Roy Hodgson's Final Throw of Die Awaits But is Dalglish the Man Liverpool Needs?

After yet another diabolical performance at Anfield, the Reds were left Red facedby the newcomers, Blackpool. Although it was not the first time that Liverpool got beaten by a newly promoted team in the Premier league era, just like a lot of fans I felt devastated and for a good reason.

A loss to Northampton Town, a draw against Sunderland at home and now yet another despairing defeat against Blackpool. All in a span of two weeks is something that Liverpool fans were unused to even in the troublesome times in the last decade.

One of the most lauded pundit and former writer on the Liverpool FC website, Paul Tomkins echoed a voice which in complete resonance to mine. Even after all the criticism that has been heaped on the club's performances, I find it impossible to be convinced that Liverpool FC are a team which should stay anywhere below the eighth position at the moment, given the tough sequence of fixtures at the start of the season.

However, I also have my own side of the argument too. I don't think that Liverpool have really weakened on the attack by the departure of Yossi Benayoun and Alberto Aquilani because a fit Joe Cole and  Raul Meireles playing in the proper position are certainly as good if not better. The only big miss was the plight of Mascherano and if anything could be considered more pitiable, it is asking the Danish, Christian Poulsen to fill his boots.

Anybody who has a decent enough memory would remember that before the Premier League campaign of Liverpool started versus Arsenal, Roy Hodgson had proudly claimed it would take about six or seven matches for Liverpool FC under him to hit top gear.

Now, after six matches we see Liverpool undone by minnows Blackpool. Is that in anyway hitting top gear?

To make matters worse, Hodgson thus far claims, its only seven matches. So has he quite conveniently forgotten his erstwhile promises or is he finding that he has bitten off far more than he can ever chew.

A fair share of Liverpool FC fans who were extremely disappointed with Rafael Benitez at the helm should have by now known who was better, just the way Valencia did after Rafa's departure.

There are some erratic reports in the press that Roy Hodgson is under some serious scare with regards to his job at Anfield, now if any of that be true doesn't it make him the worst signing till date? 

Roy Hodgson, however, is a very good man and me or anybody criticizing him sure has nothing against him, the way the whole media was after Benitez and the criticism is solely based on his performance as a Liverpool Boss.

With 14 matches under his belt Hodgson still looks uncomfortable when it comes to the team selection. He sure wants to play all of Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole, Raul Meireles, and Dirk Kuyt and in doing so he ridiculously manages to keep Meireles as a wide midfield player, a position at which he has rarely (if ever) played.

After the summer window closed, Roy Hodgson said he was going to give both Ryan Babel and David N'gog a fair run at the striker's position and then contemplate the need of a striker in the January transfer window. Now, after merely playing Babel against Northampton Town, he has forced him out.

Is that in any way giving a fair run ?

Roy Hodgson's record for a  Premier League team good enough to be in the top six reads, two wins out of 21 (considering Liverpool and Blackburn, which was a good team then).

As Liverpool lies as lowly as 18th in the league and even rivals Everton sit above them on goal difference, Roy Hodgson should in effect face a career-defining match at the Goodison Park on 17 October.

Liverpool FC clearly cannot just let things drift as things have repeated too much under Hodgson because even if the ownership issue needs to be settled, just carrying on as if nothing as happened could only cause more harm than good.

Hodgson was sacked after his 14 game spell at Blackburn where he managed just one win in that span and was in effect hugely responsible for the relegation of the club. Liverpool or for that matter any established club cannot afford that surely.

Moreover if Liverpool FC management thinks that they are even marginally better than the one Blackburn had which sacked Roy after his 14 match spell, then should already be looking at alternatives just incase the team fails to deliver, again.

All said and done, I believe with the tumultuous state of the ownership at the club, Roy Hodgson still may get a few matches in which to turn things around for him, but then he should understand that both he and his "respect" as a football manager of a Big club is clearly at stake.He may take inspiration from the following as below,

Burnley 1 Manchester United 0

Wigan 3 Chelsea 1

Arsenal 2 West Brom 3

All of which have occurred not so long before, but then a defeat to Northampton Town and Blackpool within weeks will force fans to believe that those may not have been freak results after all.

As all eyes turn to the Goodison Park, Hodgson has to find the right blend and not crave about the inadequacies at the club, which he very well should have known when he joined. No less than 6 points will do for Liverpool in the coming two league matches for Liverpool to get the ball moving in the right direction. 

Now although, the Kop sings Daglish is the man, and in spite of my utmost respect for the genius I think that after an absence of almost more than a decade in coaching, he should at best be a stop-gap arrangement to replace Roy as the Liverpool manager. 

Without getting emotional about it, let us see why Dalglish quit his post at Liverpool? Is the pressure any less now? 

There is no doubt that Dalglish is a genius but I doubt he has any idea how the present day football and has done any scouting to compete in a shrewd transfer market.

As it stands now, with no new buyers in sight, it may just be that Liverpool may well have to go for gamble buys and swaps and in such a case, Liverpool may ultimately fail to bring in the players they need to compete at the desired level.

Under such circumstances the options like Manuel Pellegrini and Frank Rijkaard (O'Neill though good and experienced in the premier league, would be a bigger gamble)should be kept in mind. And if the need be Liverpool FC need to act quick to replace Roy, they have let the ownership issue stale for long hours, surely the club's on-field status cannot be thus ignored.

This article has been first published in sportshaze.com.