why cant he stand in the way of traffic on the M62 instead?
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Why Hodgson Should Quit Rafa-Bashing Now...
Posted 02/11/10 17:58
Although there is an obvious logic in under-pressure Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson drawing attention to the deficiencies of the previous Anfield incumbent, prolonging the recent war of words with Rafael Benitez will only serve to undermine his own position.
Judge me after ten league games, said Hodgson after Liverpool's disappointing start to the season. Ten games in and Liverpool are 13th, 13 points off top spot and considerably closer to the drop zone. No wonder Hodgson has seen fit to place the blame for Liverpool's ultimately depressing season squarely on his predecessor's shoulders - particularly in a week when he will meet the club's new owners for talks on the future.
Hodgson's reaction is a natural one - but he is treading a fine line. Although he may well have some pertinent points to make about the previous managerial regime, complaining about them ad nauseum can only carry you so far. Hodgson has to be careful about the message he is trying to peddle - as he is in danger at times of sounding defeatist. He may have inherited a difficult position at a club in crisis, but he got the position on the basis that he would be able to make a change. With new owners watching very closely, Hodgson cannot afford to give the impression that he cannot cope.
Hodgson also has to be mindful that many Liverpool fans still revere Rafael Benitez and have been underwhelmed by the club's choice of successor. Hodgson's carping about Benitez always runs the risk of raising their heckles at a delicate time. He must also be mindful that his criticism will only draw a scathing and potentially damaging reaction from Benitez. Many will argue that the Spaniard should be focusing on Inter Milan, but he nevertheless has the right to respond to Hodgson's barbs. Benitez, despite his exit, enjoyed some notable successes at Anfield and in his overall career to date, so Hodgson would do well to avoid any slanging match that ends with fans and media focusing on a comparison of managerial records.
In a related point, Hodgson should also be aware that drawing attention to the contentious issue of Benitez's record in the transfer market is a dangerous game for a manager who has spent the guts of £10million on Paul Konchesky and Christian Poulsen.
So, having instigated the spat for his own ends, Hodgson would do well to see that it ends here. Benitez may well be casting a shadow over Hodgson's position at Anfield, but in the end, NESV and John Henry are not in a position to sack the Spaniard.
Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’
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Oh sweet mother of mercy....
The result this evening only goes to highlight how far we have got to go and how much work will need to be done, to overcome the weaker situation left for us here. I am sure the fans understand what a hard job it is, particularly if we are to entertain thoughts of competing with big clubs like Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United.
We had a very positive meeting with [the owners] and they can see how big a task it is to repair the damage. I wouldn't like to go into too much detail, but the expectations are ambitious and also realistic. It is envisaged and hoped that with perhaps some investment in the squad during the transfer window, we will soon be back where we believe we should be, and that is in the top eight or ten places in what is a very difficult league. Certainly that has to be the aim. Whether we can achieve this or not remains to be seen, but you have to set yourself high targets in order to progress and improve.
He [Henry] also talked about the importance of managing levels of expectation, especially in the circumstance such as that which we find ourselves in, where perhaps the level of the personnel isn't yet what we want it to be. But they are firm believers in the long term and I share this outlook, so we will continue to do everything we can to achieve our primary and ultimate objective, which clearly, is to keep ourselves in and around the top half of the division.
How much is a ****ing hitman?
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