Not even the most optimistic Liverpool fan can very find much to shout about during Roy Hodgson’s dire six month spell in charge at Anfield.
With so many poor results and awful performances, the club’s future clouded by so many off-field problems and issues, and the club sliding deeper towards a relegation fight, Liverpool Football Club was a depressing and miserable place to be during the first half of this season.
Now, as Kenny Dalglish continues to rejuvenate the club which had lost its way so badly under Roy Hodgson, he can at least point to one transfer decision which, it appears, Roy Hodgson and Christian Purslow got absolutely spot on.
Raul Meireles cost Liverpool £11.5 million from Portuguese champions FC Porto back in August, as Liverpool looked to replace the hole in the squad left by Javier Mascherano’s departure to Spanish giants Barcelona. And although Roy Hodgson didn’t last long enough at Anfield to see the best of his marquee summer signing, the arrival of Dalglish last month has seen the 27-year-old attacking midfielder emerge as a key player in the club’s climb back up the Premier league table.
It was Raul Meireles’ second-half strike which settled Sunday’s battle with champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a result which moved Kenny Dalglish’s men into sixth place in the Premier League for the first time this season. Raul Meireles, was compared to Liverpool legend Terry McDermott upon his arrival, has now scored four times in his last five games, having failed to score in his first 21 appearances for the club.
Kenny Dalglish is not surprised to see the Portuguese star settled in and doing so well at Anfield, Dalglish stated, “Understandably Raul has been getting some headlines for the goals he’s scored in recent weeks, his performances have been what I’ve expected. I knew he was a good footballer before he came to the club and he’s shown that.”
Liverpool face Wigan Athletic on Saturday afternoon, hoping, expecting their fifth consecutive victory. With Chelsea away to west London neighbours Fulham, and Tottenham facing a tough away fixture at Blackpool, Liverpool have a fantastic chance to reduce the gap between sixth and fourth place.
Twitter: EainMcGurdy1971