alias75

If the owners are keen to sign younger players it is a poor indictment on Hodgson's transfer dealings so far. Meireles apart all of his signings have been clueless. We didn't need to sign Brad Jones for £3million we already have 2 very good young reserve keepers, we didn't need to sign Poulson for £6million he proved at the World Cup he was shot at the highest level and the previous season for Juventus i think he was voted their worst player. We already had Lucas, Meireles, Shelvey and even Spearing that could play centre midfield as well as Gerrard so its not as if it was a problem position. Konchesky has been an average PL player all his career, and thats exactly what hes been so far, we loaned out Insua who we could have kept. So judging the money hes spent so far it won't look good to the new owners. Hes spent big money and wages on old players that have no resale value in positions (left back aside) we didn't really need, the problem position of another striker wasn't filled as well as the need for a proper winger. Ive always thought the manager has to be able to identify his own targets but if Hodgson's gonna be manager ill make an exception.

To be honest there aren't many players of his type that are consistent thats the negative you have to just accept with a winger. The nature of the position means your not always going to be effective but he's the type of player we need, someone thats quick that can run with the ball and commit defenders.

Ashley Young anyone? still hasn't signed a new contract and has been linked with a move away. We've badly needed a proper winger with pace that can carry the ball at speed and commit men, we've probably needed someone since McManaman left, Babel could have been that player but little did we know he didn't have a brain! But Young would give us something we don't have at the moment.

I read those comments from Hodgson it stinks of the players telling him their not happy with the approach hes taken so far. The first 65-70 min was much better. I can't believe Roys all of a sudden changed his coaching philosophy after 35years so it wouldn't surprise me at all if the players have had a huge say in it. The last 20min was a worry im hoping it was more down to us badly needing the win, but the lack of composure was worrying. A better team would have made it 2-2. In those situations we really do need to be better on the counter and instead of sitting back and hoping to hold out look for the 3rd (without being completely wide open) i watched Mallorca v Valencia last night and they kept 3 up the whole game even when they were winning 2-0 in Valencia, Laudrup is exactly the type of young forward thinking coach id love at the club. But if we continue to play as we did for the first 65min things should improve, if we had a top quality wide player with pace that could carry the ball that would make such a difference to our attacking play (guess we've been saying that for years though)

If your gonna play the way Roy does hes probably our best defender because he'll head it away all day. Hate playing that way but if you are then he has to start.

I guess its not surprising given how badly we needed the win but it is a little worrying how poorly we kept the ball and used the counter attack in the last 20min. Against better teams if/when we come under serious pressure i don't have much confidence in holding out. That said hopefully the win helps with the confidence and the performances get better, for 65min we did play pretty good.

My favourite part of that win was how professionally and competently we saw the game out towards the end!!

the way he constantly harps on about how tough the job is and how bad the situation was he came into does my head in. Yes things were bad when he took the job on but to be honest most of that was the ownership issues which have now been settled. In terms of players we do have a core of a very good team and probably the best group of young players since Fowler, Gerrard etc... Apparently Rafa did a horrible job last season in finishing 7th, of that squad we've lost Mascherano and Benayoun plus the players he decided to let go, hes had money to replace those players and bring in his own. So the squad is basically the same that badly underachieved finishing 7th (even though Torres and Gerrard missed large parts of that season). This constant downplaying of the situation cannot help the players, we need a manager that talks with confidence but is realistic in terms of expectations, no rational fan is expecting us to challenge for the PL at the moment but we also know with the players we have we should be performing much better. Roys convinced himself that surviving relegation would actually be a success this year!

think it sums everything up nicely. The lowering of expectations is what frustrates me the most, that type of talk must transfer onto the players. This is basically the same squad (plus 4 of his own signings) that apparently seriously underachieved finishing 7th last season (and that includes losing Gerrard and Torres for long periods) now all of a sudden we're in a relegation battle!! hes constantly lowering expectations because he knows hes not up to the job. Im at the stage now where i don't want us to win games because it means he'll stay on, thats how bad its got!

If Torres is unhappy with Roy and Roys going next week then hopefully that helps with that situation.

all the funnier given the amount ITV tried to build this game up!!

what a great result for Mourinho!!

paul_tomkins RT @ketilbstensrud: My sources claim Ten Cate would be interested in teaming up with Rijkaard at Liverpool. Truly exciting just posted on twitter

reckon it'd be Torres, Pepe seems much more of a team man, and lets face it Torres' body language has been horrible..

Still might be a good bet given all the news coming in...

CallCollymore

Collymore tweeting that hes heard RH might have been sacked, not sure if its the rumour posted on here earlier but he did break the Rooney story a few days ago!!! please!!!!

Think this is it, his style of player just doesn't fit in with what RH wants to try and do so he'd spend most of the game watching the ball fly over his head and getting criticised for not getting stuck in or getting behind the ball. Seems to be the same deal with Agger!!

If hes said that then i do fear for his mental health, or maybe Torres is struggling because of all those bodies we're getting into the opposition box, their taking up all his space!!!

Its very hard to be critical of Carragher because you know he'd run through a brick wall for the club but every player comes to a point where they can't perform to the same level hes been at that point for the last 2 seasons. The fact it seems he was a huge influence in getting Rafa the sack makes things even worse. Roy knows to keep his job he has to keep the dressing room leaders happy so its no surprise hes been given a contract extension and seems beyond dropping. Id love to ask those players that orchestrated Rafa's exit for an English manager how their feeling now!!

think Loew's a good shout, but i doubt that'll happen midseason with him managing Germany too. In the short term it can only really be Kenny not sure how that'll work but he can't be any more clueless than RH. When you look at the way teams like Blackpool and WBA are going about things this season with young inexperienced managers and far fewer resources its embarrassing how limited and lacking in ambition we are when we play. Id love someone to sit down with RH and simply ask him what his football philosophy is and what hes trying to achieve with this team, sometimes Houllier or Rafa would leave you scratching your head with some of their decisions but he takes things to another level!

Still dont think hes right for this league but at least we might get most of our money back for him. By all accounts Juve have been much better since hes started games.

Things are that bad id take him.

Think it would be difficult for Rafa to come back given a large percentage of the players wanted him gone, personally id happily lose those players and bring him back. I wonder how Carragher and Stevie are liking their new English manager? Everything about Hodgson looks wrong to me, his team selection is puzzling and its not even as if we're losing trying to play attacking football, watching teams like Blackpool and WBA have a go with young inexperienced managers and inferior players is embarassing, Rafa was a defensive coach but at least his teams pressed the opposition, we're happy to concede the ball and sit back and invite teams onto us, its no wonder Torres is looking so pissed, because we're happy to get everyone behind the ball hes always isolated and living off scraps. Just don't see where Hodgson can go, his style of play is looking very old fashioned at the moment in the PL.

By all accounts 3 of those players mentioned were a big reason why Rafa went. Stevie and Carra have got the English manager they wanted wonder how they're liking it now!! Its hard after the week the clubs had to be too downbeat because the bigger issues facing the club have hopefully been resolved but Hodgson is so clearly out of his depth, even Liverpool fans who are known for not jumping to quick judgements with managers can see hes got to go. Watching Blackpool v Man City and they look such a better team than we ever have under RH, they play good attacking football press well as a team and give everything you can see they've been coached well as a team I have no idea what RH is trying to do with this team, instead of pressing the ball we're happy to sit back and invite teams onto us and with the players we have in defence thats just asking for trouble. Also given we lack quality attacking players it leaves our forward players isolated and its no wonder Torres is getting frustrated. The fact all the other managers like him should tell you everything, hes not a winner.