LIVERPOOL FC: Roy Hodgson out after six games?
When Roy Hodgson arrived at Anfield, it’s fair to say that many fans were unconvinced by the appointment. Others were on the fence while some thought that maybe he was indeed the man to "steady the ship".
Many felt that Rafa Benitez had been pushed out of the job despite bringing relative success during his tenure, while others felt it was a good decision to bring in the experienced manager and get rid of the Spaniard.
Either way, there’s no denying it - Hodgson was walking a tightrope from day one.
He came to Anfield knowing he didn’t have bucket loads of cash in his transfer budget. He knew there was unease among the board above him. He had to revitalise a squad that had been left disappointed following their previous campaign and he could have easily held his hands up and stayed at a club where he was being highly praised for his work (in fact, at first, that was exactly what he did do until he was persuaded to give it a shot at Liverpool).
The pressure on him to deliver results immediately at Liverpool was always going to be intense – he had some big footsteps to follow.
When Gerard Houllier took over Anfield he was held in high regard having worked with the French national side as technical director, manager and assistant manager during various stages.
His reputation was enhanced when the country won the World Cup in 1998, and he was also credited for helping to develop players including the Thierry Henry, William Gallas, Nicolas Anelka and David Trezeguet on their way to the 1996 Under-18 European Championship.
When he left Anfield, he had two League Cups, a UEFA Cup, an FA Cup, a Super Cup and a Community Shield in his back pocket. Six years, six trophies.
When he was replaced by Benitez, fans were excited. Having won La Liga twice and the UEFA Cup with Valencia, when he walked down Anfield Road to become the Reds' new manager supporters were convinced he had the right pedigree.
Six years down the line Benitez left with winners' medals from the European Cup, Super Cup, FA Cup and Community Shield stuffed into his jacket.
Of course, it’s impossible to judge Hodgson at Liverpool just yet. New signings need to gel, tactics need to be explored and training methods put into place.
However, facts are facts and Roy Hodgson walked into Liverpool having last won a trophy in 2001. Nine years ago, he lifted the Danish Super Cup and Danish Superliga with FC Copenhagen.
He’s had some near misses, too. He reached the UEFA Cup final with both Inter Milan and Fulham. But he’ll be remembered there for runners-up medals rather than lifting trophies.
Organised
His time as manager of Finland almost produced a bit of history when they narrowly missed out on Euro 2008 – what would have been their first-ever international tournament – by just three points. Their group included Serbia, Poland, Portugal and Belgium.
“Looking at it now, it was a success,†says Joonas Partanen, a sports journalist for Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.
“We have never been so close to qualifying for a major tournament. One goal in the last game against Portugal would have put us through.â€
A game in Portugal, a 0-0 draw, ended hopes for Finland who finished fourth in their group. The team won six out of 14 matches, losing just twice, with a defeat against Azerbaijan standing out as the only real bad result.
In fact, if you analyse the results from that qualification campaign across the whole of Europe, only France, Holland and the Czech Republic conceded less goals than Hodgson’s side – an average of a goal every two games. Finland did, however, chalk up five scoreless draws.
“He wanted us to be very organised and focus on defence," Partanen added.
"We usually defended with eight men. The first thing was always to have a clean sheet and after that we hoped we would snatch a goal from somewhere - set-piece or a counter-attack. Hodgson's philosophy was that as individuals we can't beat the big countries but that we can beat them as a team, as a solid defensive unit."
It’s still to be seen how Hodgson will mould this Liverpool team into his way of thinking. Against Arsenal, Gerrard was allowed to bomb on and join the likes of Cole and Torres, despite starting alongside Mascherano, while more recently, we’ve seen Lucas alongside Poulsen, and Meireles has also been used in the middle.
Injuries, and the suspension to Joe Cole, have possibly hampered Hodgson’s preparation in setting up his team, but we’ll learn more in the coming months as the season develops.
Already this season, the performances of the team have been slated by fans and critics.
Against Arsenal it was a poor first half, the same at Old Trafford, while the result against Northampton Town last Wednesday is one of the most shambolic in Liverpool's history.
It was labelled a catastrophe and fans were quick to point the finger at the manager and question his tactics. The team had just four shots on target in 120 minutes.
A draw against Sunderland did nothing to ease the unrest amongst supporters, and remarkably, some fans are already calling for Hodgson’s dismissal.
With another two points dropped at home, the tension inside the ground was red-hot at times and it’s clear that many fans are already worried by the team’s poor start. I’m one of them.
However, a win on Thursday in Utrecht, three points against Blackpool next Sunday and then a win in the Merseyside derby a week later at Goodison Park, and that rainy night against Northampton Town will be a distant memory.
This season might have been written off already by some fans, but with 96 points left to play for, you can bet that there’s going to be more twists and turns in the coming months.
It’s hard times already – but keep the faith. Benitez lost five of his first 11 games in charge, and Houllier lost five of his first seven games.
They went on to achieve great success – and Hodgson deserves at least some time and patience to "steady the ship".
As the cliche goes, it’s a marathon - not a sprint. Let’s judge the man when he’s finished the race, not trip him up while he’s still competing.
