Roy Hodgson Must Be Ushered Out of Anfield Now: Statistics Prove the Case

As Roy Hodgson guided Liverpool to another painful and inept defeat—this time at Ewood Park against Blackburn—the rumours immediately started up about his removal from the dugout at Anfield amongst journalists and fans alike over conversations, forums, social media sites and even on BBC 1's Match of the Day, with ex-Red Alan Hansen and Lee Dixon both offering their opinion that Hodgson was on borrowed time.

Hodgson has been keen to lay the blame of his failings at the feet of many different outlets—his players, the previous owners' situation, the fans, the previous manager—but there are just too many actual FACTS which show that Roy Hodgson is, without a shadow of a doubt, doing far worse at leading Liverpool Football Club than anyone who has come before him.

As manager, Hodgson is ultimately responsible and the one who needs to pay the price—now, before Liverpool can sink any lower.

Football is a game of opinions, apparently, so let's put opinion to one side for a moment and actually examine the current circumstances of the team:

Liverpool sit, on January 6, in 12th place. Over half the season has gone (20 league games played) and the Reds, under Hodgson's leadership, have won just seven times. That is a measly 35 percent winning percentage, which drops to an unforgivable 10 percent in away matches (one win from 10).

Compare this to previous seasons: under Rafael Benitez, Liverpool twice achieved a 66 percent win percentage over the entire season ('08/'09 and '05/'06) and an average over the six seasons under the Spanish tactician of 55 percent. Even last season, in Benitez's worst campaign—the campaign deemed not good enough for Liverpool, which led to him being removed from his position—Liverpool achieved a 47 percent winning percentage.

More than half-way through this term, Hodgson has totalled a 35 percent win percentage. If last season was not good enough for LFC, then this team's performance is so poor that it can not even be classified. Contrast Roy's 35 percent win rate at Liverpool with his stats for Blackburn and Fulham, which are 34 percent and 33 percent, respectively.

So what about losing ratios?

Under Benitez, Liverpool lost 14, 6, 10, 4, 2, and 11 games during the course of each league season. The worst case scenario, coming in Benitez's first season in English football, was 37 percent of games lost. Hodgson has so far led Liverpool to defeat in an incredible 45 percent of league matches (nine already in his first 20 league games).

In terms of the current league table, Liverpool sit four points off the relegation zone and five off the bottom of the table. They are 19 points behind the league leaders, eleven points off the fabled top four spot and even eight points off sixth place—traditionally enough for a Europa League spot. The Reds' next opponents are Blackpool, who sit one place below Liverpool, with the same number of points but having played one game less.

Goal scoring is another area of huge concern, especially away from home. Liverpool have netted just 24 times in 20 games this season, an average of 1.2 goals per game. The average number of goals scored by the Reds over the past five years is 1.6 goals per game, equating to around 61 goals per season. Liverpool are currently on course to net just 46 this term.

Away from home, those numbers fall to alarming levels—just seven goals scored in ten games, putting the club on course for a mighty thirteen goal haul away from Anfield over the course of the entire league season.

Little wonder why the away win percentage stands at 10 percent. Indeed, over Hodgson's entire managerial career in England, his away win percentage is only marginally better at 15 percent (13 in 84).

Liverpool's goal difference currently reads minus-3, an unheard of statistic for followers of the club in recent years. Even last season with the poor seventh place finish, the goal difference stood at plus-26, while the plus-11 total of 2004/05 was the lowest since 1993/94—a record to be easily eclipsed by Hodgon's side this term if things continue in the current vein.

Not at any point since the Premiership began have Liverpool had a negative goal difference for the season.

Some selected members of the media and a very small minority of Liverpool followers have said that Hodgson should be given more time to put his own stamp on the team.

As far as I and 90 percent-plus of the Liverpool fan base are concerned, the numbers above strongly indicate that he already has.

Time for Hodgson to go.

You can follow me on Twitter: @karlmatchett

*Select statistics courtesy of Paul Tomkins - tomkinstimes.com