"They're doomed", "Hodgson has lost it", "get ready for the Liverpool relegation party." Yes, the naysayers were in full force in the last couple of weeks because of Liverpool's poor start to the season. The critics were laying into Hodgson quite ferociously with their comments - some fair, some unfair. But light is beginning to be shown at the end of the tunnel for Liverpool and Roy Hodgson.
Roy Hodgson, 63, has seen a lot of things in football and is a vastly experienced manager. Some of the criticism labelled at him has been, at some points, quite simply laughable with the most ludicrous claim by some, 'that he is not the right kind of manager for Liverpool.' We are talking about a man that has managed Inter (saving them from relegation and steadying the ship), Grasshopper Zurich, FC Copenhagen (winning the league in his only season ), Fulham (doing the same job at Inter, this time on limited resources) and Malmo. He is multilingual and has achieved a lot of success throughout his career showing how thoughtful and intelligent he is.
This man has shown great dignity towards a quite undignified slur campaign against him. What is true, Liverpool have not had a great start but things are starting to turn around with the form of key players and the new signings are starting to gel.
Fernando Torres returned to form when he scored two goals, with the second one being a goal of the season contender. His form has been poor, but lets not forget, he has returned from major surgery that has affected one big weapon in his artillery, which is his speed. His pace may improve over time or may never return, but what cannot be taken away from the World Cup winning striker, is his footballing brain. Great players like him and Steven Gerrard - who is returning to form after dominating against Chelsea and a hat trick against Napoli - never lose their intelligence and it is up to Torres to adapt to his predicament, but what is encouraging about Liverpool is their team are starting to gel and youth players are getting a chance.
Jay Spearing and Martin Kelly, two Liverpool natives, alongside Jonjo Shelvey, a young English man from Romford, are getting a chance to show what they can do, to Hodgson and fans alike. Under the previous regime youth players were brought from around Europe, blocking the chances of young talents like Adam Hammill - who had to go to Barnsley to find first team action and is thriving in the process with 5 goals in 15 appearances. It is vitally important for Liverpool and England for young English men who understand what it means to play for a big club like Liverpool. They can only thrive on the experience of playing European nights with world class players like Torres, Gerrard and Kuyt.
So all the people who are counting Liverpool on the Doomsday clock better rewind it, as they'll be waiting a long time for this club to self-destruct.
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Joey Barton has never struck me as an intelligent man, with his convictions of affray and assault, proving the point that he uses his fists rather than his mouth. When he does open his mouth not a lot of rational thought is given by him to his comments, as was the case this week, when he criticized the England team as being "goody two - shoes."
Joey Barton obviously has not watched an England match recently because he would of seen who was representing England. Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch John Terry and Rio Ferdinand all have cheated their respective partners; Joe Hart, Adam Johnson and Gareth Barry have been caught partying before meeting up with the England squad; Steven Gerrard punched a DJ- and somehow got away with it - and Glen Johnson has been reprimanded for stealing a toilet seat.
Goody two shoes? England are barefooted hitch - hiking for a ride to the moral high ground.
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