Tommy Smith: Liverpool FC boss Roy Hodgson so right to get lean and mean

From todays Liverpool Echo...

TOMMY SMITH: Liverpool FC boss Roy Hodgson so right to get lean and mean

I SAID a couple of weeks ago that I thought Roy Hodgson was learning fast at Liverpool. And now I’m convinced I was right!

He’s just come out and said Liverpool are unbelievably overstaffed when it comes to squad players and I couldn’t agree more.

There just seem to have been so many players on the books in recent seasons who never really seem to get a look in, yet who remain on the Anfield pay roll for some reason.

We’re not talking about very young upcoming talent that needs to be given time to develop in the youth and academy sides.

But other players who, if they were good enough for the Reds, should really have been making a breakthrough by now.

Hodgson is clearly prepared to tackle the issues bequeathed to him by the previous regime and it is a positive sign that he has taken stock of things at Anfield and Melwood so quickly.

The likes of Damien Plessis and Emiliano Insuia – lads who actually have had a chance in the first team – have been shipped out. And there are clearly a good few more to follow them out of the door now.

It simply can’t be good for the club or, to be fair, the players themselves to be treading water as they grow too old for reserve football but who know they’re not good enough to play alongside the likes of Reina, Carragher, Torres and Gerrard etc.

They’re all being paid decent enough money but what for? They must get fed up not being involved and surely they want a chance to play football at a club where the skills they do have are better suited and can be used.

I remember Chris Lawler and myself went through the ranks pretty quickly when we were young and made it into the Liverpool first team in the sixties. But when Bill Shankly first arrived at Anfield he saw a similar problem to Hodgson in that there were players there like Dick Whie and Bobby Campbell who he felt were surplus to first team requirements and needed to move on. And off they went.

Building up a massive squad of names and numbers might look impressive on paper but it’s a not a good sign to have so many under-employed players on the books.

The leaner we are on these fringe players hopefully the meaner we will be under Hodgson....

Liverpool Echo link

I have to say I agree with 'the iron' here. I thought last season that there were plenty of players we could get rid of and whilst we would be worse off quantity wise, we would be no worse off quality wise.

I would like us to get rid of the dead wood before we start bringing more players through the door in January. Ultimately I want us to end up with a hungry squad, all capable, and carrying nobody.

What does everyone think?

Can't argue with getting rid of dead wood, but with the savings Roy will make will he see any of the money, in this current climate i don't thik he will

Can't argue with getting rid of dead wood, but with the savings Roy will make will he see any of the money, in this current climate I don't thik he will

Also in todays echo it says the club will back him with finances to get a new striker in January. Hope that materialises!

You have to get shut of dead wood and I'd expect any new manager to be doing it.

But I'm afraid these times are different to what the Iron was used to. And I worry that Roy may have to clear not only dead wood but also big strong Oak trees to shuffle the payroll.

Also in todays echo it says the club will back him with finances to get a new striker in January. Hope that materialises!

Haven't we heared that before

Which oak trees Ken?

Haven't we heared that before

Certainly have. So I bet Roy is not holding his breath!

Also in todays echo it says the club will back him with finances to get a new striker in January. Hope that materialises!

Where have we heard that before? In full agreement Don with your initial post but for the equation to work some quality has to replace the dross and thus far that has not happened.

I'm not really buying this sh*te... Fairy muff, getting rid of dead wood is a no brain-er but other successful teams have large squads obviously to prepare themselves through injury periods like us last season. A couple players for each position if you like.. If a first team-er gets injured then his natural replacement steps up. That replacement will now be an inexperienced young reserve type player.
To me it just sounds like a way to justify this stripping of assets and everyones buying it.. *Sighs*..
The club the fans and the players will not benefit in the slightest..

I'm not really buying this sh*te... Fairy muff, getting rid of dead wood is a no brain-er but other successful teams have large squads obviously to prepare themselves through injury periods like us last season. A couple players for each position if you like.. If a first team-er gets injured then his natural replacement steps up. That replacement will now be an inexperienced young reserve type player.
To me it just sounds like a way to justify this stripping of assets and everyones buying it.. *Sighs*..
The club the fans and the players will not benefit in the slightest..

I would much rather have a young player to come in mate rather than someone not of sufficient quality. At times last season we used Degen at right back instead of Kelly. Getting rid of the likes of degan is hardly asset stripping.

What Tommy is saying is that over the last few years there have been players in and around the first team squad that never actually play. So in other words, what are they doing here? They are just sucking wages out of the club when they are actually of no use to us!

The likes of El Zhar and Plessis have been shipped out and there will be a few more to follow. I get the impression Roy is going to be ruthless. Prove your worth to the squad or your out is not a bad mentality imo.

You have to get shut of dead wood and I'd expect any new manager to be doing it.

But I'm afraid these times are different to what the Iron was used to. And I worry that Roy may have to clear not only dead wood but also big strong Oak trees to shuffle the payroll.

That's what I'm afraid of Kenny, hope we are wrong!

Also in todays echo it says the club will back him with finances to get a new striker in January. Hope that materialises!

Yeah, it is going to be a "big winter"

Yeah, it is going to be a "big winter"

Yeah, only if dim and dimmer have gone!

To be honest I stopped listening to what Tommy Smith had to say a long time ago.

He talks sense

I would much rather have a young player to come in mate rather than someone not of sufficient quality. At times last season we used Degen at right back instead of Kelly. Getting rid of the likes of degan is hardly asset stripping.

What Tommy is saying is that over the last few years there have been players in and around the first team squad that never actually play. So in other words, what are they doing here? They are just sucking wages out of the club when they are actually of no use to us!

The likes of El Zhar and Plessis have been shipped out and there will be a few more to follow. I get the impression Roy is going to be ruthless. Prove your worth to the squad or your out is not a bad mentality IMO.

I'm not saying we should keep every player we've signed.. Its the principle or the justification that their trying to give.. Basically their saying fringe players shouldn't exist??

First team players,

Fringe players,

Young reserves with potential.

In principle they want to get rid of the whole middle tier??.. Besides, if we were injury free for a season (as if) them same young players would become fringe players/Dead wood unable to break into the first team..

Bottom line is.. Nobody benefits from this shakedown but the owners..

I'm not saying we should keep every player we've signed.. Its the principle or the justification that their trying to give.. Basically their saying fringe players shouldn't exist??

First team players,

Fringe players,

Young reserves with potential.

In principle they want to get rid of the whole middle tier??.. Besides, if we were injury free for a season (as if) them same young players would become fringe players/Dead wood unable to break into the first team..

Bottom line is.. Nobody benefits from this shakedown but the owners..

The point is mate that we do not want players who are not going to figure in the first team and are too old for the reserves. If that is the middle tier then yep they should be sacrificed. We should not be having anyone in our 21 man squad who is not going to figure.

Over the last couple of years there has been far too much dead wood, who do not play and who are sucking wages out of the club on the books. If getting rid of them gets the wage bill down without losing any 'quality' from the squad I am all for it!

Roy wants a squad that could all be considered 'first teamers' and a ressies squad that is young and full of potential. He does not want anything in between.

To be honest I stopped listening to what Tommy Smith had to say a long time ago.

Why was that? Liverpool legend, knows the game inside out. Ive got alot of time for the iron and respect his opinion!

People have also stopped listening to StJohn, Lawernson, Hanson, Thompson, Hunt, Aldridge, Whelan, Barns and a whole lot more who have criticised the way the club had been going under rafa. yep I guess Smith joins a list of legends who must know feck all

Why was that? Liverpool legend, knows the game inside out. Ive got alot of time for the iron and respect his opinion!

Read his autobiography, some of the things he accuses Emlyn Hughes of, are a bit naughty.

Read his autobiography, some of the things he accuses Emlyn Hughes of, are a bit naughty.

Not read his book mate, but I may get my hands on it. I think my dad has it. But it wont be the first book written were someone slams someone and it wont be the last. Obviously they did not get on but they were too great players for Liverpool. Crazy horse was taken too early from us. The iron knows the game, and I respect his opinion and on thois occasion re the article I agree with it.

Will check the book out!

People have also stopped listening to StJohn, Lawernson, Hanson, Thompson, Hunt, Aldridge, Whelan, Barns and a whole lot more who have criticised the way the club had been going under rafa. yep I guess Smith joins a list of legends who must know feck all

It doesn't do your arguement much good when you're misspelling the names of people like Hansen and Barnes. And St John should have a space in his name.

Not having a go at you, just something you might want to think about.

People have also stopped listening to StJohn, Lawernson, Hanson, Thompson, Hunt, Aldridge, Whelan, Barns and a whole lot more who have criticised the way the club had been going under rafa. yep I guess Smith joins a list of legends who must know feck all

That'll be St John the xenophobe who slaughtered Houllier, sorry The Frenchman virtually all the way through the treble season, in fact it got so bad Radio City ended up replacing him with Aldo!!

Lawrenson talks out of his arse and says anything that make him look good in front of Lineker, his columns are a load of sh*te too.

You do know Whelan is a die-hard Utd fan?

I never heard John Barnes or Phil Thompson really have a go at Rafa and generally like listening to their thoughts, same goes for Hansen, but his "Worst Liverpool team in 45 years" quote back in 2005 is up there with "You win nothing with kids" quote.