The Soccer Blog: Merry Christmas, Joe. Love, Roy

Saturday, 25 December 2010

Merry Christmas, Joe. Love, Roy

By: Noel | December 25th, 2010
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Right, so what the hell are you doing here today? And more to the point, what the hell am I doing here today? A quick note or two, though, if we all are indeed here for a moment or two? Right: The Blackpool match will be dependent on a noon GMT pitch inspection tomorrow, so we won’t know until then. Ed may be by later with a preview, or he might hold off until the last minute and post the June review later today, or he might be stuck talking to relatives in Fargo. It’s a grand mystery is what it is, so make sure to check back constantly to see what Ed decides to do.

In any case, my real reason for throwing this post up rather than taking the day off to drink spiked egg nog while crying quietly in a corner is that Roy went and said some ridiculously stupid things about Joe Cole. It’s also pretty much what most fans have been saying, which means I actually agree with some of his points, but then again I’m not the one managing Liverpool Football Club. To whit:

Joe has to come to terms with the fact that he has come here after an unsuccessful period at Chelsea with high hopes of taking Liverpool by storm and unfortunately it’s not happened. That’s life.

He should have great confidence in his ability as he is a very good footballer. As far as I am concerned, everything he has to say should be said on that patch of green grass.

He should be convincing me and everyone watching that this is a player who can help Liverpool win things. And you couldn’t say that has been the case so far.

I don’t care how many things are written or said, you can’t make black into white.

What I’m saying could be transformed into “Hodgson criticises Cole,” but it’s not that. I’m just analysing the situation.

Well, I suppose that’s fair enough. And probably not too far off the truth. Except that we’re edging into uncomfortable territory given the you, Manager, LFC, etcetera. Still, it’s probably true and not completely out of line…

I was involved in the discussions with him, but the initiative and the desire to take Joe did come from Christian [Purslow] perhaps more so than myself because I wasn’t in the position to say these are the players we should be targeting as I hadn’t been offered the job at that point.

He’s not so much a player I can take responsibility for. I’d have to share the responsibility for Joe, less so than people like Poulsen, Meireles and Konchesky, who are players I was happy to bring to the club.

Wait, so you’re washing your hands of Joe Cole but reaffirming your belief in Poulsen and Konchesky? Well, that’s just a mixed bag of all different sorts of fail right there. I want to rant and pick apart the twisted logic, but it’s Christmas and…

When that player comes in and you work with them for two months, you realise the name is great and it rings big bells but, in actual fact, he is no better than the player you let go. He’s maybe even worse.

Oh. Well, I guess you’ve been working up to completely disavowing Cole for a while now. And yeah, I agree he hasn’t shown enough. And I agree I’d rather have kept Aquilani, too. And I realise he’s an injury-prone never-quite-was who was puffed up to ridiculous levels on account of his passport by those more concerned with the glory of England than the glory of Liverpool.

Still, it doesn’t help anybody to talk like this in public. Not when you’re the manager. It makes it more likely that Cole and his ridiculous, un-transferable albatross of a contract will go down as an utter failure, and it makes you look even more foolish for letting Aquilani get shipped out for a loss.

But hey, perhaps it’s all some big motivation attempt a la dragging Johnson through the mud, and Hodgson will claim all the credit once he bags a brace on the frozen tundra tomorrow. Hurumph.

***

Try to have a good one, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. I’ll be on the scarce side through tomorrow, but then again I suspect many of you will be, too, so however it all shakes down with maybe-maybe not matches and Ed’s time demands, hopefully putting this up will mean there’s something new whenever you do wander by, o’ dearest reader.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:10 Things I Love About RoyMatch Preview: Liverpool v. Bolton, 10.31.10Matchday: Liverpool v. Manchester UnitedMatchday: Liverpool v. SteauaMatch Preview: Liverpool v. Steaua Bucharest, 09.16.10

Category: Team News

Tags: Foot In Mouth Disease, Joe Cole, Kids Say The Darndest Things, Roy Hodgson, Team News, The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Tweet « Looking Back at 2010 on the Liverpool Offside: May | Home | Tom FooleryI was more under the impression Cole was more the replacement for The Yoss (can play on the wing but advanced and through the middle is preferred). Either way, both are players I would have in my lineup ahead of Joey on any day.
I really do miss Yossi.Lfc4lifeHe can't support his players when in a rut, but expects us to support him when he's clearly Been dragging us in the mud in the mud with his inept managing style?

The sooner he leaves the better!

I can't recall Rafa down talking any LFC player in 6yrs, but in the last 6months Roy has already given his 2pence on half the squad forcing exception of gerrard and carra who he dare cross!

Blackpool for the double over us... Who would thought possible until you check his away record it's just a formality.
A draw by his standard away will be considered a victory of sorts!

That's how low he has taken us...

If we lose he must go no ifs or buts....

Rafa can take that seat like he never left and with the right support from the yanks we be number in Europe again exactly where Rafa had taken us!EdIt's a Christmas miracle!

Oh wait, it's the same steady stream of bullshit we've been hearing for months. Inspiring millions with every breath.

But Merry Christmas to everyone anyway!RoscoMerry Xmas all. Would try and put together some sort of relevant comment but that's the fifth magners down and I can't be arsed. Well put Noel, hodgson needs to feast on a knuckle sandwich. Have a good 1 mateRedDownUndaSmoother than a gravy sandwich our Roy. And it made me feel so much better having popped over to the link and read the report first hand. "It wasn't me sir, no sir, it was him. He did it". Good Lord man, stand up and act like you've got a pair. The sound I thought was the crackling from my Christmas pork roast, turns out to be you putting on your Teflon tracksuit ready to deflect the next round of criticism quite rightfully coming your way.
And while I'm here tapping away on the other side of the world, can I use up a few more hard earned pixels to bleat about the overall attitude? It really pisses me off to see LFC like this. We haven't always been the best team, the most skillful, or perhaps the most deserving of teams to earn a victory. But we always believed we would win. And if we couldn't get it by fair means, sod it, we'd go and steal it. It's the Scouse way. But where the hell has that bit of bastardry gone? Every team that comes to Anfield should be shitting themselves. Now they seem to rubbing their hands together - and it's not from the cold.
Woy just doesn't get it. THIS IS LIVERPOOL FC. It's Shankly. It's where you never walk alone. But I'm sorry Roy, I think you're on your own.VolandThank you Noel for voicing mine - and I guess other Liverpool fans' - thoughts on Roy yet again washing his hands from responsibility. The man is not a leader, full stop, let alone a good man manager at a club like Liverpool.Will FitzpatrickOutrageous comments from Roy.
Whatever he thinks or says behind closed doors, he can't openly run his player into the ground like that. The only times a manager should publicly criticise a
Layer is when it's an issue of letting the club down on purpose, eg mouthing off in press, poor discipline etc. When it's just a run of bad form and the player clearly is trying his best, the manager should be protecting and encouraging him.
I don't believe in bullying and getting personal (fans calling him woy n so on), but professionally Roy is totally out of his depth and John Hackett is right, it's scary every time he opens his mouth.
Has to be sacked and let new man spend January funds. It should have been done weeks ago in fairness...
AlbeyJoe Cole will come good class always rises to the top the lad needs time to feel at home at his new club he needs time to understand roys tactics ( so do we all) the top players have been injured or not at top of there form so there has been lots of reasons he has not set the club on fire but a give the lad a chance alonso strugled his first season . As for Roy making this remark about Joe how stupid was that an experianced manager as he is supposed to be saying that then he his defending nando who has been well to be honest awful looking like he is not interested looks not the world class player we bought yet you have Roy bulling him up nearly every week Roy has to learn that under his managership none of the players have played as we all no they can maybe if the players made remarks about Roy maybe he would buck up or even better want to leave the club . I do think the owners should have a word with Roy to keep his comments to him self or they will sack him .John HackettHe is a muppet ! Every time he opens his mouth I get scared.Redfan23Very possibly his worst gaffe so far. His lack of tact, plus his constant desire to shift responsibility onto others is simply making him seem ever more contemptible. The 'nice Mr Roy' image is now very tarnished. he's only hanging on for a payoff. If he had any self-respect, he'd goblog comments powered by Disqus