Setting the bar low. Well I don't know if you meant Hodgson or Kenny, because we're talking about both. For Hodgson, I'll give you a few quotes to show setting the bar low
"That was as good as we have played all season….. To get a result here – against Everton – would have been Utopia."
After the loss to Everton
"He’s a quality player and we will be working hard on our tactics to make sure he doesn’t dominate the game."
On Danny Murphy
"We have got a lot more expensive failures on our list than good players that we have brought in for next to nothing."
"Today was a famous victory"
After a 1-0 triumph over Bolton
Also failed to defend Torres after accusations about cheating, and also disowned Joe Cole, by saying he didn't sign him.
These statements show how low the bar was set, and if you were Torres, Cole or other players that he criticised, then you might not give your best for Hodgson either, and that would be Hodgson's fault. Those are just public quotes, you can imagine it would be worse in his normal day to day life. And we performed negatively, playing for draws etc. You know Clough went to Leeds and told all the players that they hadn't won anything because they'd cheated. The players didn't play for him, and he was removed. He only has himself to blame, because he was stupid to do that. It's down to the manager to get them to play for you, and Hodgson couldn't do that. In fact he did several things to encourage players to NOT play hard for him.
IN terms of Dalglish, it's a lot less clear cut. But if he thinks that Henderson's performances down the right wing are good enough for the club, then he's setting the bar low. If he persists with Carra despite mistake after mistake, then the bar is too low. If he thinks Carroll is worth 35 million then or if he continually makes false excuses about goalkeepers having great games, or bad luck in front of goal then the bar is too low. That's what I feel, and the fact that we're 7th with a better squad than Arsenal and Newcastle shows something is badly wrong.
We lost 2-1 at home to Arsenal, and Kenny raves about how great the performance was. You can't tell me that's setting the bar very high.
Adam was good for his previous manager, and Carroll, and Henderson, and Downing, and Suarez and others. They are not doing so well under Kenny though. Why would they go from wanting it badly to not wanting it? Kenny seems to be the key link here, not the players. Even Gerrard has been underwhelming.
This is where our opinions differ a bit. I think it is more down to the players, in our particular circumstance, but the manager can't escape some blame. Whereas you think it's mostly down to the manager setting the bar low.
The fact that we are setting a bar at all is nonsense. We should do the best we possibly can....and this season, have we? Have the players?
Nowhere near.
Has Dalglish done the best he can? Some will argue he isn't fit to manage us, some may argue he is our only option.
The main thing is, is that we see progress. Next season, if we are not challenging, consistently, all season at the top. Then for me, if Dalglish wants to continue on next season, at the end of next season, we look for somebody else.
We've won a trophy (all be it smallest on the radar) and we're slowly (almost at snail pace) seeing progress. But it DOES need to be sped up a bit next season.
We haven't forgot that Bolton away game this season and neither has Dalglish. Some of those players there at this moment, are playing to stop at the club next season.
A season that determines exactly where we are going.
As for Hodgson, some of those post match interviews and press conferences were cringe worthy. He's doing it now still at West Brom, but they are punching above their weight on the field. No doubt about it.
But he is a total curse, beats Wolves, comes out and offers support to Mick Mccarthy, he gets sacked. Beats Chelsea, comes out and offers support to Villas-Boas, he gets the sack.
Still 1 more to go then!
