Topic: Roy Hodgson tells Glen Johnson to get his act together

[shanklyboy]

I'm going to back Roy here. Whether or not he should be criticising Johnson in front of the media is debatable but it could well be the kick up the arse Glenn needs. People slag Roy for being too soft and as soon as he tries to get a grip of his players guess what he gets slagged again. There's been people commenting in this thread who haven't even read the article properly. Contrary to what "Roy said" Glenn isn't going to Spurs that's just pure media hype. There's no sources or direct quotes on him moving to Tottenham it was just a case of "XYZ team" needs a new full back and he's worked with old 'Arry before so obviously he'd like to go and play for them.....

The fact is Glenn has very rarely produced his Portsmouth / England form for us so without question he needs to step it up.

The debate isn't about IF Johnson is or isn't playing well or not, it's about IF this needed to be handled in such a public manner.

If Hodgson wants to talk about how poorly Johnson is performing then apart from the Napoli game, he would have to go back to the beginning of October to see his last performance.

So he'd been out for a month and has missed 6 out of our last 7 games. If that's a valid position by which to judge a players current form then I'll bow to Roy Hodgsons superior knowledge.
I would think that he could have had the same conversation with the press about Kuyt too....or Torres........or in fact if he wants to judge form on what was happening 7 games ago, on the vast majority of the squad.

The tone of the interview and his choice of words do nothing but cause another media rumour fest and a continued analysis by the supporters.....again!

It seems that every single press conference leads to further aggravation and makes a complete mockery of the 'steadying of the ship' ethos and 'great man manager' bollocks that we've been fed with a spoon for months.

I used to look forward to the pre-match press conferences but now I ignore them and hide behind a cushion until they are over, rubbing a rabbits foot with crossed fingers, hoping it goes off without another farce being played out.

No wonder the media love Hodgson.

[newterp]

no offense - this Roy is an idiot of epic proportions.....except he knows exactly how to play to the British press to make sure he looks good and to blame everyone else.

[IndianRed]

Just when I thought Roy was taking his press-handling lessons properly, he comes out and says that. Its unbelievable how some on here compare Rafa's criticisms to Roy's. Rafa was always dignified in his criticisms. Roy is basically suggesting here that the lad is mooching off in the first team because he happens to play at RB for England. Glen has always been a confidence player and this would probably shatter the remain shards of confidence he has left. 'Arry will be licking his lips at the thought of adding another of his former boys to the current Spurs squad. We, on the other hand, have to face the prospect of watching the Carlos Alberto of Bootle bomb up and down the touchline at RB.

And for those thinking Kelly will instantly step up, its the Insua situation all over again. A promising youngster, who's impressed till now, gets thrown into the deep end. When he's struggling to cope, the fans get on his back and end up driving him out of the club. It may take longer for Kelly since he's a local lad but make no mistake, unless you're a Paolo Maldini in terms of talent, you're bound to have a stinker of a patch sometime if you're played constantly as a youngster. I just hope Roy is not in charge of any transfers and more importantly, he isn't kept long enough to be part of any transfers taking place this season.

[shanklyboy]

Well I'm not lying. He paid over his bar tab so our boss wouldn't tell the paps. If you think I'm lying, fine. But I really do work there and I really did see him getting kicked out and I really do have a picture of him outside while some of his entourage are dealing with the aftermath. As someone has said, not everything makes the papers straight away.

And shanklyboy, the point I'm making is that the guy is hardly giving a great impression is he. I used the example of Cahill to show that I'm not anti footballers going out per se, but when he's playing shit and meant to be hurt, I would like to think he's doing everything he can to get fit and turn his form around. Running up a £450 bar tab before being thrown down the Pan Am steps backwards and into the side of a taxi, isn't really the way.

I suppose there are different interpretations of what happened.
Your's being the most valid one as you were there.

Paying over the odds on your bill used to be called 'tipping', but if you know that it was a bribe to keep something out of the press then I can't argue with that.

I just wonder what happened prior to him paying his bill that warranted that or did he get into the fight with the bouncers...get thrown down the stairs.......thrown against a taxi.....then go back in to pay his bill?

Obviously the Pan Am is on ground floor level so I would have thought that if he was thrown down the stairs into the main room it would have been from inside and there would have been one or two people downstairs who would have noticed;making it very difficult to keep it quiet despite slipping the manager a few bob.

Or was this being thrown onto the street from the door?
If he was thrown against the side of a taxi then it was obviously a big kick off which continued outside, seeing how far away the door of the Pan Am is from the road.

Given that it was the night of the MOBOS though, I would have thought there would have been maybe one or two reprters there? Very difficult to keep quiet so a bit of a waste of a bribe in those circumstances.

As for the size of the bill and the action taken by the bouncers having a bearing on what he's doing to get fit........I don't see it.
Are you saying he was pissed or was in such a state that he wouldn't be able to do himself justice in training that week?

I don't drink but I could easily spend a few £100 on a night out in town with my mates. If I was earning £100k a week you could treble that if there were a few of us and it was my treat.

I'm sure we've all seen bouncers reacting in a way that was extreme for the actual behaviour they were trying to stop, but I wasn't there so I have no idea if what he and his mates were doing warranted it.

Did he punch the D.J at all?

[Vladi Legend]

The debate isn't about IF Johnson is or isn't playing well or not, it's about IF this needed to be handled in such a public manner.

If Hodgson wants to talk about how poorly Johnson is performing then apart from the Napoli game, he would have to go back to the beginning of October to see his last performance.

So he'd been out for a month and has missed 6 out of our last 7 games. If that's a valid position by which to judge a players current form then I'll bow to Roy Hodgsons superior knowledge.
I would think that he could have had the same conversation with the press about Kuyt too....or Torres........or in fact if he wants to judge form on what was happening 7 games ago, on the vast majority of the squad.

The tone of the interview and his choice of words do nothing but cause another media rumour fest and a continued analysis by the supporters.....again!

It seems that every single press conference leads to further aggravation and makes a complete mockery of the 'steadying of the ship' ethos and 'great man manager' bollocks that we've been fed with a spoon for months.

I used to look forward to the pre-match press conferences but now I ignore them and hide behind a cushion until they are over, rubbing a rabbits foot with crossed fingers, hoping it goes off without another farce being played out.

No wonder the media love Hodgson.

All depends on how Glenn reacts to it really. If he gets his place back and puts in some good performances then it could be deemed that Roy handled things correctly. While one line of thought would suggest that all players should be treated the same another might say that a good "man manager" would know how to get the best out of each and every individual player and sometimes that might mean the difference between putting his arm around one player, and having a quite word, or taking the more outspoken approach with another player, as in this case.

[shanklyboy]

All depends on how Glenn reacts to it really. If he gets his place back and puts in some good performances then it could be deemed that Roy handled things correctly. While one line of thought would suggest that all players should be treated the same another might say that a good "man manager" would know how to get the best out of each and every individual player and sometimes that might mean the difference between putting his arm around one player, and having a quite word, or taking the more outspoken approach with another player, as in this case.

I'm all for the manager acting in whatever manner he sees fit to get the best out of a player. He carries the can for the teams results so he can use his judgement as he sees fit.

If Hodgson had taken Johnson to one side and bollocked him I don't have an issue. If he takes him to one side and puts his arm around him, I don't have an issue. If he kidnapped Johnsons Grandma until the lads form returned...........fair enough.

However he isn't doing that is he?
He's doing it in public in a manner that is demeaning and antagonistic.
After all that has gone on with him in the  press I would have thought doing it behind closed doors and maybe.......just maybe putting on a different public face to the press instead of heaping additional pressure on the player instead might have been something worth thinking about.

Instead it gives the press another story about a Liverpool player being sold and the fans more reason to be pissed off at the manager.

All avoidable and all too frequent.

[Danny_]

To be honest, I am anti-Hodgson.  I don't think he's the right man for the job.  But, I'm not so blinkered as to criticize him for everything.  He is dead right about Johnson.  He has been under-performing for the last year and he needs a kick up the ass.  I know he's been injured a bit but if Rafa was still around, he'd probably be doing the same thing with him.  Hell, Rafa even did it with Alonso! Maybe, you can say it should be kept behind closed doors but there are different ways to skin a cat...

[Ultimate Bromance]

Not sure I like that he's done it in public, or how super negative it is, but I do like that he's giving Johnson a kick up the backside, and love that he's not guaranteeing him an automatic selection once hes' fully fit. Kelly has loads of potential, and on the back of his past 2 performances, has earned his spot.

Now if he treats the rest of them the same way...*cough*Pacheco, Carragher*cough.

[downtown]

http://w382.wrzuta.pl/film/8wLp9gd9bjb



this is what we can get from this man........absolutely brilliant, I remember this game we had Agger-Skrtel partnership at the back and Masch playing a good game.

best RB performance I've ever seen in my life by any player (and I watch a lot of football outside of PL)

[Vladi Legend]

I'm all for the manager acting in whatever manner he sees fit to get the best out of a player. He carries the can for the teams results so he can use his judgement as he sees fit.

If Hodgson had taken Johnson to one side and bollocked him I don't have an issue. If he takes him to one side and puts his arm around him, I don't have an issue. If he kidnapped Johnsons Grandma until the lads form returned...........fair enough.

However he isn't doing that is he?
He's doing it in public in a manner that is demeaning and antagonistic.
After all that has gone on with him in the  press I would have thought doing it behind closed doors and maybe.......just maybe putting on a different public face to the press instead of heaping additional pressure on the player instead might have been something worth thinking about.

Instead it gives the press another story about a Liverpool player being sold and the fans more reason to be pissed off at the manager.

All avoidable and all too frequent.

As much as I don't want the media to be fed more bullets how do we know that Roy hasn't already tried the softly softly behind closed doors approach and that hasn't worked so things have resulted in a few words being said in public?

And as much as I want Roy replaced with a better manager I still think people are too eager at times to jump down his throat and criticise every single thing he does.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

I think everyone's agreed that Johnson can and should be playing better. We've all seen him play better, but sitting on the 18 yard line really isn't his game.

For Roy to do this in public...again, is terrible. Who's next for the public shaming eh Roy? can't be Poulsen because you brought him in and want to shield him, so i'm presuming that the same goes for Raul and Paul as well eh. Tell you what that, that Skrtel, Carragher, gerrard, Torres, Maxi, Kuyt and Reina haven't been playing as well as they should eh. Time for them to be named and shamed in the press as well. I know, how about we demote everyone apart from Konchesky, Meireles, Poulsen and Jones down to the B team, then everyone apart from who you bought in the summer can be lumped into deceiving you this whole season.

Hodgson's a joke, the tactics against Wigan were horrific to watch and an utter return to our true form of this season. Next up we go to wigan, who are a fucking nightmare to play at their place if you don't get it right from the start. Last season when we went there we'd just been dumped out of the cup by reading after a pathetic display. Away to stoke we gritted, dug in and should have won the game despite not playing brilliantly or having our 2 man team. After the high of beating Chelsea, the display against wigan was a disgrace. i don't care if the players were a bit tired, we should have been far, far better. We play like that against stoke and I can see us losing and all the good work of the past couple of weeks has been all undone.

So perhaps Roy, keeping it behind closed doors might have been the best option eh. Then again, you're super media savvy aren't you.

As much as I don't want the media to be fed more bullets how do we know that Roy hasn't already tried the softly softly behind closed doors approach and that hasn't worked so things have resulted in a few words being said in public?

And as much as I want Roy replaced with a better manager I still think people are too eager at times to jump down his throat and criticise every single thing he does.

If his man management skills are so crap that each time he fails behind closed doors he has to go public, then he shouldn't be anywhere near managing a football team. I do agree that we're ready to jump down his throat at any opportunity, but it's not like he's giving us any other option is he really?

[shanklyboy]

As much as I don't want the media to be fed more bullets how do we know that Roy hasn't already tried the softly softly behind closed doors approach and that hasn't worked so things have resulted in a few words being said in public?

And as much as I want Roy replaced with a better manager I still think people are too eager at times to jump down his throat and criticise every single thing he does.

That's a fair point. Maybe he has tried that with Johnson.

When was that though..........sometime in the first 7 games of the season when Johnson was poor and Hodgsons actions might have had an effect or while he's been out injured and missed 7 of the last 8 games when whatever Hodgson says is extremely retrospective?

Poor timing....poor man management and a lack of foresight in my opinion.

[Mad Men]

My problem is this.

1) If Glenn Johnson is performing poorly, tell it to him in private. Why does the gaffer need to announce it to the whole world and then start speculation on the players future and to create instability? If he is not performing, keep it to yourself and talk to the player and get him to fight for his spot or improve his performances in the reserves.

2) He is/was injured and is coming back from being 10 days out. What good does it do to anyone (Kelly included) to be talking to the media about this and putting pressure on young Kelly like this?

I just don't understand the logic of this wanker.....I haven't resorted to calling him any derogatory names but this was just too bloody much for me to take.

Can he just NOT SHUT UP?

[Spectre]

Roy Hodgson tells Glen Johnson to get his act together

Tony Barrett
1 minute ago

Rise of Kelly puts England defender’s Liverpool career at risk

Glen Johnson is facing a battle to save his Liverpool career after Roy Hodgson accused the right back of falling below the standards expected of an England international.

The Liverpool manager has become increasingly frustrated at Johnson’s slump in form and the emergence of Martin Kelly, 20, at right back in recent weeks has prompted him to make it clear to the former West Ham United, Chelsea and Portsmouth player that he will not be guaranteed to return to the starting line-up even after he has recovered from a groin injury.

Apart from the opening weeks of his Liverpool career at the start of last season, Johnson has struggled to justify the £18 million Rafael Benítez paid for him 16 months ago and there is a growing feeling at the club that a transfer would be in the best interests of everyone, with scouts detailed to look for a possible experienced replacement in addition to the promising Kelly.

New England Sports Ventures, the new Liverpool owner, is looking to introduce a more circumspect approach to player expenditure in terms of transfer fees and salaries, and the likelihood is that it would question whether Johnson, who is paid about £120,000 per week, is providing value for money, particularly having been recruited at such a significant initial outlay and one that was swelled by an agent’s fee of an additional £2 million.

Johnson has been ruled out of this evening’s Barclays Premier League match away to Stoke City, but Hodgson is unlikely to provide the 26-year-old with a return even when he is able to prove that he has put his recent injury problems behind him.

The manager wants to see tangible proof that fitness is accompanied by form before selecting Johnson.

“The big thing is whether he will be fit enough to play any part in the game, that’s more relevant than whether he will get his place back,” Hodgson said. “He’s the England right back and if he plays like that, one would expect him to come back in. But then he’d have to play like the England right back and up to now, to be quite frank, he’s not performed — very often, at least — to the level I’d expect of him.

“You would have to ask him the question, ‘Do you think you’re playing at top form and are you playing like the best right back in the country for your club?’ If he says yes, obviously we will have to agree to differ and if he says no then you’d have to ask the question, ‘Why not?’ ”

Tottenham Hotspur would be one possible destination for Johnson were a parting of the ways to become inevitable. The full back enjoyed the best form of his career working under Harry Redknapp, the Spurs manager, while the pair were at Portsmouth. Juventus are also believed to be interested but it is doubtful that the player will be sold during the January transfer window, a move next summer being the more likely option.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are continuing to monitor the development of Adam Barton, the 19-year-old midfield player who is considered one of the brightest prospects at Preston North End. Barton withdrew from the Northern Ireland squad this year to maintain his chances of playing for England.

***********

So which clogger will be replacing Johnson this winter? i'm thinking Luke Young must be quite high up on Roy's list. Clearly an attacking right back doesn't fit into Roy's hit and hope footballing philosophy.

You GOT to be kidding me??? 120K ffs!

[saintslfc13]

Will he say the same thing to Caesar Carragher?  Although with Caesar, it is more than a loss in form.

Wouldn't "Brutus" be more apt?

On topic, I'd like to see Johnson have to fight for his place. He's a great asset when on form but I fear in the Roy Hodgson tactical set up he'll be expose more often that he'll assist the attack. I like the idea that Kelly is coming through though, or so it seems at least. Now if only he told other players who haven't been u to par their place is I'm jeopordy we might have something.

[subroc]

Not if he's getting chucked out of nightclubs when injured (or is it aeroplanes?) 

Roy does seem a bit hot on the old discipline front, so maybe this "incident" triggered the need for a public dressing down.

No, Hodgson barracked him for not playing well enough to deserve the England RB position. Not for disciplinary reasons, so all this stuff about him being thrown out of some pub is completely beside the point. What Hodgson has done is yet again create another press media storm for no good reason and now we will get endless speculation about yet another Liverpool player about to leave the club.

Does Hodgson have a deal with his press friends to give them at least one controversy a week to write on so that they will stay off his back???!!!!

[subroc]

Only 12 premiership games into the season, and Roy has already frozen out/fallen out with Agger, Pacheco, (reportedly) Reina, and now Johnson. That's on average 1 player for every 3 premiership games. This must be yet another record to be ashamed of. By the end of the season, we won't have any first team players left a this rate!

[Alonso_The_Assassin]

My problem is this.

Can he just NOT SHUT UP?

?

[Les Willis]

Although I've been one of the ones trying to stick up for Roy, I think it's pretty bad judgement to keep coming out in the press and having a go at players. On the one hand, you could argue that a lot of managers do this, but on the other hand, it generally makes them look bad.

Roy has enough detractors, but he doesn't help himself by doing this. It just gives people more ammo to shoot him down with. 

[Mad Men]

?

Beautiful dog btw...

[minusone]

Roy is saying all the right things.



To make himself look good and the blame belong to someone else.

[IndianRed]

Compare and contrast Roy's foot-in-the-mouth criticism with the comments that Roberto Mancini has made about another Johnson in his own team:

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has singled out his winger Adam Johnson for the second time in two months, seeking to keep the young star's feet on the ground.

Mancini is still wary that the 23-year-old is letting the glamorous off field lifestyle of a footballer take precedence over his career ambitions and says that the player still has much room for improvement.

"When a young player plays five games very well all the newspapers say: 'Oh, this Adam Johnson is a fantastic player.' But Adam is a young player and he can improve a lot if he thinks more when he plays." The Italian told The Guardian.

"He's a good player but he's only 22, he's played only 20 games in the Premier League and it's impossible to think of him now as a top player.

"He's a good guy, but when you are young and you read the newspapers: 'I am the top, I am the top.' For this, he must work, he must think, he must work for the team; not two dribbles, two crosses. In a top team you need more.

"He must keep his feet on the floor and he must stay there. He's a good player, he has fantastic talent but he is not a top player at this moment.

"Maybe he can arrive at the top but the difficulty is to stay there. Adam has a quality to go to the top and stay there but he must improve."

He's pretty much tried to make the same point across as Roy did, but notice the classy way in which he accomplishes it. And to think English isn't even his natural language.

[Jagged Princess]

I think everyone's agreed that Johnson can and should be playing better. We've all seen him play better, but sitting on the 18 yard line really isn't his game.

For Roy to do this in public...again, is terrible. Who's next for the public shaming eh Roy? can't be Poulsen because you brought him in and want to shield him, so i'm presuming that the same goes for Raul and Paul as well eh. Tell you what that, that Skrtel, Carragher, gerrard, Torres, Maxi, Kuyt and Reina haven't been playing as well as they should eh. Time for them to be named and shamed in the press as well. I know, how about we demote everyone apart from Konchesky, Meireles, Poulsen and Jones down to the B team, then everyone apart from who you bought in the summer can be lumped into deceiving you this whole season.Hodgson's a joke, the tactics against Wigan were horrific to watch and an utter return to our true form of this season. Next up we go to wigan, who are a fucking nightmare to play at their place if you don't get it right from the start. Last season when we went there we'd just been dumped out of the cup by reading after a pathetic display. Away to stoke we gritted, dug in and should have won the game despite not playing brilliantly or having our 2 man team. After the high of beating Chelsea, the display against wigan was a disgrace. i don't care if the players were a bit tired, we should have been far, far better. We play like that against stoke and I can see us losing and all the good work of the past couple of weeks has been all undone.

So perhaps Roy, keeping it behind closed doors might have been the best option eh. Then again, you're super media savvy aren't you.
If his man management skills are so crap that each time he fails behind closed doors he has to go public, then he shouldn't be anywhere near managing a football team. I do agree that we're ready to jump down his throat at any opportunity, but it's not like he's giving us any other option is he really?

Where have you been hiding lately? 

Just sat and read through all of this thread and was going to post something similar but you beat me to it. 

Someone seriously needs to get a grip of Roy and tell him to shut it.  Thought we were past all this shit of constantly being in the media when Twit & Twot were kicked out but up pops reliable, arm round the shoulder Roy, the man to stabilise LFC. 

[Spectre]

I agree with his criticisms the Johnson and second him on Kelly keeping his place but the merits of going public with that are not very obvious , if there are any.

Just have to wait and see how Johnson reacts , whether he is a "negative reinforcement" kind of guy or not.

[Rigden]

To be honest it's hard to criticize Johnson for having to play in a system that do not speak to his skills whatsoever. Unless we start playing Johnson at RM I doubt that he will improve much under Hodgson.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Perhaps it's just me - but Roy. Please. Shut up. Please. You're embarrasing yourself. You're embarrasing the club. I've never seen anything like it at LFC. It's just not right. Every day seems a day he can't get by without having a go at the club (Not a big club any more, always been shite away, always, be lucky to beat the likes of Brum or Wigan away), having a go at the fans (These people aren't helping, Internet Terrorists, blah blah blah) or having a go at players (To be honest, too many occasions he's washed his dirty linen in public).

Roy. Shut up. Just shut up.

[Rigden]

Roy. Shut up. Just shut up.

[Jagged Princess]

Roy. Shut up. Just shut up.

Really tempted to 'fix this for you' but it wouldn't be very complimentary and unlike our Manager, I know when to keep my mouth shut!

[pink-radebe]

http://w382.wrzuta.pl/film/8wLp9gd9bjb



this is what we can get from this man........absolutely brilliant, I remember this game we had Agger-Skrtel partnership at the back and Masch playing a good game.

best RB performance I've ever seen in my life by any player (and I watch a lot of football outside of PL)

Aye, that was a good display. Will we ever see that Johnson under Roy? *sigh*

[Groundskeeper Willie]

Although he´s not wrong, he should keep it between him and the player.

What´s the point in him going public with it?

Shut up, please!

[Groundskeeper Willie]

Roy is shrewd, in front of the media. He washes his hands clean of everything. He puts in an excuse in the form that the media would understand. He knows the Glen isn't going to perform with the system he is comfortable with, and hence he has already made sure that the pressure is on the player and not on him.

Did something similar with Torres, said that it's the world cup and that the boy is in depression. The media enjoys that as it gives them stories to write about. And it serves Roy's purpose. He washes his hands clean of things even before they have become an issue. He is a self serving, selfish man who knows how his image won't be tarnished. His lies have been repeated so many times in the media that right now getting this team into the top half looks like an achievement, while his predeccesor was sacked because he could not get us into 4th place, which we felt short by a massive 7 points.

It's getting ridiculous how the man plays the media. But the Liverpool fans are seeing through it.

Get out of the club sir, before you do any further damage.

I agree with that.

[Alan_X]

As much as I don't want the media to be fed more bullets how do we know that Roy hasn't already tried the softly softly behind closed doors approach and that hasn't worked so things have resulted in a few words being said in public?

There is no reason to take this public. It's a manager getting his excuses in early - that's all.

[Roy of the rovers]

Roy Hodgson tells Glen Johnson to get his act together

The Liverpool manager has become increasingly frustrated at Johnson’s slump in form and the emergence of Martin Kelly, 20, at right back in recent weeks has prompted him to make it clear to the former West Ham United, Chelsea and Portsmouth player that he will not be guaranteed to return to the starting line-up even after he has recovered from a groin injury.

Apart from the opening weeks of his Liverpool career at the start of last season, Johnson has struggled to justify the £18 million Rafael Benítez paid for him 16 months ago and there is a growing feeling at the club that a transfer would be in the best interests of everyone, with scouts detailed to look for a possible experienced replacement in addition to the promising Kelly.

The manager wants to see tangible proof that fitness is accompanied by form before selecting Johnson
“You would have to ask him the question, ‘Do you think you’re playing at top form and are you playing like the best right back in the country for your club?’ If he says yes, obviously we will have to agree to differ and if he says no then you’d have to ask the question, ‘Why not?’ ”

WTF is this doing in the public domain? I've got no problem with a manager giving a private bollocking, and a public 'there's still some way to go' but this is awful

Aside from the fact that we ought to be making a lot more of an attacking fullback

[Red_Isle_Chap]

Where have you been hiding lately? 

Just sat and read through all of this thread and was going to post something similar but you beat me to it. 

Someone seriously needs to get a grip of Roy and tell him to shut it.  Thought we were past all this shit of constantly being in the media when Twit & Twot were kicked out but up pops reliable, arm round the shoulder Roy, the man to stabilise LFC. 

Me? Trying to do me back in JP

You know what, i'm seeing shades of Toshack (when he was in charge of wales) in Hodgson now. Doesn't give a flying fuck who he offends and forces out, as long as his system is maintained, despite the results and the obvious detriment to the team. The worst thing is that this might not have been all that bad, but to have to sit and read him defending Poulsen first, and then damning Johnson doesn't make any sense whatsoever to me.

most of the rest of the "A" team must be thinking who's next. And to be honest, i do pity the fool.

I'll get me coat.

[Passmaster Molby]

If whats Ive been told is true wait until tommorrow its going to get worse !!!

Sunday "paper" exclusive?

[furyyy]

the guy just doesn't know how to handle the media, it's as simple as that. nowadays, my head is already at the desk before he opens his mouth. Tactless.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

If whats Ive been told is true wait until tommorrow its going to get worse !!!

FFS!!!!!!

[Alonso_The_Assassin]

If whats Ive been told is true wait until tommorrow its going to get worse !!!

Don't leave us hanging. Might as well get it out now. It'll be easier for the mods to control then.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

Don't leave us hanging. Might as well get it out now. It'll be easier for the mods to control then.

Aye, or at least pm it to a mod and see if it's something we really should be reading or if it will send us spiraling into a rumour fueled, angry tailspin

[Andy @ Allerton!]

the guy just doesn't know how to handle the media, it's as simple as that. nowadays, my head is already at the desk before he opens his mouth. Tactless.

Sadly I think you're wrong. He's been handling the media for 35 years. Seen that reaction when he was at Inter about leaving Carlos out? Got asked about it and stormed out of the studio. He plays the press to make himself look good on every occasions. If he doesn't win it's because the fans are wankers, it's because the club is shite, it's because all the players are shite - except his golden pairing. It's because the media are nasty to him. It's because the stars are wrong. It's anything but him.