Honestly Ali, if you’re NOT anti-Hodgson, that does not come across in your posts… Lot’s of ‘big deal’ and ‘he’s done nowt yet’ posts, without anything even cautiously positive (that I’ve seen – I’ve not read every post you’ve ever made). Like in speaking of Mascher’s imminent departure, you did say “…it will depend on how he somehow rectifies the massive hole in our midfield, shortly after making it even bigger.†Certainly worded like Roy has some part in Mascher wanting to leave us.
Like you, I don’t think getting giddy is appropriate, but neither is pretending that we’re not doing better (maybe MUCH better) than many feared we would be at this point in the summer. In May, it was a genuine concern that we’d lose Mascher AND Gerrard AND Torres. As it is, we’re going to lose only one of them (the one that we could most afford to lose), and we’ve actually improved at two positions (Cole V Yossi and Young V Insua), so let’s not decree that NOTHING worth some positivity has taken place. You’re right that once Mascher leaves, it’s critical that Roy addresses the gaping hole that we’ll then have in midfield, but I’m not panicing yet… I think he knows what he’s doing, and I’m sure that he is already moving towards making that happen.
You know that Steven Gerrard is still amoung the best players in the world, mate. He may not be quite as dominant as he was a year or two ago, but if we let it be known that he was available, there’d be a line around Anfield to try and get him. Claiming anything else is just silly. And although you say that there’s little evidence that Roy had anything to do with the signing / ‘stayings’ this summer, I disagree… As I said before, I don’t think that ANY of JC, SG or FT would be here now, were Rafa, not Roy in charge. And although that’s speculation on my part, so too is your stance on the matter, and I can point to the body language and attitude of players last season suggesting that there is at least some reason to suspect that, without a change in manager, SG and FT would be gone.
Unlike you, I feel that Roy has done most of what he’s be able to do so far very well. Good signings, an improved team, our big two staying, deadwood sold off… Yes, he will need to address other areas too, but let’s give him the chance to do so, shall we? I feel he’s done well with what he has addressed so far. Do you disagree? At the start of the summer, we all agreed that we needed (in no particular order) more creativity, a better LB and a decent second CF. For me, we’ve addressed all of those needs so far, and we’re improved in each category. No, I’m not telling you that Young and what’s-his-name are superstars and that we’re going to win the league now, but we are better than before… And given our situation, that’s about all that we can realistically hope for at the moment.
For me, it’s simply ‘so far, so good’, is all that I’m saying. I think that Roy has pretty much done all that can be expected of him to this point, and maybe more, given that nobody thought we’d get near Joe Cole. Remember, he inherited this situation. He did not create it. You’re right that there’s a lot more to be done, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and he’s gotta start somewhere. But many, yourself included amoung them, seem particularly loath to give him any credit at all, as if until every single issue is addressed, he’ll not have done anything right…
Finally, take the ‘we’re not sold yet’ point out of the equation. We all know that we need that to happen. From a ‘What we expected’ Vs ‘Where we are today’ as it relates to only our playing staff (ie. what Roy has at least some control over), would you have taken this back in May?
‘Cos I’ll tell you something - I may not be giddy, but I’m optimistic and excited about football again. I’m not dreading the next game, anticipating (and usually correctly) a poor performance, negative tactics and passionless players. And it’s been a while since I’ve felt this way. If you’d offered THAT to me in May, I’d have bitten your f$%!ing hand off.
Like you, I don’t think getting giddy is appropriate, but neither is pretending that we’re not doing better (maybe MUCH better) than many feared we would be at this point in the summer. In May, it was a genuine concern that we’d lose Mascher AND Gerrard AND Torres. As it is, we’re going to lose only one of them (the one that we could most afford to lose), and we’ve actually improved at two positions (Cole V Yossi and Young V Insua), so let’s not decree that NOTHING worth some positivity has taken place. You’re right that once Mascher leaves, it’s critical that Roy addresses the gaping hole that we’ll then have in midfield, but I’m not panicing yet… I think he knows what he’s doing, and I’m sure that he is already moving towards making that happen.
You know that Steven Gerrard is still amoung the best players in the world, mate. He may not be quite as dominant as he was a year or two ago, but if we let it be known that he was available, there’d be a line around Anfield to try and get him. Claiming anything else is just silly. And although you say that there’s little evidence that Roy had anything to do with the signing / ‘stayings’ this summer, I disagree… As I said before, I don’t think that ANY of JC, SG or FT would be here now, were Rafa, not Roy in charge. And although that’s speculation on my part, so too is your stance on the matter, and I can point to the body language and attitude of players last season suggesting that there is at least some reason to suspect that, without a change in manager, SG and FT would be gone.
Unlike you, I feel that Roy has done most of what he’s be able to do so far very well. Good signings, an improved team, our big two staying, deadwood sold off… Yes, he will need to address other areas too, but let’s give him the chance to do so, shall we? I feel he’s done well with what he has addressed so far. Do you disagree? At the start of the summer, we all agreed that we needed (in no particular order) more creativity, a better LB and a decent second CF. For me, we’ve addressed all of those needs so far, and we’re improved in each category. No, I’m not telling you that Young and what’s-his-name are superstars and that we’re going to win the league now, but we are better than before… And given our situation, that’s about all that we can realistically hope for at the moment.
For me, it’s simply ‘so far, so good’, is all that I’m saying. I think that Roy has pretty much done all that can be expected of him to this point, and maybe more, given that nobody thought we’d get near Joe Cole. Remember, he inherited this situation. He did not create it. You’re right that there’s a lot more to be done, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and he’s gotta start somewhere. But many, yourself included amoung them, seem particularly loath to give him any credit at all, as if until every single issue is addressed, he’ll not have done anything right…
Finally, take the ‘we’re not sold yet’ point out of the equation. We all know that we need that to happen. From a ‘What we expected’ Vs ‘Where we are today’ as it relates to only our playing staff (ie. what Roy has at least some control over), would you have taken this back in May?
‘Cos I’ll tell you something - I may not be giddy, but I’m optimistic and excited about football again. I’m not dreading the next game, anticipating (and usually correctly) a poor performance, negative tactics and passionless players. And it’s been a while since I’ve felt this way. If you’d offered THAT to me in May, I’d have bitten your f$%!ing hand off.
