I have during the last couple of days read a lot about the opinion on whether Rafa should have been sacked or allowed one more season, if Roy was the right appointment or someone who is just out of the league of LFC.
The current run of results in the league, the poor performances in EL (although better results) and not least the abysmal result against Northampton has sparked the above mentioned debate in several threads.
Basically we are currently in a situation where our former boss had a very poor season last year leaving us in the worst league position since the early years of the premier league. He got sacked due to the result and on the expectations of a title challenge or at least CL placement considering the second place just one season earlier. This was coupled with some very poor displays on the pitch and early exits from cup competitions.
Now Hodgson has taken over as manager for us with a lot of different opinions on him getting a chance at a tenure with us. The opinions ranging from the optimistic getting us back on track to the far from a step forward. So far he has managed to get us anything but a convincing performance, perhaps with the exception of the Arsenal game. Despite Hodgsons reputation for being a stable manager that gets teams organized and hard working, he has not managed to get this shown on the pitch.
The debate rumbles on with a Rafa vs. Roy focus, if Rafa would have done better if still here? If Roy was the right appointment? or even if Mourinho, Hiddink or another manager would have done better?
The question to me however is if we have to look better at the squad as a whole instead of blaming the manager, whom of course is always the one that gets the blame - fairly or not.
In the wake of the result against Northampton where we had a good mix of squad players and youngsters playing, the question to me is not if Roy is the right manager for us, or if Rafa would have done any better - but rather: Is the current list of Liverpool players really any better than this?
They have now underperformed for more than a year compared to expectations under two different mangers that both have their merits in the game of football. Perhaps our players are just not better than this, although it pains us to say?
Reina is the only person that have performed throughout and Torres did well last season, but we have still a lot to see this season. Gerrard, our captain and third flagship, have not perfomed for a long time although trying a bit more this season.
Just below them we have Agger, Carra, Johnson that are throwing in mixed performances during the time (perhaps N'gog as well this season). Capable players that in a good team would perform well.
Then is the big mass of squad players that seems far from the standard needed to live up to the expectations we have for our beloved club: Lucas, Maxi, Babel, Skrtel, Kyriagos, Aurelio, Kuyt (dare I say it), all players that to me seems far from what we want and need.
We have a few new players that I wont include in this, as they should still get time to adjust and find their way.
I am really starting to think that this has very little to do with our managers but to do with our overall squad. We have 3 world class players, 3-4 good squad players and to me a lot of players that slows our play, that are not up to the standard and making it hard for the good players to produce. Perhaps it's a question of poor squad harmony and not enough players willing to fight for the team.
In the current situation I am really starting to think that we need a bit overhaul of our squad rather than considering which manager we should have. The problem of this of course being the fact that we have no money to do a overhaul with and judging by the northampton game not enough youngsters that could take over. But right now with the current bunch of squad players I am starting to think that it couldn't hurt because the current bunch are showing nowhere near the ability needed to be around the top of the table.
I hope I am mistaken and they start redeming themselves - but for now I honestly think we should look less at who our manager is and far more in the direction of a group of players that seem to neither have the will nor have the ability to play where LFC belongs in football - challenging for titles on a regular basis.
The current run of results in the league, the poor performances in EL (although better results) and not least the abysmal result against Northampton has sparked the above mentioned debate in several threads.
Basically we are currently in a situation where our former boss had a very poor season last year leaving us in the worst league position since the early years of the premier league. He got sacked due to the result and on the expectations of a title challenge or at least CL placement considering the second place just one season earlier. This was coupled with some very poor displays on the pitch and early exits from cup competitions.
Now Hodgson has taken over as manager for us with a lot of different opinions on him getting a chance at a tenure with us. The opinions ranging from the optimistic getting us back on track to the far from a step forward. So far he has managed to get us anything but a convincing performance, perhaps with the exception of the Arsenal game. Despite Hodgsons reputation for being a stable manager that gets teams organized and hard working, he has not managed to get this shown on the pitch.
The debate rumbles on with a Rafa vs. Roy focus, if Rafa would have done better if still here? If Roy was the right appointment? or even if Mourinho, Hiddink or another manager would have done better?
The question to me however is if we have to look better at the squad as a whole instead of blaming the manager, whom of course is always the one that gets the blame - fairly or not.
In the wake of the result against Northampton where we had a good mix of squad players and youngsters playing, the question to me is not if Roy is the right manager for us, or if Rafa would have done any better - but rather: Is the current list of Liverpool players really any better than this?
They have now underperformed for more than a year compared to expectations under two different mangers that both have their merits in the game of football. Perhaps our players are just not better than this, although it pains us to say?
Reina is the only person that have performed throughout and Torres did well last season, but we have still a lot to see this season. Gerrard, our captain and third flagship, have not perfomed for a long time although trying a bit more this season.
Just below them we have Agger, Carra, Johnson that are throwing in mixed performances during the time (perhaps N'gog as well this season). Capable players that in a good team would perform well.
Then is the big mass of squad players that seems far from the standard needed to live up to the expectations we have for our beloved club: Lucas, Maxi, Babel, Skrtel, Kyriagos, Aurelio, Kuyt (dare I say it), all players that to me seems far from what we want and need.
We have a few new players that I wont include in this, as they should still get time to adjust and find their way.
I am really starting to think that this has very little to do with our managers but to do with our overall squad. We have 3 world class players, 3-4 good squad players and to me a lot of players that slows our play, that are not up to the standard and making it hard for the good players to produce. Perhaps it's a question of poor squad harmony and not enough players willing to fight for the team.
In the current situation I am really starting to think that we need a bit overhaul of our squad rather than considering which manager we should have. The problem of this of course being the fact that we have no money to do a overhaul with and judging by the northampton game not enough youngsters that could take over. But right now with the current bunch of squad players I am starting to think that it couldn't hurt because the current bunch are showing nowhere near the ability needed to be around the top of the table.
I hope I am mistaken and they start redeming themselves - but for now I honestly think we should look less at who our manager is and far more in the direction of a group of players that seem to neither have the will nor have the ability to play where LFC belongs in football - challenging for titles on a regular basis.
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