OUR START TO THE SEASON

                               OUR START TO THE SEASON

Well another season underway and yes its been very difficult. A very tough fixture list to start off with, having to play Arsenal, Man City, West Brom and away to Birmingham not to mention Europa League qualifiers as well. It doesn't stop with tonight Liverpool facing Steau Bucharest and then on to face Man United on Sunday. So it really has been a baptism of fire for Hodgson.
  Its so difficult for any manager coming into manage a new team but for Hodgson coming in to a club like Liverpool who had a bad season last year he has to turn around the club's fortunes quickly. I honestly believe that Roy has taken on a job in comparison to when Shankly came to the club. When Shankly came in the club was a mess and in many ways today the club is in a mess. With Liverpool's financial situation and failure last season to qualify for the Champions League it is a must that Liverpool bounce back with a good season.

   In my view Roy has worked wonders already by keeping our main players at the club when there was so much speculation of some of them leaving. Keeping Gerrard, Torres and Kuyt was very important, and adding to the squad as well with the likes of Joe Cole was also important. Yes we lost Benayoun and Mascherano but I think we can do without them, he signed Poulsen who can play that holding midfield role so Mascherano may not be missed. Many people dont think our squad is strong enough but I think it is stronger than people think and there is a good crop of youngsters coming through that are not far away from the first team.

   Our first game against Arsenal was a tremendous performance in my view with new signing finding himself unlucky to be sent off and Liverpool showing great character in the game. Liverpool took the lead with ten men only to lose a late equaliser right at the end with a rare Reina mistake.
   Liverpool faced Trabzonspor at Anfield next and Roy made wholesale changes and Liverpool won 1-0 with Cole missing a penalty which could have made the tie safe.
   But the following week at Man City was awful with Man City beating us 3-0 although the carry on with Mascherano prior to the game couldn't have helped preperations and the team looked well off the pace that night.
   After the heavy defeat from Man City Liverpool travelled to Turkey for the return leg against Trabzonspor. Many key players didn't even make the trip to Turkey and were rested. I thought Liverpool were going to be knocked out of Europe when I saw the team, and when Liverpool lost an early goal it looked bad. But the young looking side showed great resiliance and character and made it through courtesy of two late goals, one an own goal and the second coming from Kuyt.
   The big guns were back for the match at home to West Brom and a convincing win was expected but it did not turn out that way. Liverpool laboured and were relieved to see Torres score the only goal of the game.
    After the international break with only Kuyt coming back injured Liverpool travelled to Birmingham in what has been a difficult fixture in recent years, and this was no different. Liverpool were very fortunate to escape with a 0-0 scoreline thanks to more heriocs from Pepe Reina.
                                                 SUMMARY                                                                                

Its not been the start we all hoped for but being realistic its not been too bad a start. With the tough fixture list and only losing one game its not been too bad. Hodgson is still getting to know his players and it will take time and us the supporters need to be patient. If we can get a good result on Sunday at Man United then that will really lift the club but even if we lose we are coming into a better run of fixtures where we could hopefully go on a run, so as I would have liked us to have won more games and scored more goals but I think Roy will sort things out and we will finish in the top four.

YNWA