Roy The Rebuilder
Roy The Rebuilder
“Finally”, was the word many Liverpool fans uttered when it was revealed that Rafa Benitez would leave the club. Benitez always divived opinion on Merseyside, who could forget that memorable night in Instanbul or that magical FA cup final against West Ham. Those glorious nights are many many moons ago and towards the end of Benitez’s reign many feels it was those victories, especially the night in Instanbul that kept Benitez in the job for a season too long. The 2008 - 09 season proved proved to be Liverpools best domestic season for almost a decade and still they were runners up to Manchester United…..almost but not quite, a recurring theme in the Benitez reign.
Good bye Rafa, thanks for the memories
Welcome aboard Roy
Jose Mourinho, Martin Jol, Guus Hiddink, Frank Rijkaard were the names most people thought would be Benitez’s eventual replacement…oh my, how times have changed. with no Champions League football next season and broke owners no big would accepted the Liverpool job…sad, but true. Madrid and a blank cheque book or the Liverpool shambles? How easy the decision would have been for Mouinho had he been offered the Liverpool job. The Liverpool boards decision to appoint Roy Hodgson was the best decision they have made in years, a “steady the ship” guy is needed and who better than Roy? The 62 year old man from Croydon in London is one of the most travelled managers in Britain with stints in places such as Switzerland, Denmark, Italy and even the United Arab Emirates!! And who can forget him turning relegation candidates Fulham into Europa league finalists. As a manager he never had mountains of cash to spend on new players and thats another positive thats going to help him during his time at Liverpool, we all hope that this situation changes but at the moment it doesnt look as if it will anytime soon.
Joe Cole can make huge impact
The West Ham academy graduate can force liverpool into the top four, he is exactly the kind of player that the team sorely missed during the Rafa years. 90 000 pounds a week might sound a lot, but with no transfer fee paid it is worth every penny. His recent injury record might be a huge talking point for the doubters but a fully fit and flying Joe Cole would make the starting line up every top 3 premier league team. Hungry, english and world class its the exact opposite signing kopites have been accustomed to during Rafa’s reign. Milan Jovanovic(a Rafa goodbye gift) is another arrival that will add depth to the squad and showed at the world cup he can be a very handy player, even though he was playing in a hugely dissapointing Serbia team. Rangers impressive young defender Danny Wilson and Charlton Athletics Jonjo Shelvey are players for the future but its these kind of British players that will make sure liverpool return to their glory days. Every successful english team had a great British spine… think Keown, Adams, Parlour at Arsenal or Fergies United kids Beckham, Scholes, the Neville Brothers etc. Liverpools greatest days also came when almost the entire team were British… its not rocket science. When in doubt go back to what you know best, it seems the board have got the message.
Changing Expectations
Few liverpool fans expect the league title to arrive during Roy Hodgsons first season. If they were given third or fourth place right now, they would bite your arm off! Lowered expectations is exactly what is needed at this tricky time in the Merseyside clubs history. Who knows maybe even the FA cup or Europa league could be in the anfield cabinet at the end of the season but fourth place is a proirity, anything less might be deemed a failure. With one or two more quality additions we will certainly see liverpool up there in the top 4 mix…and with nobody expecting it, a decent title run might be on the cards too.
In Roy We Trust
written by Mahmood Booley
