(Full disclosure: many of my soccer buddies are diehard Liverpool fans, and they’re a loyal bunch, who will be upset at this dire forecast).
However, there’s at least one person who agrees with this dismal outlook — new manager Roy Hodgson. The former Fulham boss, who took over from Rafael Benitez after the woes of last season, says several big signings are needed to lift “the doom and gloom” at the team.
Lots of luck with that.
Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. don’t have the cash to flash. Hodgson is on a strict transfer budget and he’ll have to raise money from new players by off-loading some of the current squad. The club also won’t share in any rich pickings from the Champions League, having failed to qualify.
Hodgson has already made a start by off-loading Albert Riera and Emiliano Insua, although their transfer fees aren’t huge. He’ll raise a lot more by dealing off Javier Mascherano, who wants out and is being pursued by Inter Milan.
Hodgson has signed a couple of players, notably midfielder Joe Cole. The midfielder left Chelsea on a free transfer after a season marred by injury and infrequent appearances. Cole showed immense promise as a youngster, but that promise has been blunted somewhat by his injury woes.
Cole’s arrival did have an immediate benefit as Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said he was looking forward to playing for Liverpool with his sometime teammate on the England team. That quelled the rumours that Gerrard wanted out.
However, Hodgson was quick to urge fans not to pin too many hopes on one signing and said he wouldn’t want to “dupe” fans into believing “everything was rosy” because of one newcomer.
“You don’t change doom and gloom, you don’t change disenchantment with a signing or two,” Hodgson said. “The Liverpool supporters know that I can’t stand in front of a television camera and put right some disenchantment that has been going on for several years now with a couple of words or by signing a football player. All we can hope to persuade them is that we are going to be on the right track. We are trying to get things right again.
“I can assure (fans) we’ll make plenty of effort on the field, and I’ll hope to dispel that doom and disenchantment in that way, but it’s not going to be an overnight thing.
“Unfortunately, last season was a very disappointing season for the club in every respect, culminating in a very popular manager leaving the club. You don’t dispel that with a couple of signings and I wouldn’t ever want to try and dupe the Liverpool public by telling them all is rosy now because Joe Cole is signing. There is a lot more work to do and there are a lot more players needed.”
Hodgson has made a start, also bring in Serbia international striker Milan Jovanovic, also on a free transfer. Jovanovic spent four seasons in the decidedly unglamorous Belgian league with Standard Liege.
Also signed was Scottish youngster Danny Wilson, who also comes cheap from Glasgow Rangers, another cash-strapped club in selling mode. Wilson cost an initial $3.2 million Cdn, comparatively low for a central defender who was named Scotland’s young player of the year. The price could more than double, depending on how many games Wilson plays.
Hodgson admits the key is finding new owners for the team. Gillett and Hicks have the team on the market, but so far there are no serious bidders for a club many suggest is over-valued by the current owners.
“I can only hope the people who watch us are aware of the situation and they’ve got their feet on the ground,” Hodgson said.
It looks very much like there won’t be much jumping for joy by Liverpool fans this season.
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