Many of us awoke to the news this morning that Dani Pacheco is being frozen out at Liverpool. Not that this was news as such, we have all noted the player’s absence since the Northampton game.
This may seem like a small matter to some, a good prospect, who has shone in the reserves but not set the world alight in the first team, being effectively shown the door. It isn’t though, it is a further example of something that has been eating away at me for a while.
Namely that Roy Hogdson should not be manager of Liverpool Football Club.
Roy was appointed because he was flavour of the month after the heroics of Fulham in Europe last year (Did the Alaves manager get a top job after 2001?). I emphasise ‘In Europe’ as their league position wasn’t complimentary. A case in point:
Two managers both regressed by 5 positions in the league last year, both managers also went out of Europe to Atletico Madrid. One was hounded out of his job, the other won the LMA Manager of the year.
So why was Roy given the job? The media said for a long time that Benitez concentrated on Europe to the detriment of the league. Read the above paragraph and tell me Roy didn’t.
Since Roy has taken over we have seen the following (not limited to):
– Claiming he was happy with his squad in the summer, then blaming the calibre of players he has on current league position.
– Saying he was going to give Ryan Babel a run up front which is why he didn’t need to bring in a striker.
– Letting two players go on loan for £0 and spending £16m on their replacements, not necessarily improving either position. Is Konchesky really any better than Insua? Ditto for Meireles and Aquilani (who is lighting it up for Juve). Would £16m not have been better spent on a striker?
– Whilst we are on that, letting two young prospects go to Fulham in exchange for Konchesky. According to Roy, Fulham had been tracking these players for a couple of years. Who was Fulham manager Roy? You were tracking them but then let them go? The mind boggles.
– Worst start to a League in 50 years.
– Alienating players. Agger, Johnson, Pacheco and where has Jovanovic gone?
– Losing fairly and squarly to a side about 1562 places below us in the Football League. At Home.
– Press conferences. Too many cringeworthy ones to mention but straight after Old Trafford takes the biscuit. Actually, saying he hoped we wouldn’t get beat 6-0 before City does. Actually, saying he thought we wouldn’t win at Birmingham does. Or backtracking furiously on Johnson (blaming the Agent? It wasn’t the Agent who said he was poor to the press Roy!). Edit – just remembered our ‘best performance of the season’ after getting deservedly chinned by Everton.
– Having a poor Plan A, as evidenced by our league games, especially away from home. Before Bolton it was 442 days since Roy’s last league away win, first day of the season for Fulham last year.
– Having no Plan B. Number of points obtained from a losing position in the league = 0.
– Buying Christian Poulsen. Playing Christian Poulsen. Playing Christian Poulsen again even when he stinks the place out.
There are more, countless more in fact.
Going back to the original point, it looks like Pacheco is on his way. What for? For playing badly against Northampton? I am not saying this kid is the reincarnation of George Best but he does look to be useful, very useful. It is another case of a player being alienated by the current manager who seems happy to buy dross and settle for draws anywhere away from home.
It is our ‘way’ to support our managers. Not this fella though, the sooner he goes the better in my opinion. He was never a Liverpool manager in the first place, a remnant of the previous despised regime.
Walk on Roy. Now.
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