Football Focus

[Jah Lush]

One player who has really impressed me this season is Charles N'Zogbia of Wigan. Despite his stupid sending off yesterday he has been their best player by far and has come on leaps and bounds since he left Newcastle. He has pace, skill in abundance and great technical ability. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are a few clubs in for him in the New Year. I could see him doing really well at a club like... well Arsenal actually.

[Emerson Crane]

Yeah, he's definitely what my son would call a "baller". Whether or not he'e right for us I'm not so sure. He will end up elsehwere though, of that I'm certain.

[kpc]

Birmingham had agreed a ?9m fee for him in August and N'Zogbia had also agreed personal terms only for him to ask for substantially more at the last minute. Two days later he backed down but Blues were no longer interested.

[Jah Lush]

I'd quite like him at Spurs as it happens but would he be happy being a squad player or would he rather be a big fish in a small pond. He's got the talent and needs to make that step up. Does he have the right temprement?

[Emerson Crane]

Temprament is the thing that may screw him up and make him a non starter for some, unless you get a manger who thinks he can change his ways. Always dangerous.

[Annasfield]

Is White Hart Lane a big pond now?

[Annasfield]

From the Guardian.

Pass and move, it's the Liverpool groove? Not any more. The Hodgson way is more hoof and pray. As endless long punts were hammered towards Fernando Torres and David Ngog during last night's defeat to Wolves, it became increasingly impossible to justify Roy Hodgson lasting at Anfield beyond the end of the week. Patience has its virtues, and chairmen can be trigger-happy, but it is hardly compulsory; Hodgson's time is up. He simply has to go. Forget about giving him extra time and the chance to dip into the transfer market in January. Trust has to be earned and Hodgson has failed. Liverpool are perched three points above the bottom three. Losing to Northampton Town, Blackpool and Wolves at Anfield in the space of six months, no matter what financial constraints Hodgson has had to work under, is a grotesque underachievement for a club of Liverpool's elevated standing.

For all his complaints about the situation he inherited from Rafael Ben?tez, Hodgson took over a squad containing Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Javier Mascherano, Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and Torres. Granted, he lost Mascherano to Barcelona but he also willingly parted with Alberto Aquilani, while bringing in the laughable pair of Paul Konchesky and Christian Poulsen. Although Liverpool were average last season, they still finished seventh. With the players at his disposal, Hodgson has introduced an ugly, negative route-one style, which last night saw the defence bypassing the midfield with alarming regularity.

These tactics might have sufficed at Fulham, but then Hodgson has often appeared dumbfounded by the level of expectation at Anfield. Not only is this approach unforgivable against Wolves, who were bottom of the table before the game and had amassed just one point on their travels all season, it is hopelessly misguided considering the players at Hodgson's disposal. Torres is not exactly Kevin Davies ? he needs the ball played to feet or for him to run on to. He will never beat the likes of Christophe Berra in the air. Torres is a world-class striker being forced to operate like a lower-league journeyman, even if his form has been at that standard since the summer.

While Liverpool's players must take some responsibility too, clearly Hodgson has lost the dressing room, if he ever had it in the first place. Under Ben?tez, when Liverpool were losing games at Anfield, teams would brace themselves for the inevitable barrage as they defended their goal at the Kop End, waiting for Gerrard to pop up with a jaw-dropping equaliser. Last night there was nothing. With Wolves, whose sparky, attractive style of play belied their lowly position, required to do the bare minimum, dissent grew among the home supporters. Afterwards Hodgson was critical of the fans, questioning where the "famous support" had gone. He sounded like an away fan mocking a subdued home crowd about the lack of atmosphere. It almost appears as if he is getting his shots in early. Liverpool's supporters already disliked Hodgson. This will be seen as a step too far.

[Jah Lush]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> Is White Hart Lane a big pond now?

Cheeky.

[kpc]

Annasfield Wrote:

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> From the Guardian.

>

Anna, slightly disingenuous just quoting the source as The Guardian, rather than the fact that it comes from the Five Things We Learnt From Watching The Premier League This Week blog.,

Not saying that the article doesn't contain some valid points but the main purposes of the blog are to produce 1,600 words of slightly humourous and contraversial web filler and promote the junior journalist who writes it.

Although I did like the fifth thing that we have learnt (Are Aston Villa in freefall).

[Annasfield]

Apologies, I was sent it as a copy and paste and was told it was from that paper.

[SeanMacGabhann]

conversely

[Jah Lush]

Nice one Sean. Good to hear that side of the coin.

[Annasfield]

I'm struggling to see how that is "the other side of the coin" when the person who has written it clearly has no affinity for Liverpool at all.

[Keef]

You could say it's an unbiased view then ;-)

I have to say, that this morning, when I read

Ever since I came here the famous Anfield support hasn?t really been there. I have to hope the fans will become supporters because we need support ? we are not deliberately losing.

I felt sympathy for him, rather than anger.

[Narnia]

Does the writer of your extract from the Guardian have any particular affinity with Liverpool? You don't actually know who even wrote it but because you liked it's content slapped it on here. You don't have to have an affinity with a club to be able to express an opinion on it. What is the other side of the coin?

[Annasfield]

Yep, that was written with an open outlook on Liverpool and it's supporters. My other side of the coin view would be expected from a Liverpool fan/or at least someone that can write an article without slagging the supporters of the team off in such a rude manner.

[Mick Mac]

Celtic confirm Freddie signing just in time for old firm game .

[????]

Freddie from Nightmare on Elm Street?

[kpc]

Narnia Wrote:

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> Does the writer of your extract from the Guardian

> have any particular affinity with Liverpool?

Jacob Steinberg, who describes himself as a freelance journalist for The Guardian and professional West Ham fan.

[Jah Lush]

Freddie Flintoff? Freddie Carson? Freddie & The Dreamers?

Going back to Woy. I think a large majority of the Liverpool support have had it in for him from day one simply because he wasn't thier beloved Rafa.

Apart from Benitez who would you like to see in charge and how do you think they'd do a better job? Please don't say Kenny Dalglish, though I have a feeling you will.

[Keef]

Phil McNulty's take on the Woy situation. A good balanced blog IMO.

I think I've said before, but I will say again. Anyone calling for King Kenny's return, is being a romantic muppet.

[Annasfield]

I'd have Kenny on an interim basis.

In the long term, ideally someone like Pellegrini or Villas-Boas.

[Keef]

I'd like Guus Hiddink, but we wouldn't get him.

[????]

My review of the year

...what a load of sh1t

World Cup - at least the best team won but England, what a load of fooking shite. That Capello is still in a job is just an absolute mystery to me other than the fecking ars*s at the FA are a bunch of useless, incomptent and yet strangley...or maybe not, highly paid morons. Rooney? World Class? My a*rse. The rest of the. Feck 'em. Had it with England....

so that leaves me with The irons. Absolutely fooking shite from top to bottom for years now. West Ham are never going to be a real top team now (they had a chance to move into that league post 1966, maybe) but the continuing yo.yoing from a well supported team from London is a joke.

Sooooo. My team of 2010. For great football, maverick and class players and some great games.

*grits teeth*

Those bunch of cunts from the Lane

Yes, I've been on the sauce

[SeanMacGabhann]

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