more options now will see this.

As for the late subs, really ****ed me off, thought he showed a complete lack of any sort of urgency, i used to feel the same way when Rafa was in charge and Roy is literally doing the same thing, even later!

Anyways i will not judge the man until he has the personnel at his disposal and they are fully fit and bedded in, i think its ludicrous for anyone to do write him off (mostly Rafa followers) with the **** that Rafa left him, zero funds, Masch leaving, late signings and a poxy fixture list, i think the man does deserves some slack and some time to make the team his own, which he has to do! If in 2 months time we're still playing this way well then he's in serious trouble but i highly doubt we will be.

[Chris]

It's worse, so far, much worse. The football is worse, the style worse, the whole dropping off and letting the opposition have the ball is a massive retrograde step. Look at the trips to Brum - last season was bad but we still contrived to miss sitters (Ngog missed 3), Maxi hit the bar etc. Rafa got slaughtered over that game, yet we created some stuff and should've won.

Under Roy we went there looking for a 0-0, got battered and had Reina to thank for the 0-0 Roy wanted.

Great.

And we were doing it home to West Brom. Containing West Brom, at Anfield!!! Couldnt believe my eyes, it's what he does though, loads of Fulham players like Murphy and Etuhu have said already that Hughes has moved them higher up the pitch and has them pressing higher. While Stephen Kelly has already said the training has far more variety than just concentrating on defensive shape like Roy did.

I think he'll be gone before the end of the season, if Purslow can admit he was wrong that is.

[dom9]

There's a long list of fantastic English managers who haven't been given a chance and I'm sure would do a great job.

Phil Brown
Tony Pullis
Ian Holloway
Nigel Clough
Danny Wilson
Peter Taylor
.....

Fail.

[Shaggy]

Anyways i will not judge the man until he has the personnel at his disposal and they are fully fit and bedded in, with the **** that Rafa left him

People like you need to make your mind up.

You all wanted Rafa out because we were 'underachieving' and should've been doing much better with the players at our disposal. We should've made the top four, we didn't, etc.

Now he's gone and Roy has made a **** start, you apologists are making excuses for him by saying Rafa left him a load of **** and we can't expect to make the top 4 with the ****e left behind.

Which is it? Eh?

[Kenneth]

And vice versa, the people resolutely behind and championing Roy are those who vehemently wanted Rafa out. You've made your bed, now you're lying in it - however uncomfortable.

Well it's no more unfortable than the last bed. Anyway, it's not the bed that's the problem, it's the mattress. Which is some kind of analogy about players it something, possibly.

[BG1973]

FFS what is the matter with some of you miserable cunts. ****ing pisses me off some of the ****e people post on here getting sick of reading it.

Hodgson has had barely a few games in charge and as pointed out in the above post not everyone is fit and some are missing, vitally important players to the team and the teams' shape.

The team NEEDS time to gel and for all the players to get to know one another. The blame should be firmly pointed at the cunts who own this club, not Hodgson FFS. Yes the players can do more but it is new for them and it will take time, yes that's right....time and patience something we as fans should be giving them right now and something some of us are struggling to do.

Liverpool fans, some of you are a disgrace to this club and it's followers and you know who you are, the same miserable, negative ****s that post on here on a daily basis you should bow your head in shame.

No doubt the negative posters on here will always have something to whinge about you bunch of ****ing fart sacks.

did you want Rafa to go?

[Shaggy]

Well it's no more unfortable than the last bed. Anyway, it's not the bed that's the problem, it's the mattress. Which is some kind of analogy about players it something, possibly.

Well I think so far it feels a lot more uncomfortable.

....

And we were doing it home to West Brom. Containing West Brom, at Anfield!!! Couldnt believe my eyes, it's what he does though, loads of Fulham players like Murphy and Etuhu have said already that Hughes has moved them higher up the pitch and has them pressing higher. While Stephen Kelly has already said the training has far more variety than just concentrating on defensive shape like Roy did.

I think he'll be gone before the end of the season, if Purslow can admit he was wrong that is.

[Kenneth]

People like you need to make your mind up.

You all wanted Rafa out because we were 'underachieving' and should've been doing much better with the players at our disposal. We should've made the top four, we didn't, etc.

Now he's gone and Roy has made a **** start, you apologists are making excuses for him by saying Rafa left him a load of **** and we can't expect to make the top 4 with the ****e left behind.

Which is it? Eh?

ignoring the loss of Mascherano, which has weakened us, Rafa should had done better with the players after coaching them for 5 years. Roy has done no worse than last season after 5mins of coaching. With a suitable amount of time, I think he'll do ok. Comparing Rafa's team and tactics after 5 years and Roy's now is not like for like.