Liverpool FC: 5 Things Roy Hodgson Must Look To Do To Better Reds Before January
Roy Hodgson has managed a minor turn around of sorts in his tenure with Liverpool. The emphasis of such a fact can be hugely attributed to Liverpool's surprise turnaround against Chelsea last Sunday.
Although it must be said that a total of 16 points out of 12 matches for Liverpool is not really flattering, the recent run of form until the match at the DW stadium was pretty encouraging.
Liverpool however, seemed a tired outfit against Wigan and Roy Hodgson's opinion about it all seemed more from a fan than a manager who seemed to have given up on the day's performance.
After the match, he came out and said that the performance was up to the mark and that a point from the game is a fair outcome. He also complained about the players tiring out after the Chelsea game and not being able to give their best.
The truth of the matter is that Roy Hodgson hasn't really managed a major turn around of sorts and the Reds still have a long way to go.
Although, many people argue that beating Chelsea was a major boost, getting beaten to Blackpool at home was equally embarrassing.
So points-wise, even if Liverpool had played their season unspectacularly, they should still have been expected to beat Blackpool at home and the points tally would have looked the same!
However, it is always better late than never and as it stands, Liverpool are on a five-match unbeaten streak as they travel to the Britannia stadium to play Stoke City before taking on the beleaguered West Ham at home.
At this point I think it is important to share some points which Roy Hodgson needs to have a look at before Liverpool embark on their future at least till the WINTER TRANSFER WINDOW.
Play Martin Kelly At Right Back Ahead Of Glen Johnson
1 of 5
Martin Kelly has been a revelation. Not only has the player given some really impressive displays for the club in the Europa league, when called upon in times of emergency as in the match vs. Chelsea where it was practically hours before the match when Kyrgiakos and Glen Johnson informed of their unavailability, Kelly stepped up and gave a wonderful display for the club.
This U-21 player for England has really improved and despite his lower age as compared to Glen Johnson, who regularly features at right back for the club, Kelly has shown that he has the mettle to handle the pressure and perform well on the defensive front.
Roy Hodgson should by now understand that although Glen Johnson is more experienced, it is Kelly who deserves the spot ahead of him in the upcoming matches.
Play Glen Johnson As a Regular Right Winger
2 of 5
This is where Roy Hodgson can look to experiment. Glen Johnson has more often than once been found guilty of defensive errors which has cost Liverpool dearly.
However, with the inception of Martin Kelly, as foresaid, Glen Johnson should be shifted a little higher up the pitch much like his counterpart Harry Redknapp has done with Gareth Bale for the Spurs. The move by the Spurs boss has clearly yielded great dividends and with the familiar attacking prowess of Glen Johnson, there is no reason to believe that such a move would be a non-starter .
In fact, the move could mean that Liverpool don't really spend heavily on a right winger just yet this winter and still improve in their wing play.
Learn From The Errors and Support The Players
3 of 5
Recently, there have been much news in the media surrounding players getting unhappy at the manager's tactics.
However, Roy Hodgson himself has done very little at times to defend himself in anyways other than admitting what was not good enough. Well, the management obviously hired him to change those and not keep reiterating them.
In the transfer market too, Roy has to learn form his mistakes. Its okay to believe that players like Paul Konchesky and Christian Poulsen were not really star scalps, and though Konchesky has still managed some decent performances for the club, Christian Poulsen has been disappointing.
However signing the players that Roy did was a foregone conclusion if people heard properly what Roy said on his first day of appointment. He said the team is talented but lacks the required experience.
Really Roy? Gerrard (30), Torres (26), Glen Johnson (26), Maxi (29), Carra (32), Kyrgiakos (32) . How much more did you need, and even if it was necessary, going for some forgotten talent like Poulsen wasn't really smart as it turned out.
Thankfully, Liverpool's new owners have taken notice of Hodgson's inability and has considered going for an experienced man for the job in Damien Comolli.
Hodgson now should be able to concentrate on on-the-pitch matters more.
When it comes to giving Press conferences too, Hodgson has been in shambles more often than not. In fact, during the Reds poor run of form, he once also went on to say that some of Liverpool's much-famed players are not even as good as his Fulham counterparts!
That is clearly what a responsible manager would say under any set of circumstances. We expect better than that, Roy!
Attack! Attack! Attack!
4 of 5
Liverpool's best performances on the pitch has come when they have really taken on the opposition and have resorted to a more attacking stance.
Although, Roy's argument that Liverpool FC are operating on a pretty small squad is not really easily putdownable, wasn't it Roy himself who only months earlier claimed that the club is overstaffed?
Liverpool must however have learnt the lessons well and need to maintain a high fitness level if they are to keep up the tempo.
Clearly, Roy Hodgson will at some point of time play his own buys like Poulsen, so as to prove that his dealings weren't really as bad.
In that case, it is very important that he also asks the Dane to adapt himself to the attractive and attacking style of play and not just resort to his infamous back-passing which makes Liverpool look a really boring side and invites the opposition to dictate play.
And if Poulsen can't do that, then an early exit at the January window should be tried out.
Play Daniel Pacheco! (Ahead Of Jonjo Shelvey)
5 of 5
Daniel Pacheco, the Spanish starlet, was expected to play a bigger role in this season for the Reds; however, the inception of Jonjo Shelvey hasn't really helped him.
Pacheco enjoyed a reputation as a rising star in the ranks of Barcelona's youth academy. Such was his ability to score goals from almost any position, teammates nicknamed him El Asesino ("The Assassin").
Although initially, Hodgson seemed to have shown a liking for the lad and handed him a No. 12 Jersey instead of his previous 47, it took him just one game against Northampton Town to almost dismiss the Spaniard's abilities.
All that after admirable performances against tough opponents in Trabzonspor away and Steau Bucharesti at home.
Shelvey may have been the youngest player for Charlton, but then Daniel Pacheco came from the very academy which boasts probably the best talents in both the Serie A and the Premier League.
The last time Roy was heard telling anything about Pacheco was that he was given the orders to improve his wing-play so that he could be used in the squad into which he otherwise doesn't fit.
Seriously, Roy? Is that some way of dealing with a budding talent who has been excellent throughout his life playing the attacking mid-field role?
What is even more amazing is that, it was said that since Pacheco doesn't have the pace, he has been told to work on it! Well, without pace isn't a winger's life pretty much doomed?
I have no problems with Liverpool fielding Internationals to win matches in the Premier League, however, fielding Shelvey (18) ahead of Pacheco (19) doesn't seem correct .
It maybe right to hand out opportunities to the young talents from the youth reserves and it may also be correct to consider giving Shelvey a chance, but then Daniel Pacheco has long been tipped as a great upcoming player, and not giving the proper opportunity may frustrate him to quit the club.
Under such circumstances, Hodgson can have a look at the following before correctly picking up his aces and not let such a great talent in Pacheco go a waste.
At the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, Pacheco scored twice in Spain's group match against Portugal. He then went on to score another goal against quarter final opponents Italy as Spain qualified for the semi-finals.
He went on to score early in the semi-final against England, a game in which Spain won 3-1. They then lost the final against France 2-1, with Pacheco making an assist He won the Golden Boot at the Championships after scoring four goals.
Does such a talent not even deserve a bench in the Premier League for Liverpool ?
