Roy Hodgson Sacked, Dalglish Appointed Caretaker Manager Until End Of Season

time's up for Hodgson

Well it's been a long time coming, you know, and the worst has finally been confirmed for the Englishman. Roy Hodgson has been sacked by John Henry following the below par performances Liverpool have produced week in, week out. Hodgson had been under the cosh virtually since the start of the season and was seen as the perfect replacement for Spaniard, Rafael Benitez prior to his downfall. Hodgson has been the first manager since Phil Taylor (1959) not to have won a single trophy which contributed heavily to his sacking.

Hodgson was appointed in July following Liverpool's outrageous Premier League campaign which saw them collapse and finish in 7th place. Rafael Benitez was given the boot and it was up to managerial veteran, Hodgson to come up with the goods and revive a side slowly heading on a downwards spiral. However, Hodgson's appointment became one of the clubs worst appointments in recent times as Liverpool have succumbed to the likes of Blackpool, Stoke City, Newcastle and were defeated quite emphatically by Merseyside rivals, Everton 3-1.

Winning was hard to come by away from home this season and Liverpool could only manage two wins out of a possible eleven, a winning percentage of just 18%.

After eight games Liverpool were in serious trouble, sitting dangerously in 18th spot, a sin for almost any fan. Slowly but surely, the Reds got their season back on track but only for a brief period, as they currently stand three points behind the European places.

The appointment of Hodgson was a rather rushed one and he quickly became one of the most hated managers in Liverpool's history and on numerous occasions at Anfield there were often choruses of boo's ringing out, some people even pleading for Dalglish to take up a second stint at the club.

One of the key factors in Hodgson's sacking was the 1-0 loss to lowly Wolves. It outraged Liverpool fans all around Anfield and there even cries of 'you're getting sacked in the morning' accompanying the untimely rumors that Hodgson's time was, in fact, coming to an end. He did however manage to keep his job for the bout with Bolton at Anfield just four days later. 1-0 after 30 minutes, things were not looking good for Roy but an unlikely second half comeback salvaged a win, Joe Cole finding the winner in injury time, further delaying the sacking of Hodgson. Then came Wednesday the 5th of January, a pivotal moment in the end of Hodgson's managerial career at Anfield. Liverpool were taking on fellow strugglers Blackburn, in a do or die clash. Things took a turn for the worst when Olsonn nipped in behind Johnson and slotted it past Reina. The pressure had dramatically increased on Hodgson and there were fears amidst he'd be sacked come this morning. Defencive errors once again left Liverpool shocked and Roy was left grasping for straws as the Lancashire side ran out eventual winners. In the post match press conferences, Hodgson refused to speak, strengthening speculation that his time was in fact up.

the writing had been on the wall for Hodgson for quite some time

This morning, January 8th, saw the confirmation of what had been a long time coming. Roy Hodgson was given the boot. It was expected none the less however, Liverpool are now in the market for a vastly experienced individual, rumors leading to Frank Rijkard getting the job, and taking on the cursed chalice at Liverpool, where they have become appalling in recent seasons. They have appointed club legend Kenny Dalglish as caretaker manager until the end of the season.

Liverpool still have nearly half their season left and if Dalglish can get into his stride, who knows where Liverpool could end up, but admitting that, I would say it's an unlikely feature he would be able to challenge for the coveted champions league spot.