Roy Hodgson’s future at Liverpool continues to dominate the news ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third round trip to Old Trafford.
Hodgson took training at Melwood this morning but the club have cancelled his scheduled press conference ahead of the Man United game this afternoon.
The club made the move to “take Hodgson out the firing line” and an interview was posted on the official website instead.
Hodgson’s future was understandably not discussed and instead focus was placed on potential team selection, injuries, the magic of the FA Cup and the opportunity to change things around in such a high profile game.
Fellow underfire managers Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), Avram Grant (West Ham) and Gerard Houllier (Aston Villa) all attended their respective press conferences ahead of their games this weekend.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Hodgson expected to be sacked following the miserable defeat to Blackburn on Wednesday night, and told the players following the game he had enjoyed working with them.
The Mirror writes:
One insider who claims to have been present said: “He said ‘I’m sure the owners will want me out after this. “And he even added ‘It’s no fun hearing your own fans singing another manager’s name every two minutes’.”
Reports in the last 24 hours suggest Liverpool’s owners are seeking a solution to the manager’s position and wish to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season. However, potential candidates are instead wanting the job on a permanent basis and did not wish to face United with minimal preparation time. Therefore, we can assume there will be more movement after the weekend.
While NESV have remained quiet, it may be a positive sign of things being done correctly – behind closed doors.
