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Showing posts with the label Roy Hodgson

Baggies Snatch Win At Anfield

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Liverpool fell to yet another defeat in the league on Sunday as Roy Hodgson's side got the better of the Reds. Liverpool had chances aplenty and maintained pressure throughout the 90 minutes but they just couldn't find the back of the net.

Liverpool started without captain Steven Gerrard who was left out as a precaution according to manager Kenny Dalglish. Suarez and Carroll were opted up front with Kuyt and Maxi on the wings. Pepe Reina was also back between the sticks.

The first real chance for Liverpool fell to Dirk Kuyt who found himself in the area, his shot flew wide past the post and really he should have done better, but as always, it was too early to panic, or at least it would be for most teams because there was still plenty of time to grab a goal...

Later in the first half West Brom had a couple of great chances in the midst of a Liverpool attacking fest. The Baggies were denied though by two brilliant saves from Pepe Reina. Other than these two moments, West Brom …
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Carroll Converts In Baggies Win

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Charlie Adam and Andy Carroll sent Liverpool to a 2-0 win on Saturday at the Hawthorns. A penalty decision for the Reds got them under way and a goal just before half time ensured the three points.

West Brom were pretty absent throughout the 90 minutes and for a side who have been in great form of late after winning two local derbies, they certainly didn't have much to show for it.

The penalty decision at 8 minutes annoyed West Brom manager Roy Hodgson and so too the home fans. Without beating around the bush, i thought it was a penalty, none of this "it was harsh" nonsense, i just think it was a penalty. Suarez was tripped and i don't really see what people were complaining about but to be honest, even if the penalty wasn't given, what were West Brom doing to change their fortunes? Nothing.

Charlie Adam stepped up to take the penalty and confidently put the ball past Ben Foster to send Liverpool ahead.

In a game which didn't include Gerrard or Carragher, eye…
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Can Liverpool Start Taking Their Chances?

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It's West Brom on Saturday for Liverpool, the Reds return to see Roy Hodgson as he looks to continue building his start to the season. West Brom are currently 12th in the league with Liverpool in 6th.

Injuries for West Brom mean that one of their star men; Shane Long will be unavailable for kick off on Saturday. The striker picked up a knee injury recently and is expected to be out for a fair few weeks.

Liverpool once again don't really have any injury worries but Luis Suarez did pick up a slight knock in the Carling Cup midweek so he may not be risked by manager Kenny Dalglish.

The last fixture between the two sides was in April of last year. Roy Hodgson got the last laugh over the club he'd left just months earlier in a 2-1 win for West Brom. Prior to this, we had to go back all the way to 1981 to find a West Brom win over the Reds at the Hawthorns.

The two goals scored by West Brom in their win last year are the only two goals Liverpool have conceded in their last 11 ga…
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Let's Look Back On The Season

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AUGUST 2010

Well it started off at rock bottom for Liverpool, Hicks and Gillett were still at the helm, the life sucking hold on the club felt like it would never go away. Rafa had gone and his replacement of Roy Hodgson didn't exactly instill confidence into the masses. Nevertheless, the Anfield faithful were ready to give him a chance and we started the season in the best spirits we could.

July saw us manage our Europa League qualifiers but August's first match saw us lose to Borussia Monchengladbach. The first game an Anfield was played against Rabotnicki (always thought it sounded like a Sonic enemy) two goals saw the Reds continue their progress in the Europa League.


Joe Cole was sent off in a draw with Arsenal, we were battered by Man City in a 3-0 loss and some Torres magic saw us beat West Brom.


In the news... -Forest fires swept across Russia in bizarre conditions of extremely warm weather around the capital Moscow. -The Pakistan floods worsened as the country desperatel…
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Hodgson Gets Last Laugh Over Liverpool

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Hodgson and Daglish shake hands before kick off...
A tough game for Liverpool from the onset after injuries meant a complete reshuffle of the defence early on. Skrtel put the Reds in front but the talented Odemwingie just back from injury was fit enough to cause several problems for Liverpool's back four and West Brom took all three points with two conversions from the penalty spot.

Hodgson isn't the kind of man to set out for revenge but if i was him even i would be smiling sweetly tonight. Perhaps we put elements to our own downfall but there is no denying the Baggies played well and Roy must have learnt something from his time managing at Anfield because his set up did the trick today.

An early Kuyt header saved from close range by Scott Carson set the tone for Liverpool who would have few chances and be unlucky when they arose. Luck wasn't on our side either when two injuries within the first twenty minutes meant Glen Johnson had to be replaced with Sotirios Kyrgiakos a…
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Liverpool To Face Hodgson's New Side

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Facerubitus...
And we're back. Don't you hate those pesky international breaks? Not so bad when Carroll and Kuyt get a goal each though i suppose. Anyway, with minimal damage in terms of injuries Liverpool are up against Roy Hodgson's West Brom this weekend.

The clash at The Hawthorns could be an interesting one for the Reds and Hodgson will surely be out to attempt to prove a point. I think after experiencing Hodgson's managerial style for ourselves he won't try to outwit the opposition he will simply defend against it. I can see a strong back four being the key to Hodgson's plan tomorrow.

King Kenny on the other hand will surely be out to show Hodgson who's boss. With Carroll and Suarez fast becoming the most feared front line in the league the relegation battling West Brom side will certainly be worried.

Injuries for the Baggies mean they are without Graham Dorrans. I personally think he is one of their best players and feel they will miss him as a vital …
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Roy Makes Way For The King

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Photo quality is terrible but just went to fish this out my draw, it's my autograph from Kenny Dalglish when i met him in the Molineux boardroom last year! :)...
Liverpool Football Club today have parted ways with manager Roy Hodgson. In a move that was predicted to happen sooner rather than later it sees Roy leave on the back of just 7 wins out of 20games played in the league.
With the humiliating defeat to Merseyside rivals Everton, a home defeat to Blackpool and an embarrassing loss at home at the hands of bottom side in the league at the time - Wolverhampton Wanderers, well it was no surprise that Roy's time was coming to an end.
A highlight perhaps of some of his achievements are only really an unbeaten run in the early stages of the Europa League and a home victory over Chelsea. Fair play to Hodgson for his time here and i do wish him all the best because i'm not some sort of bitter fan who will do my utmost to continue a disliking for our ex manager. I wish Roy all th…
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Benjani Brace Helps Blackburn To Victory

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He's in a Premier League sack race, don't worry, there will be no egg and spoon race to follow...
Well, where do i start? The predictable reintroduction of the bumbling Paul Konchesky? The fact that Blackburn put three goals past us? Or the familiar scene of Roy on the sidelines brushing his face with his fingertips?
Fact is, i don't know where to start, perhaps the beginning, middle and end layout for my regular blog posts can be scrapped and i'll just start at the Gerrard goal and forget everything else happened?
I'm past the point of caring now and i must say it's a horrible feeling. To get to a stage where i honestly do not even care that we've lost or a more accurate description may be that i am no longer surprised... Well it's a sad day in my time as a Liverpool fan.
I could waste sentences on getting into the whole Roy Hodgson argument but i won't bore you with my rant like nonsense. What i will say is that now, surely even he can see it is time …
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Roy Set To Face His Old Fulham Side

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Any more of this face rubbing and i'm gonna have to go Phantom Of The Opera-stylee...
Fulham fans will probably be quite pleased to see Roy Hodgson tomorrow when they make the trip to Anfield. Mark Hughes hasn't exactly got them off to a good start and Roy is still a well respected figure down South. Of course, we all know the reason behind this... Because Roy is a Fulham level Manager. However i still wouldn't fancy a swap deal for Hughesy would you??
For Liverpool some perhaps positive news in the hope that Captain Steven Gerrard will be ready to start against Fulham tomorrow. Spearing, Carragher and Agger however are still out and i'm getting more and more concerned with Agger's case, i just don't believe what they're telling us. After reading those comments in the Danish press, i just can't get the thought that something more serious is wrong out of my head.
Fulham have injuries to Senderos, Zamora, Stoor, Halliche, Dembele and Briggs. However most of …
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Bore Draw Ensures Liverpool Top The Group

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The defender was impressive again...
We knew it wasn't going to be a thriller yesterday but my word it was difficult to keep my eyes open towards the end. In fact the only thing keeping me awake was the possibility of Kyrgiakos scoring and winning me 20 quid. I can't begin to think how bored the thousands of kids who got in for free were.
A shadow of a regular Reds side was fielded by Roy Hodgson who unfortunately didn't start Fernando Torres after saying that he would earlier in the week. Apparently this was due to advice from medical staff.
Not even Pepe Reina was in goal for this one, the man who tends to never miss out on a game had a seat in the stands instead so it was Brad Jones' chance to shine between the sticks.
Martin Skrtel was captain on his 26th birthday and Babel with young starlet Nathan Eccleston lead the line.
The Utrecht fans arguably provided more entertainment than their own side as they continued to supply an atmosphere throughout the 90minutes.
Liver…
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Early Christmas Carroll For Liverpool Sings Of Woeful Season

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Kuyt got Liverpool's only goal...
An embarrassing 3-1 defeat yesterday for Liverpool has only piled even more pressure onto manager Roy Hodgson and onto the lads to fork out some consistency. Of course different fans have different views on the reasons why Liverpool's season has been so atrocious but i think one thing we can agree on is something needs to change.
1 win in our last 9 away fixtures is not acceptable. For a side like Liverpool, faltering or not, that kind of away form would stand you in good stead for relegation favourites if it were paired up with a matching home form, thank god it's not but it's just not good enough.
Newcastle's first goal came within the first 15minutes. The Reds beforehand had a few chances from the likes of Kyrgiakos and Maxi but nothing really to threaten the Magpies. Kevin Nolan capitalised on his chance and managed to get the ball past Reina at his near post. The assist came from Andy Carroll who would later pop up again, i didn&…
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Difficult Task For Liverpool At Spurs

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I'd bank on him netting or setting one up...
Liverpool travel to White Hart Lane on Sunday on the back of a convincing 3-0 win over fellow Londoners West Ham United. Arguably the victory isn't a worthy example of decent form but as proved against Chelsea this season the Reds don't necessarily need good form to be beating big teams.
Spurs are on the back of uplifting wins over Werder Bremen in the Champions League and a hard fought victory over bitter rivals Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend. With players such as Gareth Bale looking a stronger threat as each game goes by, Liverpool need to be on their toes for Sunday's fixture.
The Reds are without influential captain Steven Gerrard who we will sorely missed. Also still out is Daniel Agger. Jay Spearing is the latest to be added to the injury list after he cracked a bone above his ankle. Some good news though is the possible re-emergence of Joe Cole, Hodgson is hoping to reintroduce the winger in the clash with Sp…
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Deserved Win For Stoke Highlights Poor Liverpool Display

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Martin Skrtel's interesting defensive techniques yesterday could have made it a better margin for Stoke...
Liverpool fell to a Stoke defeat on Saturday evening and again made a lacklustre performance look almost like a crafted art form. The terrible display from the Reds only adds to the ever growing pressure on manager Roy Hodgson and is backing up many a fans theory about how Hodgson and the boys are set up for away fixtures.
Liverpool held out for the first 45minutes but barely so. Stoke were playing well and Liverpool were asking to be punished. A hardly electric performance from star man Torres didn't help but other effective players such as Kuyt and Meireles were also nonchalant.
Skrtel who was looking super unsteady was also causing nervy situations when Stoke were on the attack and the Reds were subject to many attempts at goal from Tony Pulis's side within the first 45minutes.
I knew from kick off this wasn't going to be a walk in the park but this was just unacce…
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Reds Hold On To Draw

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Rodallega punished again...
Liverpool just about managed to come away from the DW with a point yesterday, after a promising early start it only got worse for the Reds and with several threats from Wigan, at one stage it looked like we could be staring defeat in the face.
A steady start from Liverpool meant that the Reds could capitalize within the first ten minutes. Showing similarities to the start of the Chelsea game, it was Fernando Torres who again began Liverpool's goalscoring.
A lovely pass from Steven Gerrard meant the number 9 could collect the ball and make a run. Using his strength he battled with the Wigan defender and with another cool finish got himself his third goal in two games.
A top start and a goal already, it was looking fine and dandy for Liverpool who lost here last season and drew the season before. Martinez must have been weary of a Liverpool side who were on the back of three wins in the league but to be fair to Martinez, he and his side never let their guard …
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One Small Step In The League... Still A Giant Leap Left For Roy Though...

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Skrtel celebrates with Nando after the number 9 nets the winner...
Liverpool yesterday managed to bring their games won tally up to two in the Premier League, finally catching up with the amount of court cases they have won in the last month. The 2-1 win over Blackburn still leaves a lot to be asked and there's certainly many more steps to clamber up on this elongating ladder, but there were many positives to be taken from the clash with Sam Allardyce's boys, mainly the fact it actually looked like a side that wanted to go out there and get three points.
Fair play to Roy, the side he fielded despite having injury problems was a good one. Gerrard was played in a preferred position behind Torres. Meireles and Lucas made the centre with Cole and Maxi on the wings. Carragher, Konchesky, Skrtel and Kyrgiakos made up the defence with Reina in goal.
Although Roy's choice of starting XI was pleasing, he's not out of my cross-hair's sight yet, i can't easily forget the wor…
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"Buona Fortuna."

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Napoli's pitch was apparently vandalised this week but is said to be in ship shape now for tomorrow's game...
Liverpool travel to Italy tomorrow for a clash in Naples with Serie A side Napoli and as the title suggests, they will be in need of some "good luck". The third tie from our Europa League group somehow seems a world away from our problems within the Premier League. With no losses recorded at all so far for us in the competition, just 2 goals conceded and a return of 11 scored, things couldn't be in more of a contrast at the moment for the Reds in and out of Europe.
Liverpool will be without the injured Glen Johnson and Dirk Kuyt. Also unavailable through sickness is Daniel Agger (Really beginning to worry about Agger, reports from Denmark recently claiming he may be forced to give up football due to his constant back problems and now him missing a game through sickness, it just doesn't seem right. Wish him a quick recovery.) who did not travel with the …
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Grind It Out At Goodison

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"Why won't you work when my players kick you?!?!"
After some brilliant news yesterday for Liverpool fans, we look for a continuation of the feel good factor tomorrow when our boys face bitter blue neighbours Everton. Liverpool's record against the toffees is of course very good and the lads also did the double over Moyes's boys last season but after a poor start to our Premier League campaign and a loss at home to Blackpool to shake off us, well tomorrow's fixture could be a difficult one.
The plus side for Liverpool is that usually form can be thrown out the window in a game like this and everybody knows the Merseyside derby is always the one to watch. There's no doubt in my mind that someone at some point will get sent off and we could therefore be relying more so on luck and refereeing decisions rather than our performance.
Fernando Torres has passed fit for Liverpool which is a massive boost, in form or not i'd rather have Nando featuring in the derb…
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Liverpool Remain In Relegation Zone As Pressure Rises For Roy

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GET OUT OF OUR CLUB!
No. It's not a dream folks, Liverpool after 7 games are in the relegation zone. Perched in the very undesirable 18th position above Wolves and West Ham with just 6 points despite having played beatable opposition in terms of Birmingham, Sunderland and now Blackpool.
Fernando Torres leaving the field spelt bad news for the Reds from the start but the lack of heart from the players, the unworkable set up from Roy, not to mention his forced move to use Carragher as a left back meant Liverpool in the end didn't deserve to win. Blackpool played well and i think it's important that we don't just highlight our poor display but give them credit.
Roy's XI was a bit of a mixture this time, as mentioned with all out natural left backs injured and usual recovery man Agger also out, he opted to push Carragher out to the left. Glen Johnson was on the right with Skrtel and Kyrgiakos in the centre and Reina in goal.
Midfield was made up of Meireles on the right (?…
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Reina Prevents Reds Defeat

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Yer wha?! I can't hear yer!
It was a tough game yesterday for Liverpool and to be honest by the end of the 90minutes it could have been a less flattering scoreline. Despite the best efforts from the Reds it was the heroics of Pepe Reina that kept our dignity and in turn the point.
I did say in my match preview that this away fixture wouldn't be a walk in the park but analyzing Liverpool's chances/play it wasn't particularly fantastic.
Roy decided to go with Maxi Rodriguez in place of the injured Dirk Kuyt which i was quite happy to see. The rest of midfield was made up of Lucas, Poulsen and Jovanovic. Gerrard sat behind Torres, Reina in goal and a back four of new man Konchesky along with Carragher, Skrtel and Glen Johnson.
It was a match built up to be entertaining but one that unfortunately failed to meet expectations. Birmingham started the game well and were strong in attack, Liverpool appeared caught off guard, they knew the Blues would come at them but their rate of …
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