Woy sacked by Email

[FatFreddysCat]

What a class outfit Liverpool are  :046: . Saying that i do find his downfall very amusing, yes i'm a bitter twisted person  :028:

[White Noise]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/01/09/2296678/fulhams-former-liverpool-midfielder-danny-murphy-kenny


Fulham's former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy: Kenny Dalglish is a sensible appointment

But Roy Hodgson deserved to have been given more time, says ex-Red


By Adithya Ananth


9 Jan 2011 08:54:00


Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy has backed the appointment of Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool manager until the end of the season, following the dismissal of Roy Hodgson.

The ex-Inter boss parted ways with the club after a series of poor results left the team only four points off the relegation zone, and Liverpool brought in former boss Dalglish - who was the last manager to win the league title with the Reds - to take charge of the side for the remainder of the season.

"They want to get it right, of course, and Kenny knows the club well, so it's quite a sensible appointment - and most if not all the fans love Kenny, respect him and will give him time to work with the team," Murphy told talkSPORT.

"It's a sensible decision and knowing Kenny he'll rise to the challenge. It is a sad day in the fact that I feel for Roy but the club will carry on. Managers come and go as players do but the club has to continue moving forward."

The veteran midfielder was also unhappy that his former boss was not given a significant amount of time to make his mark at Anfield.

"It's a strange time at the moment and I can't quite put my finger on why that is," Murphy added. "When Roy Hodgson came to Fulham we didn't win a game until his ninth game in charge and then we went on to finish seventh, which is the highest in the club's history, and reach the final of the Europa League.

"There is something to be said for stability and I also understand that clubs sometimes need to make decisions to move in a different direction, and that can work too, but the general overview and people who know football know that the best way to create stability and success is to stick with the manager and give him a bit of time."

[TonyGilroy]

I thought I would find his downfall amusing but actually find myself feeling a bit sorry for him. He must be feeling wretched seeing his hard earned reputation crash.

He's our best ever manager and Liverpool's worst.

I'd have had no problem with him going to Liverpool had it not been for the manner of his leaving. The fans adored him, almost literally, but once the Liverpool job was available we were completely ignored. We didn't even get the usual niceity of a thank you.

As if we didn't count at all which actually is the reason he failed at Liverpool. From the moment he arrived the Liverpool supporters were somehow irrelevant to him. He did nothing to get them on board. Traditionally Liverpool players and managers regard their supporters as being the heart of the club. Real football lovers to be cherished. By making no effort with them he had no credit when the results were bad.

He made no effort with us in fact, only needing the results he obtained. Ultimately I reckon his failure is not understanding the importance of a clubs' supporters. The esteem of his peers clearly mattered but not of the punters and that, actually, is real arrogance.

[White Noise]

http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Tom-English-Hodgson39s-average-Fulham.6684377.jp


Tom English: Hodgson's average Fulham record and underwhelming signings made Anfield exit inevitable

Date: 09 January 2011


By Tom English




Long before the end, the situation around Roy Hodgson at Liverpool resembled one of those episodes of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em when Frank Spencer, in attempting to fix a wardrobe, merely succeeds in collapsing a house.

Liverpool were in need of repair when Hodgson arrived last summer, but £25m later they were still toiling in 12th in the Premiership with an uprising happening within and without the club. The players, in growing numbers it seems, had turned on him. Hodgson had become a haunted figure, under siege from supporters and in hiding from the press. His refusal to hold his usual media conference on Friday, resorting instead to the safe haven of Liverpool's in-house television station, told us much about his mindset, but it was his assessment of today's FA Cup tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford that illustrated why Hodgson and Liverpool were never meant to be.

The day before his sacking, Hodgson said that it would be a "remarkable coup" if Liverpool were to knock their most ferocious rival out of the Cup in their own ground. He may as well have finished that sentence with "Oooh Betty..." as the hapless Frank was wont to do, because it was another in a series of Hodgson misjudgments of the Liverpool psyche. Winning at Old Trafford might represent a coup to a club like Fulham, from where he came, but not to Liverpool. It wasn't that long ago that Rafa Benitez took Liverpool to United and won 4-1. From the beginning, it was hard to argue against the view that though Hodgson was at Liverpool in body, too much of who he was remained happiest in the underdog's world.

Hodgson, as everyone agrees, is a decent man, but undoubtedly he was promoted above himself on the back of a fine job at Fulham that, it has to be said, was blown into something greater than it actually was. Last season, Hodgson's Fulham finished 12th in the Premiership, winning 12 of their 38 games. Stoke, Blackburn and Birmingham, clubs with similar budgets, all finished above them. That's not what you'd expect from a prospective manager of Liverpool.

Of course, it wasn't really the Premiership form that got Hodgson the manager of the year award and, subsequently, the job at Anfield. It was mostly to do with Fulham's journey all the way to the Europa League final, where they were beaten by Atletico Madrid, that made Hodgson flavour of the season. The Europa League, or old UEFA Cup, is a seriously competitive tournament but too much can be read into it. Shakhtar Donetsk, Espanyol, Middlesbrough, Sporting Lisbon and, of course, Rangers and Celtic have all made the final in recent times. Hodgson's achievement was a good one, but giving him the Liverpool job on the back of it was a knee-jerk reaction.

His reign was a calamity.

Much has been said about the supposed mess that he inherited from Benitez. But, in truth, how bad was Hodgson's lot? He took over a squad that had Pepe Reina, Glen Johnson, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Steven Gerrard, Maxi Rodriguez and Fernando Torres. That's not a top-four line-up by any means, but can anybody really say that it's worse than Stoke and Blackburn, Bolton, Sunderland and Newcastle, for all of these sides are ahead of Liverpool in the Premiership table right now.

Hodgson had problems in that he lost Javier Mascherano to Real Madrid, Yossi Benayoun to Chelsea and Alberto Riera to Olympiacos, but he had £25m with which to plug the gaps. Harry Redknapp got Rafael van der Vaart for a "mere" £8m after all.

Mistake has followed mistake. At £4.5m, Christian Poulsen was brought in to replace the departed Mascherano. Poulsen has been terrible. Hodgson also brought in Paul Konchesky at full-back. Konchesky, flailing about in the dark from early on, became a symbol of the Hodgson era. Him and his mother, Carol, who branded Liverpool fans "Scouse Scum" on Twitter when they began to give her boy some heavy flak.

Joe Cole cost nothing, but then he has done nothing. Raul Meireles, at £11.5m, was the one success but even then there is an argument to be made that had they not sent Alberto Aquilani, signed the previous season for £20m as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, on loan to Juventus then they wouldn't have needed Meireles. Hodgson was out of tune with Liverpool, but he embraced one aspect of the club's tradition. His dealings in the transfer market were poor. He wasted money. This is what Liverpool have been doing ever since Graeme Souness was apppointed manager 20 years ago this coming April.

Souness reckoned he needed a clearout of spent talent. Out, with the manager's blessing went the pair of 30-year-olds, Peter Beardsley and Ray Houghton, and the 22-year-old Steve Staunton. Later, he would get rid of Dean Saunders. To Souness's undoubted mortification in the years that followed, the four of them proved they were far from done in the game, unlike some of the players he brought in to replace them. Paul Stewart came from Spurs, Mark Walters from Rangers and Michael Thomas from Arsenal, followed some time later by the antithesis of what Liverpool players were supposed to be about - Julian Dicks from West Ham and Neil "Razor" Ruddock from Spurs. In his two full seasons in the chair at Anfield, Souness's team finished sixth and sixth. An era died in his hands.

Since then the likes of Robbie Keane, Andrea Dossena, Diego Cavalieri, Fernando Morientes, Mark Gonzalez, Aquilani, Bruno Cheyrou, El Hadji Diouf, Christian Ziege and Chris Kirkland have come and gone with little or no impact, despite costing a combined £89m.

Hodgson added to the pile of waste, and following a Christmas humbling by Wolves at Anfield before a humiliating thumping by Blackburn at Ewood Park he had little left to say to Liverpool fans but goodbye.

[White Noise]

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/michael-calvin/Michael-Calvin-column-Why-we-should-be-saluting-Captain-Bonkers-Tony-Adams-for-his-Azerbaijan-adventure-not-laughing-at-him-article667815.html

Why we should be saluting Captain Bonkers Tony Adams for his Azerbaijan adventure, not laughing at him

By Michael Calvin

Published 23:01 08/01/11

Listen to the whispers of boardroom butterflies, and Tony Adams is not so much off the radar, but on a different planet.

He's Captain Bonkers, Lord Gaga. A football man ­condemned as a fruit loop for daring to be different.

Tony's Excellent ­Adventure has taken him to Gabala, an ancient provincial town in Azerbaijan set in 500-year-old chestnut forests.

No sniggering at the back. He's heard the nut-job jokes before. He has unlimited funds to build a football club. It is in the middle of ­nowhere, but is taking shape, in his image

Returning to English ­football, during the winter break in the Azeri Supreme League, has been an out of body experience.

Even at 44, Adams could have played centre-half in the Arsenal team smothered by Manchester City in ­midweek. He is a master of the art of ­defending, but also saw an absence of ambition. A showpiece game had the entertainment value. Four Premier League ­managers ended that night on death row, their fates shaped by absentee ­landlords and anonymous abusers.

Adams was amongst friends at The Emirates.

He summoned a single ­statistic: 46 managers had been sacked in England since he joined FC Gabala last May. Roy Hodgson became No.47 while Avram Grant's number is next up.

It is the silly season. The game is drunk on a cocktail of anger, apprehension, guilt, greed and pure panic. Times are desperate. ­Everyone ­assumes mourners at a manager's funeral are grave robbers in disguise.

Management has ­degenerated into a series of show trials, staged in cyberspace by the ignorant, for the supposedly oppressed. TV sports news might as well be transmitted on the QVC channel. Agents hawk players through drones with iPads, who report rumour as ­unimpeachable fact.

And before you ask, yes, we in the popular prints do our bit to turn the volume up to 11. It's fantasy football, ­featuring club owners with a parallel agenda who know nothing of their club's culture.

Take Balaji Rao. I wish someone would.

He's a cross between a ­Bollywood villain and a porn star, complete with chest wig, earrings and a ponytail that plunges to his waist.

He's Managing Director of Venky's, the Indian chicken conglomerate which intruded into our consciousness by buying Blackburn Rovers.

He got what he wanted out of Ronaldinho, who has begun a secondary career as a beach bum.

Cheap column inches and a chance to use his new glove puppet, Steve Kean.

And we're supposed to ­believe Adams' initiative is insane? The Premier League is a ­Supernova. When it implodes – and it must, eventually – it will suck the game into a black hole.

Managers are given no time to work. Directors have no strategy beyond slavery to the League table.

Of course, it is easy to mock Adams, to turn FC Gabala into Borat FC. He has had to shoo cows off the training pitch. Ganja is a rival club, not something smoked by clients of his Sporting Chance charity for athletes with addictive personalities.

Adams has rejected the ­island ­mentality, which ­results in no substantial English ­player plying his trade abroad. The ­alternative to ­educating ­himself is ­sending begging letters to ­chairmen, who will pre-judge him on short term failure at ­Wycombe and Portsmouth.

The average life ­expectancy of a manager in England is 16 months.

A first-time boss can ­expect to lose his job within a year.

Adams may have taken the road less travelled, but it is those he left behind who have lost their way.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/michael-calvin/Michael-Calvin-column-Why-we-should-be-saluting-Captain-Bonkers-Tony-Adams-for-his-Azerbaijan-adventure-not-laughing-at-him-article667815.html#ixzz1AXKG9qbq

[White Noise]

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/news/2011/01/09/sad-roy-hodgson-clings-to-his-england-dream-102039-22835778/


'Sad' Roy Hodgson clings to his England dream

Jan 9 2011


By Dean Jones, The People


ROY HODGSON will seek a speedy return to management in a bid to salvage his England dream.

The Liverpool boss admits he is saddened by the end of his disastrous Anfield reign, but he is determined to ensure it will not tarnish his reputation in the game.

He remains convinced he has the qualities to take over the national side when Fabio Capello stands down.

And Aston Villa and West Ham will both now be alerted by his availability as they battle relegation with their manager's jobs on the line.

Hodgson saved Fulham from the drop in 2008 and was manager of the year last season after leading them to the Europa League final.

He waited until the last minute before taking the Liverpool job because he believed he may receive an offer from The FA.

When he arrived on Merseyside he was was shocked by a lack of quality and was under the impression he would be given a season to reshape the squad.

Fan pressure and the presence of Kenny Dalglish in the background eventually decided his fate.

In a statement last night, Hodgson said: "Being asked to manage Liverpool Football Club was a great privilege. Any manager would be honoured to manage a club with such an incredible history, such embedded tradition and such an amazing set of fans.

"I have, however, found the last few months some of the most challenging of my career.

"I am very sad not to have been able to put my stamp on the squad, to be given the time to bring new players into the club in this transfer window and to have been able to be part of the rebuilding process.

"The club has some great, world-class players, with whom it has been a pleasure to work and I wish the entire squad well for the rest of the season."

Premier League Played 20; Won 7; Lost 9; Drawn 4; Win ratio 35%
(compared with Souness 41%, Evans 47%, Houllier 49%, Benitez 55%)

[White Noise]

From today's NOTW -


Roy Hodgson's Liverpool hell ended with a £7.5million pay-off for six months of Mersey misery.

[The Doctor]

He made no effort with us in fact, only needing the results he obtained. Ultimately I reckon his failure is not understanding the importance of a clubs' supporters. The esteem of his peers clearly mattered but not of the punters and that, actually, is real arrogance.

In fairness, I do recall him making some complementary remarks about Fulham supporters early on in his tenure.  During the Great Escape there was something like "The fans here are wonderful...I wish I could take them with me wherever I go", and while participating in a review of 07/08 he said something along the lines of "The fans played a big part in our survival with their encouragement and the realistic way they approached the situation".  I can't for the life of me remember where I read these comments, but their wedged in my mind somehow.

Which makes it all the more puzzling that there were no kind words in parting, and apparently no effort made with the Liverpool fans.  Maybe he has as high an opinion of them as we seem to on here - not a great trait for a LFC manager

[Fletchino]

During the bad weather last season we had a few at Stoke clint scored from the half way line woy said on sky we have some of the best fans in the world

[Mr Fulham]

Hodgson, as everyone agrees, is a decent man, but undoubtedly he was promoted above himself on the back of a fine job at Fulham that, it has to be said, was blown into something greater than it actually was. Last season, Hodgson's Fulham finished 12th in the Premiership, winning 12 of their 38 games. Stoke, Blackburn and Birmingham, clubs with similar budgets, all finished above them. That's not what you'd expect from a prospective manager of Liverpool.

Mr Tom English seems to forget our 19 European matches there. Don't think Stoke, Blackburn and Birmingham played a European competiton - did they? :dead horse:

[RidgeRider]

Hodgson, as everyone agrees, is a decent man, but undoubtedly he was promoted above himself on the back of a fine job at Fulham that, it has to be said, was blown into something greater than it actually was. Last season, Hodgson's Fulham finished 12th in the Premiership, winning 12 of their 38 games. Stoke, Blackburn and Birmingham, clubs with similar budgets, all finished above them. That's not what you'd expect from a prospective manager of Liverpool.

Mr Tom English seems to forget our 19 European matches there. Don't think Stoke, Blackburn and Birmingham played a European competiton - did they? :dead horse:

Mr. English must have just done a quick look at the final standings last year and that was the extent of his research. I hope he isn't drawing a wage for that oversight.

[jarv]

When time passes and all the dust settles I am sure Roy will one day quote  "leaving Fulham was probably the biggest mistake I made in my career". I have no doubt, Fulham is a unique club.

[Tom]

Gotta say, that is pretty fecked up!

[manxman]

Disgraceful from liverpool, at least Roy robbed 7.5 mill of them scouse tw***

[Jimbobob]

Hodgson, as everyone agrees, is a decent man, but undoubtedly he was promoted above himself on the back of a fine job at Fulham that, it has to be said, was blown into something greater than it actually was. Last season, Hodgson's Fulham finished 12th in the Premiership, winning 12 of their 38 games. Stoke, Blackburn and Birmingham, clubs with similar budgets, all finished above them. That's not what you'd expect from a prospective manager of Liverpool.

Mr Tom English seems to forget our 19 European matches there. Don't think Stoke, Blackburn and Birmingham played a European competiton - did they? :dead horse:

It is a testament to the lazy punditry that passes as journalism across the pond. Yes we are no better here but if it is not "Big Four" news no one gives a damn about facts or accomplisments. Not only the extra european matches but the additional FA Carling cup etc....Idiotic statement. John Henry is a fool and it is fine with me Roy got a payout again it shows what a fool Henry really is.Liverpool fans never gave him a chance. To Hell with the entire organization....... :59: :59: :59:

[Oakeshott]

The fundamental problem with Liverpool was not Roy but the ludicrous expectations of their supporters. They simply haven't recognised that they have been left behind by (a) clubs with much wealthier owners - the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea and (b) clubs that are far better managed - Arsenal and Spurs. They think that because some years ago they were part of the "top four", they have the right to stay among that group, but no club has such a right. Under their present owners they will do well to come in the top seven, because they essentially compete with the likes of Villa and Everton in the substructure below the current top five - a substructure to which the likes of Sunderland, Bolton and we hope to join.

They have an excellent goalkeeper - but frankly who in the Premiership hasn't. Apart from him they have one world class player in Gerrard and another who was and might be again but has had a mare of a time since before the World Cup in Torres. If they'd kept Roy he would in time have turned them into a rock solid 6-10 in the Premiership side, which is all they are resourced to be. I'll be surprised if KD gets more out of the current squad than Roy did, and when Torres leaves, as surely he will in the Summer if not this month, disillusion will set in with him as the penny finally drops for Liverpoool fans.

[TonyGilroy]

A letter on F365. Supports a post I made elsewhere. Hodgson failing to understand the importance of tickling supporters tummies. Especially necessary at Liverpool.


Little Sympathy For Hodgson
So the inevitable axe has finally on old Uncle Woy; and whilst it is hard to not to feel sorry for one of football's nice guys, sadly it was a situation of his own making. Whilst many have pointed to the quality of the squad he inherited, the poor return on his transfers and the general apathy that greeted his appointment, ultimately he has been undone due to his inability to manage PR.

With due respect to clubs like Fulham and Blackburn, he will never have been exposed to the kind of media attention that comes with being manager of a club of Liverpool's stature (yes he managed Inter, but the Italian press aren't Fleet Street). Worse than this, for someone who has been in football for as long as he has to not know that Liverpool fans are 'precious' (to say the least) is down right naivety. A few simple statements, perhaps belittling Everton or Man Utd, or a couple of gestures with regards to their much vaunted 'history' would have certainly curried him more favour on the stands.

His predecessor knew this full well, hence his calling Everton 'small', picking fights with Fergie and donating money to the Hillsborough fund. These little actions, whilst not viewed favourably by the wider footballing world, made him a hero at Anfield, and bought him time and favour in the dark moments; they bonded manager and fans. It might not have created an 'In Woy We Trust' brigade, but it would've probably bought him 'til the end of the season.

Good luck Woy, I hope you find yourself at a club with less media glare soon (West Ham?!).
Lewis, Busby Way