Oh well, I've been pondering over starting this thread for a couple of weeks now, I thought one would have been started by now. At some point it would have started, so I'd like to put my case for Roy Hodgson forward to get the ball rolling. I'm hoping that this thread can be kept to a minimum with sensible arguments. The Rafa thread was just ridiculous at times last season, the amount of one liners that filled the pages was ludicrous at best. I'd like to think that posts in this thread can be kept to assess Roy's man-management skills and how he progresses as a football manager during the season. I'll try to keep the post short and sweet as most of my points for Roy have been posted in the Roy Hodgson thread.
When Roy was appointed as our new football manager I must admit that I was very apprehensive. There were supposedly better and big name managers available, yet not many were keen to come to a Club that had fallen from title favourites to Europa League position battlers in the matter of a season. That in itself tells it's own story for me. If a manager feels he needs a vast amount of money to win trophies then he's beaten before he starts really, that's not exactly a sign of a man who is confident in his own abilities, is it?. Roy was fully aware of the financial crisis, yet he still took the job. Why wouldn't he?.
I know Roy doesn't have a managerial CV comparable with many managers, but he isn't scared of taking challenges on. And for that I have respect for him. His career has seen him travel across the globe, taking in various cultures, languages and playing styles. Out of respect I've done some research on him to get a closer look at who Roy really is. In his first managerial position at Halmstad in Sweden he took a team that were favourites for relegation to the championship title in his first season. When at Malmo he won seven titles and two Cups. The Club offered him a lifetime contract, that's right a lifetime contract. He even has a section of the stadium named after him. He left to take up a new challenge.
When in charge of Switzerland he took them to their first World Cup Finals in 28 years, an achievement in itself when you consider how unsuccessful they had been in previous campaigns. He then gained qualification for Euro 96 before leaving for Inter Milan. And for all the stats lovers on here, he took Switzerland to third in the Fifa World Rankings during his time there. After his stint at Inter Milan, where he improved the side gradually, he went on to Blackburn where he flopped quite badly. A flop that was detrimental to his chances of landing the England manager vacancy. He then flitted around some obscure scenarios before eventually returning to the Premier League with Fulham. We all know what a good job he did there so I'll leave it there.
A couple of forumites ( you know who you are ) have quite openly stated that Roy hasn't had much of a job to do since arriving?, what an absolute load of f**king bollocks!. That is such an uneducated remark to make it defies belief. Let's have a look at what Roy has done since his arrival. Well, he's had a very limited timeframe to assess the players at his disposal, he's had to convince star players who had become disillusioned with the Club that their futures were at Anfield. He's had to get to know all the players, he's had to install new training practices, he's had to build team morale, he's had to run around like a blue arsed fly meeting with Board members and owners that he knows he can't trust. He's had to convince new signings that Liverpool Football Club is the place to be.
He's had to attend numerous press conferences and remain dignified when the world knows he has no definite answers. What about trying to settle in a new environment whilst doing all the aforementioned tasks?. What about meeting all the Club's staff?. What about organising a pre-season when his feet have barely touched the ground?. What about playing a tricky Europa League qualifier with star players still on World Cup rest?. What about desperately trying to convince a player who blatantly wants out, but still trying for the sake of the Club?. I bet I haven't even covered the half of it here.
We all have mates who support other teams and of the Fulham fans that I know, they all say that he was a very good manager who got the best out of his players. I know he hasn't managed big Clubs before, but if he can get the best out of our players then there are very exciting times ahead. Imagine a Ryan Babel firing on all cylinders. With his signing of Cole, the probable sight of Aquilani, Cole, Gerrard and Torres is going to be phenomenal to say the least.
Since his arrival Roy has been making the right noises, talking sense and more importantly, being realistic. He's not guaranteeing anything because he can't. He's still finding his feet at a massive Club with massive expectations. He's done a great job in convincing Gerrard and Torres to stay, regardless of what others on this forum think, they only wanted to hear what Roy had to say with regards to the footballing side of the Club. Even Carragher was contemplating going elsewhere if he was to become a bit part player, words that he uttered himself. He's not afraid to throw the youngsters in either.
Nobody can argue that we were absolutely terrible last season, we played some of the most boring football I've seen in a long time. Players were becoming disillusioned under Rafa, they looked emotionally drained on the pitch. The constant inclusion of out of position players will hopefully become a thing of the past. We were so negative last season that I was actually expecting us to lose, this was all due to very poor team selection and nothing else.
Roy has a massive job on his hands, he has to convert this negative energy into positive energy. He has inherited a very good bunch of players from Rafa, yet these players have not been performing as well as they should have been. If Roy can get the best out of the players then I genuinely feel we can win the League. Have no doubts that even though the players are still the same, they will play differently under Roy than Rafa. I'm hoping that we get to see the artists and not the robots.
What has interested me is the way Roy has spoken about returning to 'The Liverpool Way'. I feel that is what we need, go back to basics and play the simple game. A game that served us so well for many years before. This season is going to be big, very big. Roy is going to surprise a lot of people throughout the football community.
To reiterate, I think Roy will bring a different aproach, Roy will man manage the players a lot better than Rafa did, the squad will be happier and I believe that no players will feel isolated under Roy, as they did under Rafa. If players don't pull their weight then Roy will drop them, if our senior players are injured or suspended then I expect Roy to play the youngsters in their correct positions. Roy will concentrate on footballing matters first and foremost and will not embroil himself in political wrangling. He will let players express themselves while maintaining high levels of defensive discipline when not in possession. He will get us playing as a 'team' and fighting for each other. He will return to basics and build from there, he will not over complicate issues. He will restore some dignity to the Club and will no doubt work extremely hard for the Club.
May I just say again, can we keep this thread purely as an analytical haven that relates to Roy's progress as a football manager. Any posts relating to tactics, player selection and results will hopefully be posted in the post match theads.
I look around at our competitors and I don't really see a lot to be worried about in all honesty. If Roy can get the best out of our lads then I see no reason why we can't win the League this year, can you?.
The first English manager to win the Premier League and win it on a shoestring budget?. Well.......
Ooops!, I almost forgot, is Roy the right man?. Well if I'm basing it on what he's done since his arrival then I have to say yes.
« Last Edit: Sep 10, 2010 01:25:59 pm by JD »
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