I don't recall any 2-9 home defeat to Liverpool.

I of course recall the 9-0 debacle at Anfield in 1989 but that was not our first game of the season.

Edited by Willo (22 Dec 2020 8.12am)

I have no recollection of a 2-6 defeat.
I have a recollection of a 1-6 debacle back in yesteryear.

Edited by Willo (22 Dec 2020 8.23am)

It was also Ray Wilkins debut and only game for us, I recall.

Or relegation

I too was there that day, sat in the AW.

What I remember from that game was Steve Macmanaman wreaking havoc down the wing and tearing us a new one...unplayable.

Originally posted by A1969Eagle

Roy is still naïve in this league.. the time he should have had more cautious tactics, at 5-0 down, he wasnt telling his players to defend and keep the score down, 2nd half should have been a tight defence. I like attacking but some teams will rip you apart..Roy never changed the tactics at 0-4.

If the poster isn't being ironic, he has a point. If we get relegated on goal difference at the end of the season, then the failure to prevent 0-4 turning into 0-7 may well have had ramifications. It also makes the interesting point about how a manager should respond when his team is getting absolutely panned. Does he try to attack and score ('Bielsa' approach), or just settle for 'damage limitation' and do everything not to concede again? In Hodgson's case, this will have been extremely poignant. Don't forget that he has managed in Italy. At the time he did, you almost got the impression that the 'Holy Grail' of the Italian manager was a 1-0 win. Or even better a 0-1 win. Only slightly tongue-in-cheek do I suggest that such managers would rather win 1-0 than 5-0. Why so? Because to score five, you play expansively and in so doing open yourself up to the possibility that you concede a goal. If it's reprehensible to concede a goal, then imagine what conceding seven is like. 0-7 isn't just 'A Bad Day at the Office', 0-3 is a 'A Bad Day at the Office'. Otherwise you must work in a pretty relaxed office with a tolerant, not to say negligent Office manager. It'll be interesting to see how Hodgson reacts for the Villa game. His reputation is that he 'sets up teams that are so hard to score against'. So much for that last Sunday. I suspect his reaction will be to go back into his tactical bunker.