Roy Hodgson is yet to dazzle in his managerial role at Anfield and he has made the worst start of a Liverpool manager since 1928. Even in trying, transitional times at Anfield, he has not presented a strong case that he can steady the ship.
Firstly, Hodgson could improve his communication skills. Describing Sunday's pitiful derby display as the best of his short Liverpool tenure was an insult to supporters trying to comprehend a passionless defeat and 19th place in the Premier League.
Fernando Torres frustration betrayed him against Everton. He told Jamie Carragher to "shut up" inside three minutes at Goodison Park and looked over-anxious in front of goal, but poor individual form is not only to blame. The service to the Spain international has been abysmal all season. Even fully fit and secure in his surroundings, Torres would struggle to prosper on a diet of long, hopeful punts towards the corner flag. He has been isolated tactically and personally under Liverpool's new manager. Steven Gerrard was supposed to provide Torres's main support against Everton but, along with his team-mates, was too deep to make an impact. Being singled out as the only Liverpool player with a confidence problem by his manager is also unlikely to help Torres. "I didn't see a lack of confidence in Maxi Rodríguez, Raul Meireles or Steven Gerrard," said Hodgson on Sunday. "Fernando is going through a bad time and if you are talking about him I'd have to agree, but there are not too many lacking confidence." Joe Cole has to start playing again. Liverpool's left flank was neither solid nor creative at Goodison, and Paul Konchesky and Joe Cole cannot be blamed on Rafael Benítez. Cole has endured a difficult start to his Anfield career and, now that Gerrard has returned to the central role he and the former Chelsea man prefer, the club's statement signing this summer is struggling to impress wide on the left. A lack of pace is telling but how to maximise the talents of Cole and Gerrard in the same team is a conundrum Hodgson has yet to solve.
Hodgson has not had any luck with his defenders. Daniel Agger, with whom the manager appears to have a fractious relationship, remains plagued by a serious back injury and Konchesky and Glen Johnson have also been sidelined. The England right-back has also suffered an alarming drop in form and looks a pale imitation of the £18m signing of last season, and even José Reina's commanding aura in goal has occasionally been misplaced. Liverpool's defence badly needs an injection of pace but many of its problems are self-inflicted. Hodgson pinpointed the number of games that Liverpool have had to chase this season as a reason for poor results, yet his gameplan – sitting deep at Everton, for example – invites trouble.
Edited from an article by Andy Hunter in The Guardian, Tuesday 19 October 2010
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