THE biggest problem for Roy Hodgson was, for once, not what was happening on the pitch at Anfield on Saturday.
It was what was surrounding him in the stands – or rather what wasn’t surrounding him – that should have been the biggest concern.
Being 10,000 down on capacity for a home league game at Anfield is unacceptable.
And a statistic like that won’t escape the owners’ notice.
They will be wondering about how much revenue that could potentially cost them. If season ticket holders are boycotting games as early as January that gives some indicator as to how many will renew if the current playing regime isn’t shaken up.
When you buy Liverpool the one thing you think you are guaranteed is a boisterous home support.
But it’s clear from the weekend that it is dwindling away.
Even when fans were disillusioned with the Hicks and Gillett regime they still turned up to vent their anger, knowing that the support of the team couldn’t waver.
It seems the abject defeat to Wolves – on top of all the other mediocrity they have had to put up with this season – has finally tipped some over the edge.
And I don’t think the win over Bolton will change any of that.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it was a good victory because after the rock bottom low of losing to Wolves, bouncing back with three points was vital.
There was a lot of pressure riding on the game and to secure the win is all that matters.
But Liverpool were still pretty average in the first half.
And as for the game changing direction, it was more due to the influence of Steven Gerrard than anything the manager said at half-time.
The lack of ideas Liverpool emerged with for the second half with in the Wolves game exposed some of Hodgson’s limitations, both in changing personnel, tactics and attitude of players.
One thing Liverpool have always done in front of their own fans down the years is press the opposition and look like a team fighting for their lives to try and win.
Hodgson doesn’t seem to have bought into that and it seems the stay-away supporters don’t have much confidence in him being able to turn it round.
All in all, the appointment just hasn’t worked.
What happens next is for the owners to decide but I will be amazed if there’s no action at some point.
One of the biggest things that counted against Hicks and Gillett was that they didn’t get on the same wavelength as the fans.
Unfortunately for Hodgson, I can’t see John W Henry making the same mistake.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/sport/columnists/columns/2011/01/04/mark-lawrenson-empty-seats-prove-roy-hodgson-and-liverpool-fc-relationship-doomed-92534-27927440/2/#ixzz1A3t2lLH9