Jim Boardman and Jay Reid are back for another episode of Scouser Tommies and it’s one of those times where it’s not comfortable to talk about Liverpool FC, but Liverpool FC is something that really needs talking about.
Four points in two games doesn’t sound like the end of the world, but given the opposition and the awful run it followed it wasn’t exactly world-saving stuff from the Reds. All the worries that were there through the three defeats in a row with 10 goals against are still there. That’s one of the biggest worries for Jay and Jim - there isn’t a sign of a single tweak to make things better, let alone the raft of changes Arne Slot needs to make to get his side back up to the top.
At times like this it is impossible not to make comparisons to dark days from the past, and as Jay explains, for David Brent to be getting a mention on a podcast is a very bad sign, but to have the ghost of Hodgson past even crossing our minds right now it’s clear we are in a bad place. The football is dire, the press conference comments are getting more and more delusional, hope is fading fast.
Square pegs in round holes, and some of them glued in and unable to be budged no matter how useless they become. Confidence ebbing away, and players with a clear determination to make things better being left out in the cold. The manager’s comments on Harvey Elliott, one of those players you could never fault for desire, are a worry in themselves.
As Jim and Jay explain, Liverpool is not like other clubs when it comes to changing manager, or head coach if that’s what you’ve called him. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly, it should never be a knee-jerk reaction, must never be allowed to get to the point of banners calling for his head or chants telling him where to go. It has to be for the good of the club. But the longer this goes on, the worse it gets for the club, the nearer we get to the kind of banners and chants no Liverpool fan should want to see or hear.
This podcast is not taking this situation lightly, but action is needed soon. Liverpool are only within touching distance of the top four because of other people messing up. They won’t mess up forever, a decision needs to be taken, and fast. As Roy Hodgson himself once said, "It's like turning a big ship around. It takes time." He was right, but of course he didn’t know how to slow it down, let alone stop it and turn it around. Does this one? It seems not, and the longer it takes to bring someone in the worse it will get. If the long term target will take time to acquire then, as discussed by Jim and Jay, maybe it’s time to look at someone to fill in for the meantime, someone who can at least find the anchor.
