Liverpool v Chelsea: Preview

I know some people have actually been wanting us to lose matches just to ensure Hodgson goes. I can empathise but for the Blackburn and Bolton games, I’ve just wanted us to pick up the points to stave off the scarily real threat of relegation. In truth, I wasn’t unhappy when we were 1-0 down to Napoli in mid-week after another inept display and when Stevie G’s one-man show saved us from another fine Hodge up I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I didn’t want our proud European record taking another battering and I certainly enjoyed Gerrard’s performance, despite his total disregard for tactical discipline and team work, but on the other hand, I wondered whether this might hand another stay of execution to our inept manager.

To me, Hodgson should have gone after the Derby if not before. However, I understand that the timing wasn’t right due to the takeover of the club. John W Henry simply couldn’t dismiss the incumbent manager within days of taking over the club. He has rightly been taking his time to look at all aspects of the club and put in place a board before taking any major decisions. Having been spared by circumstances, Hodgson was walking a tightrope and defeats in either of our last two League games could and should have pushed him off.

Fortunately for him, both games were won – in the case of the Blackburn game, deservedly so but the Bolton game was certainly won in spite of Hodgson; not because of him.

While I remain 100% convinced that he needs to go as soon as possible, I maintain that it would be wrong to sack the man after a win. Doing so would enable the critics to argue that he needed time to implement his methods and that the win was evidence of things starting to click. That such claims are complete bollocks is irrelevant. The new owner does not need the media slating him and painting him as trigger-happy. The club, meanwhile, does not need any more negative press and Hodgson’s successor (who would presumably be foreign) doesn’t need the media against him because they think their English pal was not given a fair chance.

I fully expect us to lose at home to Chelsea today and regardless of the three wins preceding it, that defeat should be enough justification for the new board to call time on this most disastrous of appointments. Critics may still argue that it is harsh to sack him so soon but those critics are the same misguided fools who lay the blame for all our ills at Rafa Benitez’s door. Those same idiots will not be swayed any time this season.

I would simply point to Hodgson’s record in the League this season which would read: Played 11, Won 3, Drew 3, Lost 5 and with a Goal Difference of at least -5. Nothing can change the fact that it is simply not good enough – not by a long way. Throw in the arguments that every performance bar 1 has been dreadful; Roy’s summer transfer dealings served only to weaken the quality of the squad and resulted in millions of pounds being wasted on average players at the wrong ends of their careers, and Roy embarrasses himself and the club every time he gives an interview or press conference and you have clear and compelling justification for his dismissal.

Should the new owners opt for a lenient approach with the bumbling boss, at least the appointment of Damien Comolli as Director of Football Strategy should ensure damage limitation. People’s reactions to the appointment has been typically ignorant. From questioning the need for such a role to criticising the man himself, the reactions have all been negative. “I don’t know what a Director of Football does!” I heard a moron exclaim this week as if that statement somehow decries the role. If you don’t know what the role is, don’t comment on it. How can you have a view on something you don’t understand? Fucking idiot.

Someone else (a Blueshite) said “Oh yes, he’s the one who signed Darren Bent for Spurs” – the insinuation being that he is therefore crap because Bent was a flop at Spurs. That Harry Redknapp couldn’t get the best out of Bent doesn’t mean he’s a bad player and he has since proven to be an excellent signing for Sunderland but citing Bent alone is clearly taking a one-sided view. The man was also responsible for the signings of Tom Huddlestone, Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Jenas, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Dimitar Berbatov, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Heurelho Gomes, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Vedran Corluka to name but a few. Most of those are currently key players in the Spurs’ team whose “successes” Harry Redknapp graciously milks the over-the-top plaudits. Meanwhile the signing and resale of Berbatov netted the club millions. It’s quite clear that Comolli played a significant role in reviving Spurs’ fortunes and it is to be hoped he will do the same for us.

What he will do is ensure that even if Hodgson is still in situ when the transfer window opens, we won’t be frittering away sums like £8 million on shite like Christian Poulsen (£4.6m) and Paul Konchesky (£3.5m) who, at 30 and 29 when signed have little or no resale value. We can expect to see a return to Rafa’s more sensible policy of investing in young players whose sell on values will increase so that even if they don’t cut it in the first team, we can generate income to reinvest in new players. For example, compare Hodgson’s £8m spend with the following players whose combined fees cost Rafa a similar amount: N’gog (£1.5m), Insua (£1.3m) and Lucas (£5m). For a combined value of £7.8m we signed 3 players worth an average of around £5-8m each. That’s good business.