A Nightmare Before Christmas

It's becoming almost second nature once more to write the season off before christmas. And there is a very real risk of this season being even more of a nightmare than the last. Last season was far from perfect, but after 17 games last year Liverpool had 27 points, five more than this season. There seems little to be optimistic about and lets face it there is good reason for that too.

A wave of boos descended onto the Anfield pitch following the final whistle against Utrecht, the feeling is that Hodgsons final whistle as Liverpool manager will receive a far different response.

Supporters are not happy and rightly so, Liverpool's football in 2010 has been, on the whole, absolutely awful. Under Rafa last season, a season that promised so much yet delivered so little, Liverpool lost their way, and after only one bad season the 'rafalution' was ended. The main problems from last season - poor away form, and a distinct lack of attaching options in the absence of Torres. The response was perhaps the last great disaster of the old regime, hire a manager with an even poorer away record, a manager who in two seasons at Fulham had one good league run by the standards of the club and then a ride to Europa League final in the next without hitting the domestic heights of the previous season.

So Hodgsons in, he's good on a tight budget they tell us, the man made one good signing in Raul Meireles which was only facilitated by the exit of Mascherano. Konchesky, Cole, Poulsen all brought in, all have had far from a good start to their Liverpool careers. Aquilani was allowed to go out on a season long loan despite showing towards the end of last season that he might actually be starting to come good, his form for Juventus thus far has been so good they dont want him to leave ~ Hodgson never gave him a chance. To address the striking issue our top target was Carlton Cole, yes, that Carlton Cole who cant really buy a game for struggling West Ham, but he was seemingly the answer to our lack of attacking options, whilst Van Der Vaart was dismissed as a player that does not interest Liverpool FC, we all know who the vast majority would opt for. Admittedly under Tom and George we weren't going to see big money spent and Hodgson would struggle, so there was a good deal of sympathy for the man then,  but not now.

The only thing that saved Hodgson from the full backlash of the fans early on was the continuing circus of Tom and George. Performances at the time were unacceptable and they still are, once our NESV saviours waltzed into Anfield following an 'epic swindle' that would have made Danny Ocean proud the only barrier of defence for Hodgson was removed, and the dull, unattractive, lifeless, disgraceful, disappointment which has been his Anfield reign was finally laid bare without reservation.

NESV quite rightly want to give the man time, he hasnt really had a chance to properly mould the team in his image altho many would say that that is exactly what he has done. And many simply do not trust Hodgson with the money that could be going his way ~ Carlton Cole.

Continually we are reminded in the media, on the message boards - mainly by mancs, gooners and other assorted small team supporters, the Chelsea boys have been quiet lately - that Hodgson is a great manager, a champion of the English game, with his fantastic record and his connections in Switzerland, he's the real deal, the man everyone wants. I cant see the goblins from Salford appointing him as Taggarts successor, nor Mr Abramovich welcoming him open arms. Weare talking about a man with a very poor record in English football, a man we're told has the worst away record in Premier League History.

Hodgson has managed 16 teams in 8 different countries, a fantastic achievement, yet he hasn't won a single thing outside of scandinavia and the bulk of those honours came in the 80's. So this is the great manager who no one else would have, but we are meant to be happy hes ours. He has had a fantastic career - but he will NEVER be remembered as a truely great manager, im sure hes a great guy, but in football quite often there is no room for sentiment, and being polite and well spoken just wont cut it. At a time when Liverpool needed somone to come in, steady the ship and steer us back on course, we got a man who seems intent on scuttling the ship with a rub of his face and endless waffle about good performances and needing time to gel.

Football is a viscous world and there is absolutely no room for sentiment in football management. No other club would afford so much patience to a manager that the supporters quite frankly do not want. Not once this season - having attended every home game - have i heard Hodgsons name chanted, yet on different occasions i have heard the names of Benitez, Dalglish and Houlier chanted by the crowd, one out of respect on a first return since leaving, and the other two in direct opposition to the current management. Something has to give.

Resluts are unacceptbale, fans know it, NESV have admitted it, and Hodgson agrees, yet continually we are subjected to dire performances with each minor victory being hailed as the start of the 'mini revival' only for us to self destruct in the next game. We owe our league position to the fact that it is incredibly tight this year, in years gone by we would be well and truely adrift of the top four. Over the years Rafa was forced to admit that the title was beyond us by christmas, if things proceed the way they are going then it wont be long before Hodgson is forced to admit that a top 4 finish is beyond us by christmas.

Repairing the damage of the old regime was never going to be a quick and easy job, but the current manager, with his outdated tactics, away day blues and Mr nice guy attitude is the last failed remnant of that regime and the time has surely come for change. The players are not altogether blameless - but the lack of ambition stems from the manager as do the poor tactics, poor in game decisions and terribly tiring excuses.

2010 has been as close to a nightmare as you can get for a top team in football, and there is a great deal of renewed hope and expectation around the club at present and it seems only right that the duty to take the club forward rests in a manager entirely of NESV's own choice, someone who actually knows what it is like to manage a top team in the current footballing climate, someone who commands the respect of the players and earns the respect of the support.....

.....Roy Hodgson is quite simply not that man.