New Liverpool Manager Roy Hodgson Faces an Unenviable Anfield Task

Roy Hodgson is on the verge of being appointed as the new Liverpool manager but has a herculean task ahead of him if he is to revitalize the ailing club.

The Liverpool job brings with it a potentially lethal combination of high expectations and minimal funds. Given the current state of the club, Hodgson could be forgiven for feeling that he has been handed something of a poisoned chalice by his predecessor Rafael Benitez.

The Spaniard cannot be found entirely accountable for the predicament which Liverpool currently find themselves in. When the current owners took over they did so promising a new stadium and substantial investment in new playing personnel. They have been able to deliver neither, leaving Liverpool with a squad which is hopelessly dependent on a handful of key players. 

Given the clubs stature and fanbase it should be an attractive proposition for any potential investors. Nothing is likely to happen before the start of the new season though meaning that, unless he can generate revenue by selling players, Hodgson will probably have to make do with what he has got.

Allegedly, there are significant sums of money available but sources close to the club are claiming that the figure is actually close to the £5 million mark. If this is true than Hodgson's eventual replacement at Fulham is likely to have a bigger transfer budget at his disposal than the new Liverpool manager this summer.

The lack of Champions League football might inhibit extensive preseason investment but it should also allow Hodgson to concentrate his attentions almost exclusively on addressing Liverpool's lack of league form.

The UEFA cup might come as a welcome distraction but Liverpool's squad looks a bit weak for Hodgson to risk giving his key players too many Thursday night run outs.

The good news for Hodgson is that his first choice 11 is as good as any in the country. Liverpool demonstrated this the season before last when they came the closest they have come to winning the Premiership since the '90s.

The problem is that without their twin talismans, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, Liverpool look distinctly average. Hodgson could get lucky and if both men stay fit for the majority of the season the club will inevitably fare better than last time around.

Benitez took this gamble last year, going into a Premiership season with only the inexperienced David Ngog in reserve in case Torres got injured, and it did not pay off. Torres had an injury-hit season and without him Liverpool looked every inch a mid-table side. Hodgson might have more luck this time around, but with so many key players at the World Cup injuries are likely to become even more persistent.

Before he starts to investigate the possibility of bringing in new players he will need to move fast to put a lid on prospective departures. If Jose Mourinho wants Steven Gerrard to join his Real Madrid revolution, it will be difficult for the club to stand in his way.

Benitez managed to twice talk Liverpool's inspirational captain out of a move away from the club when Chelsea came calling. Hodgson will need to use all his persuasive powers if Gerrard is to resist the overtures of the Spanish giants this time around.

Gerrard's departure would bring with it a windfall of around £20 million which could be reinvested in transfers, but how can you put a price on the midfielder's value to Liverpool? The reality is that Gerrard is effectively a priceless asset and if he does leave the club will be much weaker without him.

Fernando Torres is likely to be the subject of big money bids for a second successive summer. Unlike Gerrard, the Spanish striker is still young enough to command an exorbitant fee and Hodgson might be willing to contemplate cashing in on his most marketable asset. While Liverpool would never sanction the sale of both if either man sees the other leave he is likely to become extremely unsettled.

The good news for Hodgson is that Benitez has inadvertently left him with a £20 million parting gift. Alberto Aquilani was ineffectual in an injury-hit first season at Anfield, but with a full preseason under his belt he will be hoping he can make a better impression this time around.

Hodgson has inherited a team with a core of world class players; Jose Reina, Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher, Javier Mascherano, Alberto Aquilani, Yossi Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt, Steven Gerrard, and Fernando Torres.

The bad news is that beyond these 12 the squad starts to look a little threadbare. Emiliano Insua is a promising player but will need some sort of competition for the left back slot. Benitez never managed to get the best out of Ryan Babel and Hodgson will have to decide whether or not to cut his losses on a player who once cost £11.5 million.

Maxi Rodriguez and Albert Riera are both wingers who arrived from Spain with good reputations but have yet to impress at Anfield. David Ngog has consistently frustrated Liverpool fans when called upon as Fernando Torres's understudy.

If Hodgson can get the best out of players like Babel, Riera, and Rodriguez and find a more reliable replacement for Torres, he will have a top class team on his hands. If he suffers injuries to key men and some of the more peripheral players continue to disappoint, it could be a disaster.

New managers at elite European clubs generally expect to be handed multi-million pound budgets immediately after their arrival. Hodgson will not have access to substantial funds but there is enough quality in the squad to suggest that the right manager can turn the team around without them.

When Hodgson took over at Inter Milan after the club's disastrous start to the 1995/96 season he was faced with a similar task. The club were languishing in the bottom half of the table but Hodgson transformed their fortunes, guiding them to a sixth title in Serie A in his first season in charge and third place the following year.

After enjoying success in countries as diverse as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark as well as Italy, the time has come for Hodgson to make his mark on the Premier League. The eras of Bob Paisley and Bill Shankly will be remembered for eternity on Anfield. Roy Hodgson will be hoping he can follow in the revered footsteps of these two men by restoring Liverpool to something like their former glory.