Roy’s future – a balancing act

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Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.

No such fun for the man primed with bringing Christmas cheers to Liverpool fans. No such luxury for the man balancing on a tight-rope, bracing himself for the unsurmountable obstacles ahead.

As if. Home to Fulham, Wolves and Bolton, sandwiched with an away day trawl to Blackpool – hardly unsurmountable, completely achievable. But to Roy, we’re not playing a group of also-rans, nor a group of ressies. These are EPL games, laddie, every win is hard earned, to be savoured to the fullest – because wins don’t come in bulks!

As we edge closer to the festive period with 4 EPL games to be played by the turn of the new year, there will be no celebrations in the Roy household, only tensions. The heat is stacked firmly on the man, 12 points in the next 4 games – he has no excuses for any let up in results.

NESV brought with them a tradition of winning. They haven’t witnessed it yet. Under John Henry’s tenure as Prinicpal Owner of Liverpool FC, he has overseen 4 losses in the previous 10 EPL games since he took charge on 15th October. Two months on, Liverpool – nowhere near the Champions League spots despite the welcomed change in ownership within the upper echolons of the club.

Which makes these 4 games all the more important. Following Liverpool’s 3-1 away blackout at Newcastle, these 4 games hold even greater importance. And following Liverpool’s dull stalemate in a dead rubber home tie against Utrecht – with kids rather staying home watching paint dry – importance turned into an understatement.

Possibly, failure to take maximum points over a Red Christmas would see Roy fall off the tight rope as NESV called performances and results ‘unacceptable’.

In the run up to the new year we have –

Fulham (H) – no away day success since 15th August 2009, in a 1-0 triumph over financially docked Portsmouth, and ironically Roy played a major part in that momentous record which remains virtually impossible to break.

Blackpool (A) – A trip to Bloomfield road, where Liverpool’s away woes might reign again. Failure to take maximum points places further spotlight on Roy’s record.

Wolves (H) – A team universally tipped for relegation, and one of the four sides failing to record an away win thus far this season.

Bolton (H) – The Trotters flying high, with Owen Coyle playing a magnificent part in their revival.

Truth to be told, these are the teams Liverpool should be beating routinely, week in week out. In the past, the results were not a question, only the scoreline. Now we go, “If we can even knack a draw here, it’ll be a fantastic result!”

Oh boy, this signifies the drastic plunge in expectations. Every Liverpool fan would agree – we play to be Champions and we play to win trophies. Yes, that’s it. We must return to the mentality in the days of old. The glorious, European Cup lifting days. 12 points in 4 games, no excuses. Yes, none. Especially with the availability of Gerrard and Agger through this winding road till the start of 2011.

Roy Hodgson has to bring festive cheers to the fans from pole to pole. But as we cheer, we know deep down he isn’t the right man. But NESV are prepared to give him the time, and the required patience.

That patience is running thin. Roy is currently walking on a tightrope of patience. It might turn into a string, then a thread, and Roy will tumble into the abyss. An abyss of history.

Crucial, critical, and all that has to be said. 12 points is what we need. The fans know that, Roy knows that, and NESV knows that. If one piece of that 12 is missing…

Roy could start 2011 in a nightmare. A nightmare whereby he will not be known as the manager of Liverpool FC forever. And probably that festive cheer among Liverpool fans will come 10 days late, 10 days after Christmas, during the early birth of 2011.

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