Pack your bags Roy

[Lee]

Surely NESV must realise he's not the right man, not their man. I'll be surprised if he's still here by the Chelsea game.

Exactly that pal. Exactly that.

Regardless of results, new owners will want their own men.

NESV are also apparently stats people - surely a quick glance at Roy's LFC record shows that he's completely out of his depth.

I can't get my hopes up though... I won't get my hopes up...

[djphal]

didnt NESV sack the Red Sox manager in the first month?

[Craig_H]

didnt NESV sack the Red Sox manager in the first month?

Within 8 days.

[djphal]

Within 8 days.

Wish they would hurry the **** up

Roy has no intention of leaving so its down to them

[Ben_Itez]

http://www.liverpoolbanter.co.uk/201...pool+Banter%29



Another article you cant argue with.

Giving Roy time is a luxury we cannot afford

Crunch month for Hodgson

By Chris Bascombe
Follow me on Twitter

October 23, 2010

ROY HODGSON has a month to stop the Anfield rot and retain the backing of Liverpool's new owners.

The club's American board want to stand by the Kop boss despite mounting criticism of his reign.

But if Liverpool remain in the relegation zone over the next few weeks, NESV know they'll be forced into a decision.

That makes the next two fixtures against Blackburn today and away at Bolton next weekend critical for Hodgson's future.

Liverpool then welcome Chelsea on November 7. If the Merseysiders are still languishing in the bottom three after that, the writing will be on the wall for the under-siege boss.

Co-owner Tom Werner will be at Anfield for today's clash with Rovers where another poor display and dissent in the stands would leave Hodgson increasingly isolated.

The results and the standard of performance will go some way to determining whether Hodgson can withstand many fans' calls for him to be replaced.

Werner and John W. Henry, who misses today's game due to illness, met numerous supporters groups during the week and heard their views on the manager.

Coming on the back of the Merseyside derby, the timing couldn't have been worse for the boss.

Many supporters told the owners face-to-face they didn't believe Hodgson was the man to inspire a revival.

But while frustration inevitably grows on the Kop, the Americans also know the Liverpool squad is behind Hodgson.

They have sympathy for the situation he inherited and realise only time and resources will enable any manager to lead a revival. Behind the scenes, the owners were staggered during the course of their due diligence process to find how serious some long-standing problems at the club were.

Many fringe squad players, some of whom have barely played a league game this season or last, are the club's highest earners. That's one of the reasons Hodgson lacked significant funds when he took over and was unable to move top earning players out.

This explains why there is no appetite to take what could be seen as a knee-jerk decision, but the longer Liverpool remain in the relegation zone the closer Hodgson's position comes to being reassessed.

Victory over Sam Allardyce's men today would go some way to relieving the pressure and buying Hodgson extra-time to win over the critics.

He'll recall star men Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres for today's clash, but Glen Johnson is still unavailable so Jamie Carragher must continue at right-back.

Who are theses high earning players that havent played for a season or two?? ermm El Zhar? Aquilani? Who?

Exactly that pal. Exactly that.

Regardless of results, new owners will want their own men.

NESV are also apparently stats people - surely a quick glance at Roy's LFC record shows that he's completely out of his depth.

I can't get my hopes up though... I won't get my hopes up...

i've just done the predictor on the beeb website and being positive i had us beating Blackburn, drawing with Bolton away and losing to Chelsea at home. Even with these results, the best we can hope for IMO, we were still in the bottom three

[marcus50bucks]

Forget about the title

We're in a dogfight for our Premier League lives

Exclusive by Chris Bascombe
Follow me on Twitter

October 23, 2010

JAMIE Carragher had lofty ambitions when he last signed a Liverpool contract.

Title bids and new stadiums were the talk of Anfield in the midst of new American ownership.

That was the summer of 2007. Reality hasn't just bitten on Merseyside since then, it's gnawed at every sinew of the club.

As the ink was drying on his two year extension a week ago, Carragher couldn't look beyond the next few hours, let alone years.

NESV's lawyers were trying to win control of Liverpool and the grimmest league table of Carragher's career was about to get worse following derby day defeat.

No matter how prosperous the future under a new regime, Carragher's reassessment of what he may achieve in his final years at Anfield is sobering.

"We're realistic enough to know where we are as a club now," he said.

"I've got to believe the new owners will turn it around in the two and a half years I've
got left to the extent that Liverpool can win the title, but I'm realistic enough to see how difficult that will be.

"People have been talking about the league with me and Stevie (Gerrard) for years, but the first ambition now is to just get us up the table competing again.

"And hopefully winning some more trophies.

"At least now the ownership is sorted out it promises stability in the long-term.

"If the success is not going to return during my time as a player, I will be happy if the new owners rebuild the club to a position where it might happen not long after.

"I may not be out there playing, but no-one will be happier for the supporters than me when Liverpool win the league again."

Mercifully, the end to the debilitating takeover saga offers hope.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett have been forcibly evicted, switching the focus towards woes on the pitch.

Manager Roy Hodgson needs the respite of immediate results.

Carragher has experienced teething troubles under new managers before, but he knows sympathy is in short supply when you're at the bottom.

"You have to look at the bigger picture as to where we are and how we've got here and there's no point just blaming one person," said Carragher.

"This hasn't just happened over eight games but has been developing for a while.

"There must be collective responsibility. If you look over the last 18 months we've lost too many top class players and not replaced them with the same calibre.

"The hope is the new owners will be able to reverse this and improve the squad to where it needs to be again.

"Whoever got the job here in the summer was going to realise quickly it was not a normal situation.

"Top players were thinking about their futures and the last owners had not put any money into the squad other than what was brought in for 18 months.

"Some players came back late from the World Cup and haven't been fully fit, and then you had the Mascherano situation which didn't help.

"The squad which finished seventh got weaker because another top player left.

"It became clear quickly it was going to be tough for us to get straight back into the top four.

"I'm not listing these as excuses for what's happened so far, but they are reasons.

"That doesn't make it acceptable that we're in the relegation zone, but we have to believe we'll get away from the bottom soon.

"Tough starts can happen.

"We've had three managerial changes since I broke into the side and the starts were always difficult.

"Whenever a manager leaves any club it's because something isn't right so every new manager has their own ideas and wants to move players out and in. I saw a stat which said I've played with over 135 different Liverpool players since I made my debut.

"It shows the amount of players we've had here in a relatively short period.

"I remember when Gerard Houllier started it wasn't easy and he seemed to have very vocal critics early on.

"It was the same for Rafa Benitez.

"We lost one game at Southampton in his first season and Alan Hansen said the club was in danger of becoming a 'relic' on Match of the Day.

"Maybe the levels of impatience have grown even more in the six years since then.

"The manager always carries the can.

"That's why Rafa left and it's why people are pointing the finger at the manager this year.

"Considering Roy has only been here a few months and not had the time and money to fully assess the squad and make changes, a lot of the criticism has been over the top.

"What has always separated Liverpool from other clubs has been the supporters here tend be more patient and understanding.

"We've always been seen as different to the rest because of that.

"It has earned the club even more respect around the world.

"But we know we need to get our heads down and give them something to cheer about.

"They need to see proof things are going to get better.

"Hopefully the change of ownership and a big improvement in results and performances will do that."

Blackburn and their boss Sam Allardyce would love to pile on the Anfield agony today. So Carragher and his team-mates know the revival must start now.

He said: "As a group of players we can't feel sorry for ourselves and must get out of it quickly, starting today against Blackburn.

"It's no time to hide.

"Of all the defeats, losing the derby always hurts most.

"Over the last decade we've a tremendous record against Everton and not lost many, so it was hard to take.

"Today has to be the start of a better run and then maybe we'll get into a position where the owners can strengthen us in January.

"I hope they're here for the long haul, for the next twenty years."

There is certainly a new air of optimism and the arrival of Boston Red Sox owner John W Henry and his NESV team have lifted spirits on the red half of Merseyside.

Carragher added: "I thought the time they spent with the supporters, listening to their concerns, was fantastic.

"If they took everything on board and are able to invest in the club it can only lead to the kind of stability we haven't had for a while.

"This may be a low point, but in two years I have to believe it will be much better at Liverpool."

[Lee]

i've just done the predictor on the beeb website and being positive i had us beating Blackburn, drawing with Bolton away and losing to Chelsea at home. Even with these results, the best we can hope for IMO, we were still in the bottom three

Grim

We'll be lucky to hit 45 points this season if Roy stays. That's a massive worry, and your results are being optimistic at best too

[Buzzo]

Grim

We'll be lucky to hit 45 points this season if Roy stays. That's a massive worry, and your results are being optimistic at best too

The way we turn this round is by going on a run and winning at least 3 games in a row. It is just not going to happen with Roy, his tactics and style of play are just wrong.

[Neil Young]

That Bascombe article is the usual ****e. He overplays the problems that existed when Hodger arrived and underplays the problems he's caused.

[chadrtc]

I have a horrible feeling we're going to be stuck with Roy for a long time, I'm getting pretty close to not watching us play anymore until he's gone. He's bad for my mental health.

[anfieldanfield]

I have a horrible feeling we're going to be stuck with Roy for a long time, I'm getting pretty close to not watching us play anymore until he's gone. He's bad for my mental health.

Got a feeling he might just about do enough to stay in a job until the summer.

[marcus50bucks]

We're off! Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina and Glen Johnson seek Anfield exit

By Alex Montgomery Last updated at 10:53 PM on 23rd October 2010

Liverpool stars including Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson want to quit the club in January as morale hits an all-time low.

Manager Roy Hodgson's job is on the line as Liverpool meet Blackburn at Anfield today looking to escape the Premier League's bottom three.

The malaise is so great behind the scenes that even victory is unlikely to persuade the big names to stay under the current regime and new owner John W Henry, who cannot be present due to illness, will watch the game at home.

Players are aghast that Hodgson has put a 68-yearold, Mike Kelly, in charge of first-team coaching. Kelly, a former keeper with Wimbledon, Birmingham and QPR from 1958 and 1976, even takes Reina through his routines, to the Spaniard's disquiet.

Johnson, who could miss the game against Blackburn with a hamstring injury, has performed poorly under Hodgson and is aware Bayern Munich and Juventus are interested.

Most worryingly for Liverpool fans, they were stunned to hear Hodgson link Torres with a move to Manchester United before Wayne Rooney signed his new contract. Torres has failed to score in the last six games - equalling his worst run for the club - and has an awkward relationship with the manager.

There is a feeling the Spaniard is not trying hard enough. Torres decided to stay in the summer after having discussions with Hodgson but he is understood to regret the decision.

Even Steven Gerrard has not been won over yet by Hodgson. The captain has mainly been deployed in a deep role but is likely to get his chance behind Torres today. Liverpool have failed to win any of their last seven games and Hodgson admits that after resting players in the 0-0 draw against Napoli in midweek, there can be no excuses against Blackburn.

Torres, Gerrard, Raul Meireles and Lucas did not travel to Italy while Jamie Carragher and Paul Konchesky were taken off early. Joe Cole, who has struggled to live up to his billing after signing from Chelsea, has admitted morale is so low at the club that any kind of victory would be welcome.

Henry planned to give Hodgson a trial until Christmas before making a decision on his future.

But things are unravelling so fast that defeat today could see them take immediate action.

Mail

[wiw]

I think it's gonna be pretty fascinating to see what the crowd reaction/atmosphere will be like tomorrow especially with NESV being there. I mean we've already had boos against Northampton (and Blackpool?), which I can't remember ever happening under Rafa. God help Roy if we concede first, which is pretty likely

Anything but a win is unthinkable. I hope the owners are in town to **** Roy off either way

[marcus50bucks]

My free two week trial with notw subscription is over now so no-more updates. You have to pay now.

[djphal]

daily fail