Liverpool’s 3-0 capitulation against Manchester City at Eastlands on Monday brought into sharp focus the problems facing Hodgson on the pitch at a club whose off-field future remains paralysed by the increasingly fruitless search for new owners.
With co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett driving the club heavily into debt since their 2007 takeover, Mourinho insists that Hodgson is faced with the unenviable situation of working with a team who have been on a progressive decline.
“The Liverpool of 2004 was better than the Liverpool of 2005, 2005 was better than 2006 and 2006 better than 2007. And they arrive at a situation now where, but for Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres, if his head is there, it is very difficult for Roy to make Liverpool champions.
Monday’s defeat against City highlighted the challenge that Hodgson has taken on at Anfield, but with Roberto Mancini’s expensively-assembled team likely to be a direct rival in Liverpool’s attempt to secure Champions League football, former Chelsea manager Mourinho believes that the odds are stacked against Liverpool this season.
Having arrived at Real this summer after guiding Inter Milan to the treble last season, Mourinho could not resist another dig at his BenÃtez, his fierce rival from the pair’s time in England, by warning the former Liverpool manager that he will be unable to repeat his success at the San Siro.
Mourinho said: “Inter is a dream job because he has three trophies (to defend). I don’t have that at Madrid. He is lucky, but I wish him well.
“One thing is certain, BenÃtez won’t do better than me at Inter. Another thing is also true that, should he lift the Intercontinental Cup, he will have only won two games compared to my 13. Therefore it will be my trophy and not his.â€
