Hodgson apologises for perceived criticism of Liverpool’s Johnson

Posts: 3416 Join date: 2010-04-24 Age: 46

14.11.10 | Ian Ferris
READ MORE NEWS ON: Liverpool

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is mystified why his assessment of Glen Johnson's form had created such a fuss.

The England defender has not been up to scratch this season but has been troubled by injury and missed the last three matches with a groin problem.

After the midweek draw with Wigan Hodgson gave an honest assessment of how he thought the right-back had been playing, saying he had not yet reached the level which made him a regular in Fabio Capello's side.

Just a few hours earlier, after the 2-0 defeat at Stoke, Hodgson said he stood by his comments, although they were not meant as a direct criticism of the player.

"We all want Glen Johnson to find his England form, but that has nothing to do with him being injured at the moment," he said.

"That was just a general comment that I think I was entitled to make.

"We have a player with ability and we are hoping he is going to bring that ability to the team because we want to use it help us win matches.

"It is no good being a player with great ability if you are not bringing that on to the field of play.

"We know Glen can and will do that but first and foremost Glen has to get fit and I'm hoping that will be the case by next Sunday (at home to West Ham) because he has made good progress.

"He as well as I knows this season he hasn't reached that form very often - it amazes me that when you make a statement of such obvious voracity people want to make headlines out of it.

"Everyone is saying what I am saying. I hope I am honest and I hope the players are honest.

"I didn't realise I had been accused of criticising him; I don't normally criticise my players and I'm sorry if that has been suggested."

It beggars belief, that he doesn't get it...

All Roy does is attract attention, he's always putting his foot in it, then apologising... He's like the druken Uncle at parties who is always embarrassing himself, sobers up and gets told what he did...

After a while people just start to ignore everything they do and put it down to the fact that thewy should be ignored and the apologies themselves fall on deaf ears and everyone gives them a fucking wide berth.

The man is losing credance with every passing minute of every passing day.

_________________
We don't want fucking Martinez. Bungle was bad enough. - If FSG have any sense left them Rafa is the only candidate for the job.

Posts: 2250 Join date: 2010-04-24

Suggestion for the Manager:

Posts: 3416 Join date: 2010-04-24 Age: 46

jbarkingmad wrote:

All Roy does is attract attention, he's always putting his foot in it, then apologising... He's like the druken Uncle at parties who is always embarrassing himself, sobers up and gets told what he did...

After a while people just start to ignore everything they do and put it down to the fact that thewy should be ignored and the apologies themselves fall on deaf ears and everyone gives them a fucking wide berth.

The man is losing credance with every passing minute of every passing day.

Cheers needed a laugh after the sheer dross of last night.

Posts: 1849 Join date: 2010-04-23 Age: 49

Roy Hodgson is mystified.. says it all

Posts: 2366 Join date: 2010-06-26 Age: 31

Quote:

"Everyone is saying what I am saying. I hope I am honest and I hope the players are honest.

"I didn't realise I had been accused of criticising him; I don't normally criticise my players and I'm sorry if that has been suggested."

I issue an apology in advance of cherry picking his statements. Nevertheless, the confluence if his intellectual thickness and his arrogance is not only bewildering, it is pretty dangerous. He says he didn’t realise he criticised his own player and yet he states he don’t normally criticise his own player, which is in and of itself an admission of guilt. To be frank, yes you criticised your own player, not just him but many more. Remember TEAM B, Torres should take responsibility, babel statements etc.

If you are honest, as you claim you are, just come out and say you didn’t meant to criticise him. You said he hasn’t brought his English form to the club, he doesn’t practice often enough etc. The fact he appears to make no effort to immerse himself in everything LFC is too painful to bear. He truly sounds like a neutral observor.

Posts: 2250 Join date: 2010-04-24

Roy - Stick to the Old adage - "It's not what you say, it's how you say it"

Saying that, I think in your case it should be just STFU

Posts: 2366 Join date: 2010-06-26 Age: 31

he has improved my appreciation of mediocrity

Posts: 1495 Join date: 2010-05-08 Age: 31 Location: Dublin

Seems to me this fella only apologises when the glaringly obvious is pointed out to him. The man seems devoid of basic common sense.

I wonder where he gets the idea it was perceived, it was actually a blatant insult, if the lad was struggling this wasn't the way to fix it. arm around the shoulder my arse!

Posts: 2366 Join date: 2010-06-26 Age: 31

Quote:

"But then he'd have to play like the England right-back and up to now, to be quite frank, he's not performed - very often at least - to the level I'd expect of him.

"You would have to ask him 'do you think you're playing at top form and are you playing like the best right-back in the country for your club?'

"If he says yes, obviously we will have to agree to differ and if he says no, then you'd have to ask the question 'why not?"'

If this is not a public undressing of your own player, I will never learn what qualifies. IF this isn’t a public humiliation of one of your own troops, I shall spend the rest of living to learn what qualifies. It is pretty clear what he intended to do. I wish the owners would relieve him and us of these unbearable moments of sheer insults.