This is a story that begins with a shock press conference in 1991 when events of the previous decade finally caught up with Kenny Dalglish and caused his shock resignation. The club was plunged into turmoil and thanks to the appointment of Graeme Souness that soon became catastrophic decline. A team that had once ruled England and Europe transformed into mid-table also rans.
The rebuilding began in 1994 under Roy Evans, he got us playing football again, he even managed one brief challenge at a league title. Later Gerard Houllier continued the good work and in 2001 he made us all proud to be Reds again. Then in 2004 Rafael Benitez took the reins and despite never quite managing to restore us to contention at home he took us to to European Cup finals and had the club riding high at the top of the UEFA rankings, we were once again a name to be feared throughout the continent, back on our fucking perch.
Amidst the turmoil and underachievement of last season debates raged on here about the future of the manager. Many felt that his achievements since 2004 had earned him at least one more season to try and address the problems, others wanted rid sooner. All of this was of course taking place to a backdrop of boardroom chaos and mismanagement of the club on a collossal scale. It seemed obvious to me, and many others, that in the midst of this what the club needed above all else was stability in the management position. We argued that the club, in its current state, was not an attractive proposition for any of the top managers, furthermore we doubted the ability of anyone in the current hierarchy to identify and recruit such a candidate even if they were interested. We asked those who wanted a change of manager who they thought we would get who was at least on the same sort of level as Benitez.
Well the respondents were broadly split into two camps; there were the deluded who reeled off names like Hiddink and Mourinho and there were the ostriches who claimed that it was not their job to pick a manager, we had people at the club who would do that, after all how many of us were naming Benitez as a successor to Houllier in 2003/4? Both camps scoffed loudly when we suggested that the best we would get as a replacement in our current state, with no footballing knowledge on the board at all, was a McLeish, McCarthy, Moyes or a Hodgson figure. An uninspired choice from men who don't know the game, the sort of choice Newcastle boards have been making for years.
Well, it looks like it has come to pass. And I hope all the backstabbing, treacherous, little c*nts who despite all the above were determined that we should get rid of the most successful manager we have had for the last twenty years are happy with how things have turned out. Your lack of support created a situation where poison Purslow thought Rafa's position had been weakened enough for a coup to take place unopposed. Great. We have now traded a manager with genuine European pedigree for a mid-table journeyman. A European Cup winner for a man who did quite well in Switzerland. Thanks for your help with that lads.... I am attempting to fight my desire to hunt every last one of you down and choke you on your own minced up genitalia. I'll let you know how I get on with the therapy.
BIG SIGH
So moving on. You have to adapt to the reality that you are in. And as always I will, from the moment he is officially announced, be focusing on supporting our manager. So welcome Roy Hodgson I hope things turn out well for you at Anfield. Hodgson's not a bad manager, indeed in many ways his record is ideal for the straitened times in which the club finds itself. In additon last season was so bad that there has to be immediate room for improvement there. His problem of course is that he may not get to that far... because Roy Hodgson is going to need all the luck in the world just to survive until September unscathed.
First he has to survive and audience with the King. Will Kenny walk? Has the delay in the appointment been while he was persuaded to stay and work with Hodgson. One thing is for sure, Kenny Dalglish was included in the selection process to give it an air of legitimacy that it could never command with the clueless Purslow in sole charge. If Kenny disagrees with this appointment then it loses that legitimacy and unfortunately for Hodgson that seriously weakens his position. Then if he makes that hurdle he has the problem of keeping key players until the transfer deadline closes. If the players slap in transfer requests then that amounts to a vote of no confidence in the new manager. Rafael Benitez faced the same challenge when he took over in 2004. He won one battle and lost the other, fortunately for us he won the right one. Hodgson's tenure will similarly depend on him winning the key battles to keep at least two of Gerrard, Torres and Mascherano. All this assumes of course that Purslow does not simply sell them above his head, if that happens then the argument that Rafa had to go because he would block sales becomes compelling and Hodgson is left looking like a powerless stooge.
It is going to be a fraught summer for all of us, but as usual it is at times like these that we have to give our full backing to our manager. He needs our support and if we withhold it then we have lost something that was precious and unique to this club. Don't give Purslow and his paymasters that satisfaction.
