Roy Hodgson has left Liverpool

[acnpt]

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has left the club by mutual consent.

Hodgson, 63, had won only seven of their 20 Premier League games since he took over from Rafael Benitez in July 2010 with the club 12th in the table.

Former player and manager Kenny Dalglish has been placed in charge until the end of the season.

"Both parties thought it in the best interests of the club that he stand down," said American owner John Henry in a statement on the club's website.

Hodgson refused to answer questions on his future at Anfield following Liverpool's 3-1 defeat by Blackburn on Wednesday, the club's third defeat in four Premier League games.

And when his press conference ahead of Liverpool's FA Cup third-round match against Manchester United on Sunday was cancelled on Friday, it fuelled further speculation that the former Fulham manager's tenure was drawing to a close.

"I have, however, found the last few months some of the most challenging of my career," read a statement from Hodgson on the club's website.

"I am very sad not to have been able to put my stamp on the squad, to be given the time to bring new players into the club in this transfer window and to have been able to be part of the rebuilding process at Liverpool."

Club ambassador Dalglish will oversee team matters for Sunday's crucial FA Cup tie at Old Trafford.

The 59-year-old won six league titles with Liverpool as a player and guiding the club to three more as manager in a six-year spell between 1985 and 1991.

"Kenny was not just a legendary footballer, he was the third of our three most successful managers - three giants," said Henry.

"We are extraordinarily fortunate and grateful that he has decided to step in during the middle of this season."

From BBC website.

Glad he's got out, wasn't working for him, pretty sad to see.

[Martyn]

DALGLISH DALGLISH DALGLISH

[shaywood]

I really don't think it matters who is in charge the team, the squad just isn't good enough.....

Hopefully they manage to turn it around.

[Rappy Veteran]

I really don't think it matters who is in charge the team, the squad just isn't good enough.....

Hopefully they manage to turn it around.

I agree Dalglish will be good short term though

[Lingwo]

Glad to see them sort a replacement out quickly. Nothing worse than seeing a club go weeks with the boot cleaner as manager. Now we'll see if it was something Hodgson was doing or the squad is completely hopeless. I personally think the squad is hopeless other than a few exceptions.

[Wakers]

Everyone seems to forget what happened the last time Dalglish was in charge of a club. It went badly wrong.

He won us the title with a huge bankroll of money. When he was at Liverpool, they could sign any player they wanted through reputation alone.

He went to Newcastle with slightly less money, didn't last.

This Liverpool squad is woeful. Their best player is injury prone, and their other star looks like he would rather be playing for Blyth Spartans than Liverpool.

[Martyn]

I really don't think it matters who is in charge the team, the squad just isn't good enough.....

Hopefully they manage to turn it around.

After Shankly and Paisley, Dalglish is the most successful manager in our history.

Hopefully now we can start putting a little bit of soul back into our club that was lost under the Hicks and Gillett era. I want our club back.

ALL HAIL THE KING!

[Kriz]

Dalglish? Living in the past still too much, Martin Jol?

[Kostaz]

YNWA my ass, he was walking alone from the very first minute.

Now if King Kenny makes a mess I guess the scousers will blame Roy's ineptness instead of the **** squad that Rafa left.

[Martyn]

Now if King Kenny makes a mess I guess the scousers will blame Roy's ineptness instead of the **** squad that Rafa left.

The **** squad that had more representatives in the World Cup Final then any other English team?

Rafa only improved the squad in his time here, if you don't think that then why don't you have a go at explaining why.

[Steven P. Administrators]

I'm no Liverpool fan but there is something very wrong at the club. Glen Johnson went from being the hottest property in the Premier League as a right back for Portsmouth & England, and now looks anonymous on the field and gets beaten too easily. I remember a period he had like that, it was when he wasn't being taken seriously as a player at Chelsea in his first loan period at Pompey. Torres has no confidence, Gerrard looks like he's there for his wages alone and don't get me started on Carrick.

I think there's more to it than meets the eye.

[Kostaz]

The **** squad that had more representatives in the World Cup Final then any other English team?

I've seen that hilarious argument used by too many scousers and I'm sure you can do better than that. Or are you really going to compare the likes of Agger, Skrtel, Kuyt and Rodriguez to Malouda, Nani and Drogba?

Interpret **** how you want but your current squad (or the one you had when Rafa left - Mascherano) will overachieve if it finishes in the top 6 and I doubt your expectations have sunken so low, that you'd consider finishing out of the top 5 as a success.

[Martyn]

I've seen that hilarious argument used by too many scousers and I'm sure you can do better than that. Or are you really going to compare the likes of Agger, Skrtel, Kuyt and Rodriguez to Malouda, Nani and Drogba?

Interpret **** how you want but your current squad (or the one you had when Rafa left - Mascherano) will overachieve if it finishes in the top 6 and I doubt your expectations have sunken so low, that you'd consider finishing out of the top 5 as a success.

Funny that. Considering all the stick Rafa received, he was expected to win the league with that '**** squad' - yet now we are relegation fodder and living in the top 10 everything is ok.

It's a simple fact; Benitez left a better squad for Liverpool when he left compared to the one he originally inherited. It's certainly worth a lot more at least.

Also, I'm not sure what you are getting at when you are naming "Agger, Skrtel, Kuyt and Rodriguez to Malouda, Nani and Drogba" - you're just naming players with no context.

[Kostaz]

Also, I'm not sure what you are getting at when you are naming "Agger, Skrtel, Kuyt and Rodriguez to Malouda, Nani and Drogba" - you're just naming players with no context.

I see. Nevermind then.

Anyway