Pack your bags Roy

[johnly]

One of the biggies? Radio Billinge?

haha they're the best ever! Nah I'm at 2BR in East Lancs. It's in the same building as The Bee which serves Blackburn so yeah I got it in the neck big time today as there's lots of Blackburn fans who work in the building. Our news team cover both stations, so recently we got loads of exclusives with Venky's. One of our presenters knows the Roa family personally. They phoned her and told her that they'd made the Ronaldinho bid. Crazy

[Cormack74]

Nicked off RAWK
KD only wanted the job when he saw the quality of the other applicants.

I was away on hols when The Bodge got the nod.

Out of interest who else was rumoured to be interested / interviewed at the time?

[wavydavy]

haha they're the best ever! Nah I'm at 2BR in East Lancs. It's in the same building as The Bee which serves Blackburn so yeah I got it in the neck big time today as there's lots of Blackburn fans who work in the building. Our news team cover both stations, so recently we got loads of exclusives with Venky's. One of our presenters knows the Roa family personally. They phoned her and told her that they'd made the Ronaldinho bid. Crazy

Sounds like a lot of fun mate. Dead envious. I would have loved a job like yours

[Tatterdemalion]

YouTube - Hodgson won't discuss his or Agger's Liverpool futures

**** off Roy you've got no real mates

That's a seriously odd press conference. I've never seen a manager torn from one whilst being asked about his future before. More to the point, he was quite grateful for it. Definitely something odd going on..

[johnly]

Sounds like a lot of fun mate. Dead envious. I would have loved a job like yours

Love it mate, get to talk bobbins for a living. Today has been spent with a constant refreshing of twitter and Est throughout the show though. I was hoping and praying that Bodgson would be gone. Practically everyone has been winding me up about it today

[Lecter]

danroan Dan Roan
Lpool latest: Hodgson to hold press conference as planned tomorrow at 1.30

[Lecter]

I was away on hols when The Bodge got the nod.

Out of interest who else was rumoured to be interested / interviewed at the time?

Pellegrini supposedly interviewed

Deschamps was approached but turned us down

[Reece]

Pellegrini supposedly interviewed

Deschamps was approached but turned us down

Allardyce as well, but he said he'd only leave Blackburn for the Real Madrid job.

[red g]

Allardyce as well, but he said he'd only get sacked at Blackburn for the Real Madrid job.

[Cormack74]

Pellegrini supposedly interviewed

Deschamps was approached but turned us down

Not sure I'd have necessarily have wanted either of them but they're not quite bottom of the barrel.

Thought you were going to post something like Fat Sam and Avram Grant.

[red g]

I just hope after all this pissing about we get a manager we can get excited about and not a MON or similar

[Lecter]

From The Grauniad:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/06/sacking-roy-hodgson-spanish-liverpool

Sacking Roy Hodgson is not enough for Liverpool's Spanish stars

• Torres and Reina want high-profile manager
• Money must also be available for transfers

* Sid Lowe in Madrid and Andy Hunter
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 6 January 2011 21.28 GMT

Liverpool's new owners have been warned that even the sacking of Roy Hodgson might not be enough to stave off an exodus of their key players, including Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina. Although the manager's departure appears inevitable, sources close to the two Spanish players say that, although they would not leave during the winter transfer window, frustration at the club's inertia means they will go in the summer if they are not convinced by the new manager and handed reassurances of major investment.

The choice currently before Liverpool's owners, John W Henry and Tom Werner, is a huge one which will bring with it significant consequences. For some senior players sacking Hodgson is a step in the right direction. But while Hodgson continuing at the club would guarantee summer departures, his exit does not necessarily mean thatLiverpool will be able to keep hold of their most important assets. With Liverpool immersed in a sale process lLast summer moves were blocked for Steven Gerrard, Torres and Reina; this year, it will be harder to prevent their departure. Liverpool quoted prices so prohibitive as to be a "not for sale" sign. At the same time reassurances were made regarding ambitions. Hopes had been pinned on new ownership and massive investment. As yet only half of that proposition has come to pass.

The arrival of a recognised, high-achieving coach will be vital if they are not to push for a transfer. Didier Deschamps, who was interviewed for the job last summer and remains a favoured candidate, appeared to rule himself out yesterday. The Marseille coach said: "When I talk about being the coach of Marseille in the new stadium, I mean it. It is an idea that pleases me. Now, 2014 is a very long way away in my profession. But I have said people should understand I am not a tramp. I proved it last year. I could have left ."

Key Anfield squad members have been dismayed by the lack of activity from the new owners since they took over in mid‑October. The lack of activity in this transfer window only increases that impression, with the club currently considering an offer for the Tottenham defender Vedran Corluka. Players feel that promises have been broken before and will not endure another season of underachievement and uncertainty.

Possible destinations are already being studied in case they should be required, but no decisions have been taken. Those clubs that tabled bids for Gerrard, Torres, Reina and Dirk Kuyt last summer are not necessarily expected to return 12 months on. The players are not expected to consider a move to Manchester United.

Following Liverpool's 3-1 defeat against Blackburn Hodgson refused to discuss a possible sacking, saying: "I am not prepared to talk about my future. At this moment I am depressed enough with the performance and the result. I am not here to talk about that. I have no comments to make and I don't intend to answer any questions on the subject." The club's director of communications then brought the press conference to a close and there was no indication from the owners today that they intend to change manager before Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie at Manchester United.

But Hodgson's days at Anfield are numbered. Fans have railed against him – he was met with graffiti at the club's training ground yesterday – and pressure builds to replace him. Progress is stalled by the absence of a chief executive at Anfield and the fact that the New England Sports Ventures group that owns the club continues to be based in the United States.

There has also been little opportunity over the Christmas period properly to discuss the club's next move. Kenny Dalglish, who currently occupies an ambassadorial role, made it clear that he wanted the manager's job in the summer before the former regime employed Hodgson – and he is still keen to take charge. There is, however, a reluctance to make a definitive decision at this stage, which only increases the uncertainty. With the situation being monitored closely by key players, it is a decision that must be made carefully.

[G]

thats been the suggestion.

Deschamps hasnt managed in the EPL so how can it be him.He has EPL experience as a player alright but you said both EPL and CL management experience

Just wondering like,not having a pop

[Boogs]

Don't believe any of this. Teflon Roy will be around for the scum game.

[Lecter]

Roy Hodgson hanging on by fingertips after Didier Deschamps rules himself out

Tony Barrett
1 minute ago

Roy Hodgson remains in limbo, with Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the Liverpool owner, yet to follow up on its decision to replace him as manager with firm action.

A day of speculation and intrigue on Merseyside failed to bring any resolution to the saga surrounding Hodgson’s future, although it did become clear that Didier Deschamps, who had been tipped as a potential replacement for the 63-year-old, has no immediate plans to quit Marseilles.

By reiterating his desire to remain as coach of the French club, who are a close fifth in Le Championnat, until they move into their new stadium in three years’ time, at least Deschamps appeared to reduce the field of contenders to succeed Hodgson by one.

Deschamps had been approached by Liverpool officials last summer when a replacement for Rafael Benítez was being sought, but a combination of Hodgson’s status as first choice and the Marseilles coach’s reluctance to quit meant that the move was always destined to fail.

Now it seems that Liverpool would be wasting their time even in the event that they decided that the former France captain is the man they want to take the club forward.

“When I talk about being the coach of Marseilles in the new stadium, I mean it,” Deschamps said. “It is an idea that pleases me. Now, 2014 is a very long way away in my profession. But I have said people should understand I am not a tramp. I proved it last year. I could have left.”

The lack of an obvious long-term successor appears to be the only barrier preventing Hodgson’s removal, even though FSG’s concern over Liverpool’s plight increased after their 3-1 defeat away to Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday night.

In the immediate aftermath of their ninth league defeat of the season, “Hodgson Out” graffiti was daubed on the walls of Liverpool’s Melwood training ground, a message that the manager will have seen as he arrived for work shortly after 11am yesterday. He departed four hours later, safe in the knowledge that his job appeared to be secure for at least another day.

That Liverpool have scheduled a routine manager’s press conference for today suggests that Hodgson is likely to be in place for Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The possibility of a caretaker manager being installed is under consideration by New England Sports Ventures, the owner of FSG, and should it pursue that option, Kenny Dalglish and Phil Thompson would be in contention for the role.

Despite his close friendship with Sir Alex Ferguson, Hodgson will receive no favours from the United manager, who has used his programme notes for the tie to make clear that his desire to win the FA Cup will result in him picking his strongest available team.

United were knocked out of the competition at this stage last season by Leeds United, Ferguson paying a heavy price for resting several senior players, and he insists that he will be adopting a different approach this time around.

“I’m looking forward to the game,” Ferguson said. “It’s an important trophy and we haven’t won it since 2004 or been to Wembley in the final since we lost to Chelsea [in 2007]. So we definitely want to get back there and we want to win it.

“It was a bad result last season against Leeds, especially considering the rivalry between the two clubs. In hindsight I could have picked a stronger team and I won’t be making that mistake this time.”

• The League Managers Association released an open letter last night urging clubs to stop making managers “scapegoats” for disappointing results. Richard Bevan, the chief executive said: “It is the decision of club chairmen whom they hire and fire and when they do this, but statistics show that a club is likely to end up worse off when they sack their manager. They have less points and are often out of pocket due to compensation and paying up contracts. Short-termism does not work. There is an incomprehensible belief that the continued sacrificing of the manager, the ‘scapegoat’, and installing another will turn around a football club’s performance.”

http://www.thetimes....icle2865935.ece