Football: Liverpool’s Roy Hodgson and Inter Milan’s Rafael Benitez battle past
It is only natural that a new manager at any club is haunted by the ghost of the one before him. Liverpool’s former boss, Rafael Benitez, who moved to Inter Milan after calling it a day with mutual consent at Anfield, is repeatedly reminded of the success Jose Mourinho had at Inter. Benitez is doing all he can to convince the fans and the board that he has the same winning mentality and will do all he can to continue the good work at the club.
Similarly, at Liverpool the new man in charge, Roy Hodgson, is trying to make sure that the board and fans clearly know that his priority is not Europe but the Premier League. His predecessor, Benitez in his very first season made it clear that Europe was his first priority. He won the Champions League that season. But after that there was no success in Europe and neither did the Reds put up a good fight for the Premier League title.
But that may not be the only reason why Hodgson is trying to make sure that people know the Premier league is on top of his agenda. Last season when he was in charge of Fulham he took them on a dream journey through Europe and made it to the final of the Europa League, only to lose to Atletico Madrid in the final. In an effort to make it big in Europe, the domestic league was ignored to some degree.
Roy Hodgson had made it clear that the Premier League title, that has eluded Liverpool, would be his main target, and that he will not compromise their chances by focusing on Europe.
Liverpool is not part of Champions League this season and will start their European campaign by playing a 3rd round qualifier against Macedonian side Rabotnicki, or, Armenia's by the end of July.
Hodgson is faced with a problem of not having his best team available for the tricky tie. The team doctors have said that the players who have just made their way back from the World Cup should not be risked. Hodgson will be short handed but is insistent that he has enough quality players in his squad to get the job done.
He said that none of the players in the squad who took part in the World Cup would be available for us. Hodgson said that the medical team has advised me and I do not intend to go against it. He said that there is a long and grueling 10 month long Premier League season ahead of us, and that is where the team would need its best players performing week in and week out. So for now Liverpool would like to keep them wrapped in velvet till they are ready for action.
He added that the team doctors have said that even though the players have resumed training for the last 3 to 4 days, they should not be risked as the after effects of the World Cup may come up later in the season.
He said the Premier League remains his main objective and the club would do nothing that would harm their chances on the domestic front. He added that it may mean playing a second string side in Europe but that is a decision he has to make. He reiterated that not having the first choice players does not in any way undermine the quality and spirit of the team. He said the players that he would send out on the pitch would play with the same amount of dedication and commitment.
Hodgson ended by saying that Liverpool has a rich history and tradition. He would do all he can to restore that and the players at his disposal are certainly capable of doing that.
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