Roy Hodgson was advised to sell almost half of the Liverpool team he will send out at Newcastle on Saturday by Christian Purslow, the club’s former managing director. Purslow handed Hodgson a list of players he wished to see depart Anfield after his appointment last summer. On the list were Ryan Babel, Maxi Rodriguez, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, David Ngog and Lucas.

Though Hodgson insists he listened politely to his employer’s views, the Liverpool manager does not regret for a second disregarding it completely.

Hodgson credits many of those players, written off as has-beens and never-will-bes, for helping to turn the club’s season around.

“Christian was here for two years and is a big fan with strong opinions about players,” Hodgson revealed of the man who left the club after successfully bringing an end to the controversial regime of Tom Hicks and George Gillett by agreeing Liverpool's sale to Fenway Sports Group in October.

“He fed me the information. I listened, of course, but made it clear I was not going to act on it. To be fair, when we’ve spoken or texted he has been the first to recognise what a good job it was that we didn’t do these things, because the boys have turned out well.”

Quite how well has, possibly, surprised Hodgson as much as Purslow. Though Babel may lose his place to the returning Fernando Torres at St James’ Park, the others on the former managing directors’ hit list have emerged as key parts to Liverpool’s nascent revival.

One of the most notable turnarounds is from Lucas, who was told during the summer that he had no future at Anfield but is now on the verge of being offered a new contract.

Indeed, so impressed has Hodgson been with his fringe players that he now believes the club’s new owners would be well served to afford Liverpool’s current squad patience rather than seek a substantial infusion of new players in January.

“If they want to invest lots of money and we find the right players I am not so stupid as to say not to do it,” he said. “But it would be sensible to be more circumspect and get a closer a look. It would not be bad to keep testing the squad we have.

“My message would be – and I have spoken to John [Henry of FSG] about it – if the right players become available and we think they can really push us on and we can get them, we shouldn’t hesitate. But I shouldn’t be encouraging them to throw a lot of money at it straight away. I’d plead for patience.

“There are lots of examples in the past of teams, in their ambition to stay in the league or get into the top four, where the club's virtually been destroyed by people making bad decisions.

"It is not because owners have not supported them, but because the people coming in have been wrong.”

Back to the future . . .

»Lucas
Told he would be leaving Liverpool five months ago, he is their most consistent player this season.

David Ngog
Raw, but maturing fast, as eight goals this season attest.

Ryan Babel
Anfield’s great enigma was the first on former managing director Christian Purslow’s list to leave the club in the summer.

Maxi Rodriguez
The Argentine struggled in his first six months in England, but is at home under Hodgson.

So the rumours are true, fucking snake in the grass banker Purslow, thought he was a football manager and no doubt got rid of Aquilani and Insua - fucking cockroach...What a sick joke!


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/8195037/Newcastle-v-Liverpool-Roy-Hodgson-thankful-he-did-not-heed-Christian-Purslows-advice-on-player-cull.html

Difficult to know where to go with this one...

On one hand we already know all the truth about Purslow [and a lot more revelations are to come out on the man]. Yes indeed he undermined our previous manager to the point his position was unattainable. - The only cnclusion is that he may have done this to drive our value down so we could get rid of the hecklers [but at what cost].

On the other hand, Roy has lied so much and said so many different excuses, always looking to pass the blame to someone else. I know that [and have heard this from several sources] that Roy went in pre-armed with his decision making seriously blurred by outside influences, those who had his ear... One came to the fore in the early months [Mr Murphy please stand up], but this guy wasn't alone, as 2 came from within the Club's playing staff [no prizes for guessing which 2]... add to that people like Mark Lawro and the prejudice Roy had was blatant. He knew shit all about us, our players or anything else.

Roy needs to take a huge slice of the blame... and equally so, if he now relises the error of his ways with those named, perhaps equally he need to look at recalling Insua and Aquilani. We don't need new signings in January, just these 2 back where they belong.

However a win over a piss poor AV is hardly turning the corner. Babel still has a lot to do and the others must build and push on from here.

Finally, once more I think this all vindicates Rafa... and Hodgson now needs to extend that apology and thank the man for the B Team and rubbish players [or words to that effect that Roy issued] etc he left behind.

taken from RAwK

Do you know what Roy if what you are saying is true and that you ignored Purslow's advice and called the shots then it is you alone who is responsible for swapping Paul Koncheskey for Lauri Dalla Valle, Alex Kacalanic, Emiliano Insua and £3m.

It is you alone who is responsible for signing Christain Poulson on a 4yr deal for £5m and allowing Alberto Aquilani to go in the opposite direction on a season long free.

It is you alone who signed a back up keeper who we will never see for £3m

It is you alone who signed Joe Cole and gave him a 4yr deal at 90k a week

It is you alone who allowed Nemeth and LDV to leave and then complained about not even being able to play 4-4-2's in practice matches.

Or is it just that the transfer window is open and you know NESV simply do not trust You to integrate any new signings into your rigid philosophy and are now trying to get the idea out there it is your decision, not to spend in January.

To me he has just shown me he is a weak yes man. Little Cecil was obviously behind getting rid of Insua and AA, Roy just nodded his head and meekly agreed. What he should have done was tell the little cock to stick to the business side and leave the football side alone.

The man has super shiny Teflon shoulders where he passes the blame.

Roy Hodgson is the most infuriating man i've seen in football management. His comments defy logic most of the time