Losing the plot
Wrong
With the exception of signing the very average Paul Konchesky, he hasn’t really done a lot wrong. I’m sure he doesn’t tell his players to miss chances, make mistakes, fail to complete simple passes or play with very little passion. Those things are mainly down to the players themselves.
Having said all that, I find it impossible to defend the way he has reacted to the abject showing his side gave in their derby day defeat at Everton on Sunday. Some of his comments defy common sense and challenge the intelligence of every single person who watched the game.
Terrible
In the first half at Goodison Park Liverpool were terrible. They were out-played, out-thought and out-fought. Everton took a thoroughly deserved into half-time courtesy of a strike from Tim Cahill. One can only assume that Hodgson would have been livid with what he saw in those first forty-five minutes. His comments after the game?
“I thought at half-time we were a bit unlucky to be a goal down because we had got back into the game well.”
I can say without fear of contradiction that Roy Hodgson was the only person in the entire world who would have summed up that half of football like that.
Better
It is true that Liverpool played slightly better in the second half but after Michel Arteta had increased the lead to 2-0 soon after the break, Everton were happy to sit back a little and defend what they had. Liverpool had plenty of the ball but created very little and never gave the slightest indication that they had what it took to come back into the game.
Hodgson’s reaction must surely have been disappointment that they didn’t produce more.
“In the second half, we did everything the team could possibly do. We played well, created chances, limited them to very few and put them very much on the back foot. Unfortunately, by that time we were 2-0 down. I don’t feel it to be a crisis because I don’t think anyone would really believe that’s the level of football a team in the bottom three or four would play. On the other hand, it is six points from eight games and that is a very poor return. We do need to start winning and climbing the table soon and until we do I’m sure the word crisis will be bandied about.”
Disagree
I think most people would disagree with every single point Hodgson made in that statement. They did not do everything they possibly could. They did not play well. They created very few chances. Everton were on the back foot because they were 2-0 up and coasting, not because of anything Liverpool did. It is a crisis. People do think that Liverpool are playing like a side in the bottom three.
The only things he is right about are that six points from eight games is a poor return and that the word ‘crisis’ will be bandied about.
Defend
Hodgson also went on to defend striker Fernando Torres. The Spaniard has scored one goal in ten games for Liverpool this season and he looks injured, miserable and totally out of sorts. He was an almost totally anonymous figure at Everton Hodgson points out that Torres is suffering from a lack of confidence.
“We don’t have any injury problems with him. He got battered for his performances at the World Cup and I think mentally he is a bit low. He needs a goal or two to get his confidence back.”
Wrong
Nothing wrong with what Roy said there but he had to go further.
“I don’t think that he is physically unfit. I think he showed that in the game as he did plenty of work and running around. I would have no qualms about his performance against Everton.”
If Torres is actually physically fit then I can’t understand how Hodgson can possibly be satisfied with what his multi-million pound striker produced on the pitch.
These are worrying times for Liverpool and on the evidence of the after match comments Roy Hodgson would seem to be losing the plot. He is surely on borrowed time.
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