The Derby

Hopefully Fernando will be in this kind of form on Sunday.

Granted, that's not the most inventive of titles. But then again, it doesn't need to be. Just those two words will be enough for every reader of this blog to know what I'm about to talk about.

Yes, one of the biggest games of the season, the meeting of Liverpool and Everton in the most fiercely-fought contest of the season - the Merseyside derby.

But this isn't just a typical Merseyside derby. Oh no. This is Kenny Dalglish's first Merseyside derby since he was appointed Liverpool manager on Saturday. It also happens to be Kenny's first home game since he was appointed, as well.

Think about that for a second. A sold-out Anfield, watching what is one of the biggest games of the season for both sets of supporters, but also, for us Liverpool fans, witnessing Kenny Dalglish's first home game in charge. The atmosphere will be absolutely electric.

There are already plans underway on RAWK to organise a flag day, which should ensure that an already brilliant atmosphere will be even more special. I for one can't wait to hear what it's like inside the ground, and I'm certain that no matter how prepared Everton think they are for the match, they won't be anticipating anything like it.

A win over our (literally) bitter rivals would provide us with an absolutely massive confidence boost, and hopefully allow us to push on and gain some more positive results in the second half of the season.

And so, as we look ahead to the second of the season's Merseyside derbies, it is in my view Everton who have all the worrying to do. For at Kenny's kingdom, they won't be afforded anywhere near the time, space or opportunities they were given at their place. Our twelfth man will make sure of that.

The Return of the King

Long time readers (ha!) might know that I wrote a post last night asking for us to trust FSG in their search for a new manager, and to give them time. As it turns out, no more time was needed.

I woke up this morning to the news that Roy Hodgson had left the club by mutual consent, and club legend Kenny Dalglish had been given the caretaker manager's role until the end of the season. I was one of the many Liverpool fans who believed that Dalglish would be the ideal candidate to succeed Hodgson, so as you can imagine I was delighted with this news.

Many others shared similar feelings, with Twitter going into meltdown and forums exploding with activity and discussion. One thing was for sure - this decision by FSG had united the fans, and filled everyone with a feeling of optimism about what the future could hold for LFC.

Kenny will take charge of his first game tomorrow, against long-term rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup third round. In my view, this could be just the lift that the team need going into a huge game like this - it was painfully clear that confidence was low within the team recently, and if anyone can come in and inspire them, it's Dalglish.

I can say with certainty that tomorrow's game has now got even more interesting than it already was. In approximately 14 and a half hours, the first match of the return of the Dalglish era will be underway. And I, for one, cannot wait. The return of the King is upon us.

My thoughts on Roy Hodgson

As I type this, Roy Hodgson is still the manager of Liverpool Football Club, a position which seems to get more and more precarious for him with each game the team plays under his management.

By now, it is well established that the vast, vast majority of Liverpool fans want Mr Hodgson to be shown the door, and his successor, whoever that may be, appointed. Hodgson himself, however, seems reluctant to do what in the eyes of many fans would be the decent thing, and resign.

On the one hand, this could be because he is too stubborn, intent on clinging on to his position for as long as possible for the sole purpose of enhancing his CV. Alternatively, Hodgson may genuinely believe what he says - that given time, he can turn things round and make LFC into a winning team again.

Personally? I'm opting for the first option. I don't believe that Hodgson is the right manager for us, and no matter how much time and money he is given, I can't see us ever winning the title under him judging by his current, mostly abysmal reign.

For a start, his style of football, his overall philosophy, is completely incompatible with the players we have at the club. Those players favour, and indeed are used to, playing attacking football, and keeping possession. Hodgson's style is practically the complete opposite - extremely defensive when we don't have the ball, and even when we do, his tactics seem to extend no further than the "tried and trusted" route one.

This worked well for him at Fulham, hell it even worked at Neuchatel Xamax. The fact is, it quite clearly does not work for us, no matter how much Roy tries to convince us that it will.

He has already stated in one of his infamous press conferences that he will not resign, but it's looking as if soon he may not have a choice to make - FSG will make it for him. If reports are to be believed, it's a matter of when, and not if, he will be sacked.

No matter how much we would like that "when" to be right now, we have to put our trust in FSG, and let them take the time they need to make the decision. After all, this is the group that rescued us from our previous owners, so at the very least we should give them some time to make this decision. Yes, it seems they are taking their time, but who knows what's going on behind the scenes? For all we know, FSG could be in negotiations with a possible successor as we speak. One thing is for sure, LFC is their investment, a club they paid £300 million to buy only 3 short months ago. They will not let their investment continue in this state for much longer.

There are many theories about who Hodgson's potential successor may be, and indeed analyses of those candidates (such as these excellent pieces by Level 3's Roy Henderson on former Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick, and current Mallorca manager Michael Laudrup). The fact is, at the moment nobody knows for sure who FSG have lined up to succeed Hodgson, all we can do is put our trust in them to make the right decision. Here's hoping our trust is rewarded.