“The new decade starts uncertainly for Liverpool” wrote Paul Fletcher of BBC almost an year ago. Yesterday, the 1st year of that decade ended humiliatingly. What future holds cannot be gleaned as so turbulent has been Liverpool Football Club’s state of affairs of late. With ownership issues sorted out, having a supposedly visionary board of directors set up, all seemed immediately rosy for LFC. But even the most optimistic of fans would have understood deep down in their minds that miseries are far from over. Unfortunately, their dreads came true-emphatically.
The year which began with a draw at lowly Reading in FA Cup ended with loss to Wolves at Anfield. If plight at Madejski stadium was deemed disappointing, yesterday’s ‘performance’ is better left untouched. The events that happened in between these two on-field mishaps are akin to worst kind of soap-opera running on Indian television. Ownership saga alone could match any supporters’ worst nightmare. But the poignant fact that even that travesty is replaced in memory by incidents on pitch screams the dire situation the club is in.
No one wants the club to lose on pitch. However losses are inevitable. Ergo the famous fan’s compromise of ‘losing bravely’. Even that has been tossed into the fire by one of the terrible performances by LFC in anyone’s memory. Is it justifiable to attribute all of it to one man? It is easy to do so-as it reduces the solution to a single step one. But other parameters that affect the case should not be left unattended.
Squad
Benitez’s now famously ‘over staffed’ squad is Hodgson’s poorly understaffed. Options are non-existent and in all the 18 league games, I fail to remember a single match turned by someone from the bench. 1 goal in last 15 minutes of all league matches combined has to leave all supporters aghast. When a team enters the field, you think-this is it,this bunch is all we have got.
Tactics
Roy is not praised, even by sycophant British media for his tactical acumen. But there is a limit to even the direst fool, which Roy does not seem to have. His tactics has turned from average to poor to downright abysmal. From the outset it is clear how team approaches the game and its never by scruff of the neck. Predictability has led to LFC’s poor showing. The matches won have been off individual brilliance or desperate opponents.
Mindset
Shoulders slumped, long faced and anxious are our players lumbering on the field. The self-proclaimed great manager is apparently working to his best efforts. Hence, either these bunch of players are worst set of rowdies or ‘the best effort’ is load of old tosh. Even the quality that Roy is praised for is not working. Amusingly little non-LFC supporting media outlets seem to care.
The beginning of year 2010, with League title hopes vanishing and being knocked out of Champions League, one believed it cannot get any worse. Fate showed us how wrong we were.Therefore what I expect in the coming year? One should have no expectations or hopes which is Hodgson’s preferred universal approach for a supporter.
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