Didier Deschamps has ruled himself out of the running to succeed Roy Hodgson as the under-fire Liverpool manager clings on to his job by his fingernails.
Hodgson spent four hours at the training ground yesterday in the wake of a damaging 3-1 defeat by Blackburn as the owners, the Fenway Sports Group, deliberated over his position ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Manchester United. Hodgson is set to host his weekly press conference as normal today after Deschamps distanced himself from replacing him.
The West Ham board are on the brink of pulling the plug on Avram Grant’s reign, but Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has given his backing to Gerard Houllier and Carlo Ancelotti has received support from the Chelsea hierarchy.
The writing was on the wall for Roy Hodgson, spelt out in large white letters as he was driven into Liverpool’s training ground the morning after another ghastly night before.
Graffiti daubed outside Melwood screamed “Hodgson out”, though for four hours he locked himself away in his office, beginning preparations for Sunday’s visit to Manchester United before eventually heading home.
He left clutching a briefcase and a holdall, but the manner of the insipid 3-1 defeat by Blackburn, a ninth league reverse in a wretched campaign, means the call to clear the rest of his desk could still come at any point.
Just when and, more importantly, to whom Liverpool turn in arguably the lowest point of their recent history remains a delicate issue being debated in a series of transatlantic emails and telephone calls with John W Henry, principal owner of the Fenway Sports Group.
Kenny Dalglish remains the fans’ choice to step into an interim role – chants of “Dalglish, Dalglish” emanating at Ewood Park as soon as Benjani deepened Liverpool’s embarrassment with Rovers’ third goal on Wednesday – but a temporary return to the dugout for him brings with it potential problems.
If Dalglish, who is currently on holiday, was to enjoy any success in the job then the crescendo for him to be given the post permanently in the summer would be deafening and raises the prospect of him becoming a “ghost on the wall”, as he has been for Hodgson, if he is again overlooked.
Phil Thompson, who stepped up from assistant to fill in for Gerard Houllier when he underwent life-saving heart surgery in 2001, could be an alternative. Thompson, another club legend who lifted the European Cup in Paris in 1981, would be easier to move on at the end of a caretaker stint than Dalglish and would win the support of the fans in the knowledge he is Liverpool through and through.
Whether Dalglish, who was brought back 18 months ago in the role of club ambassador, felt he could stay on at the club in that event is doubtful and represents a PR nightmare the American owners will be anxious to avoid. The dilemma facing FSG is an unenviable one, not least because a potential full-time target, Didier Deschamps, said he would not be quitting Marseille. Deschamps was interviewed by Liverpool last summer but overlooked in favour of Hodgson, and he said: “When I talk about being the coach of Marseille in the new stadium, I mean it. It is an idea that pleases me.”
Just three months into FSG’s reign, they are consumed by crisis with the public silence over Hodgson adding to the uncertainty. If they sit on their hands, do nothing and persist with Hodgson by sending him into battle against Sir Alex Ferguson, they risk looking weak in the eyes of supporters who are voting with their feet and staying away from matches.
A ‘Dear John’ letter to Henry posted on the Red and White Kop internet forum claimed Hodgson’s position was “no longer tenable” following the Blackburn reverse that left Liverpool just five points off the foot of the table. Melwood had a ghostly feel to it yesterday with the players given the day off, barring Jamie Carragher and Raul Meireles who received treatment for injuries, while Ryan Babel was also spotted at the complex.
The glare of an unforgiving spotlight has been trained on Hodgson, but the writing should also be on the wall for many of the underachieving squad he largely inherited.
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