Perhaps like a lot of Reds, I’m struggling to come to terms with revised expectations brought about over the past year. In fairness to Roy Hodgson, very little of this is his fault. The club has fallen a long way in a short space of time, and it can be traced back to when the money ran dry. And the job of managing Liverpool FC is one I don’t envy anyone having to undertake.
Recently I’ve been described by a couple of people on Twitter as the most negative Red they’ve ever encountered. While my disposition isn’t quite as sunny as when I was writing for the club’s official site (which required the omission of criticisms), I’ve always just tried to call it as I see it, based on evidence and analysis, with a bit of gut feeling thrown in.
The aim of this article is to set out briefly the rationale for the new UEFA rules, then go into a little bit of detail about what they say, and then offer some insight into their significance for Liverpool Football Club.
I’m warming more and more to Roy Hodgson every day; pretty much in the same way I did to Rafa in 2004. I respect and support new managers, but they’ve also got to remove any doubts I hold.
Yesterday I was asked by The Daily Mail for 200 words on the potential Chinese takeover. While it’s far from my favourite paper (relating to the right-wing scaremongering in the front part), I’m happy to try and offer a balanced view to tabloids (bar ‘that’ one) on a once bitten, twice shy rule; badly misquote me, and never again.
It was encouraging to hear Roy Hodgson say in a press conference last week that the squad was not in need of a complete overhaul; backing up my recent assertion along those lines (made in response to Gérard Houllier’s ludicrous claim that he left behind a much better collection of players in 2004.)
Whilst I lost faith with Gérard Houllier before he was sacked in 2004, I do think he did a fine job up until 2002. However, his incredible attack on Benítez cannot mask the fact that Houllier left a pretty dire squad low on value and morale, and that in almost every way you look at it, the Spaniard did better than the Frenchman.
Three teams, three huge clubs in their own right, with vast support, illustrious histories and a generous sprinkling of trophies, have all suffered from a common blight, one of a distinctly red hue. Spurs, Man City and yes, our blue neighbours have had to live for years in the perennial shadow cast by their giant red neighbours. They’ve been almost defined by not being Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool.
The Long and Winding Road: LFC Supporter Ownership is no longer just a beautiful dream. By Dan Kennett.
Good luck to Roy Hodgson. On many levels he’ll need it. Then again, maybe he won’t. The press seem to love him, so that’s one fewer battle he’ll face than Benítez.
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