The Roy Hodgson era is back at Liverpool. Will it end the same way this time?
Liverpool suffered another defeat this weekend as Manchester City came from behind to win 2-1 at Anfield. And it probably should have been 3-1, if not for the odd non-goal right at the end.
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But whatever the score, Liverpool were once again dominated at home. This has been a theme this season and unfortunately it cannot be said that they have been better away from Anfield.
However, the start of the season was strong. Not necessarily in performances but in results, as Liverpool continued to find ways to win games.
Things then changed with a defeat against Crystal Palace which sparked the worst losing streak in over 70 years. If you consider this match a “turning point”, Liverpool’s form over the last 20 Premier League matches actually looks familiar.
As Michael Reid pointed out on Twitterthat’s an almost identical points total to the Roy Hodgson era. Hodgson has actually managed 25 points in 20 matches, while this current series has seen Liverpool rack up 24.
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And we all know how the Hodgson era ended.
From Hodgson to Slot
Hodgson’s fate was a disaster and he had also failed to invest £400 million the previous summer. On the contrary, Liverpool were in a dire financial situation. The season even started with Javier Mascherano forcibly withdrawing to join Barcelona.
He was sacked after those 20 matches and Kenny Dalglish took over. Things immediately turned around, landing Dalglish the job permanently.
However, these are apples and oranges. There are a few things to consider before you think the end result should be the same.
On the one hand, Hodgson certainly hadn’t won the Premier League title the previous season. Slot has that in the bank and it’s as strong an argument as anyone could muster.
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Hodgson was also not the choice of the group that ultimately sacked him. FSG, then NESV, took over as owners of Liverpool in October 2010, a few months after the manager’s appointment. It was a lot easier to call it a day – Hodgson had never been their man.
And there is also, as difficult as it is to discuss, the impact of Diogo Jota’s death. It’s impossible to judge from the outside – no one really has any idea how it affects players. They may not even be fully realized.
Come back to June and almost everyone would have forgiven a bad season. Time has softened this stance for many, which is entirely natural, but if the club’s ultimate decision is to not judge anyone this season after Jota’s death, it really has to be accepted.
How could you not? This is the factor that underlines everything this season. Slot’s need to manage everything around him makes this season and his own performance incredibly difficult to judge, both professionally and personally.
The results are undoubtedly similar to those of Hodgson. But the landscape couldn’t really be more different.
