Sacked Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has been named as West Brom’s new manager taking over from the sacked Roberto Di Matteo. Hodgsons first job will be to keep West Brom in the EPL a feat which he achieved with Blackburn with aplomb.
Posts tagged Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson Appointed West Brom Boss
Roy Hodgson Replacements?
Speculation is rife that Liverpool are ready to offload Roy Hodgson after less than six months at the club. Personally, I believe that this would be a bad move as Hodgson is a world class manager who will get if given the time.
If Liverpool do decide to release the former Fulham manager, here is a list of the top candidates in-line for the job:
OWEN COYLE
The BOLTON and former Burnley chief won huge praise for his job at the Reebok. At 44, he fits the bill age-wise, and has a growing reputation for getting the most out of his players. His style of play would also go down well at Anfield.
FRANK RIJKAARD
STARTED the Barcelona revolution by blooding Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes and Carles Puyol. Sacked in 2008 and lasted just 14 months at Galatasaray but still highly-rated.
DIDIER DESCHAMPS
THE 42-year-old will be the front-runner as and when Hodgson goes, having come close to getting the job when Rafa Benitez left. Led Marseille to their first title in 18 years and knows England after a year at Chelsea and only contract up to 2012.
JURGEN KLOPP
DORTMUND manager, 43, is rated as one of the best young bosses in Europe. His side are 10 points clear in the Bundesliga, and he is already being tipped for one of the game’s real big jobs. Has a contract until 2014 but the lure of Liverpool would be hard to resist.
KENNY DALGLISH
A SENTIMENTAL choice but a short-term option until a permanent boss is found. A Kop legend and hugely popular with fans – and fact he’s already there in an ambassadorial role would also make him a convenient option.
Article comes via The Sun.
Hodgson Takes Liverpool Hot-Seat
After a great season with Fulham last season, which saw them reach the Europa Cup Final, England’s Special One Roy Hodgson has proven a worthy of a chance at a high-profile club like Liverpool. But don’t expect him to perform miracles overnight at Anfield with the player’s he has inherited from former manager Rafa Benitez it will take time to get rid of the dead wood. Hodgson will also be called upon to wheel and deal in the transfer market with the club trying to clear off their substantial debts.
Player’s who are on Hodgson’s radar are Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan who could replace want away midfielder Javier Mascherano who has stated his desire to link up with former manager Benitez at Inter Milan. Other possibilities to replace Mascherano are Real Madrid pair Lassana Diarra and Mahamadou Diarra who could be signed on the cheap as they look sur-plus to requirements at the Spanish giants.
Another sur-plus to requirements at Madrid is striker Karim Benzema which would help relieve the pressure on Fernando Torres at Anfield.
Joe Cole is another possible signing with Liverpool also lacking a creative midfielder to link up with skipper Steven Gerrard. But like all new managers, Hodgson is bound to bring in a few of his former players with defender Brede Hangeland and attacking midfielder Clint Dempsey most likely to follow their former manager to Anfield.
One major factor for Hodgson to succeed at Anfield is for fan’s not to be comparing with former managers such as Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish which I expect some fans to compare him with but they just have to be patient as this Liverpool squad needs a dramatic face-lift if they are to compete with last seasons Top-four of Chelsea, Manchester United, Aresnal and Spurs.
Benitez Given Golden Handshake to Leave Anfield
After spending six years at the helm of Liverpool Football Club and after many boardroom tussles with American co-owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Benitez has finally been shown the door at Anfield.
His golden handshake was £6m, despite him having agreed a 5 year contract in March of last year. The final straw was Liverpool’s abysmal Premier League finish of 7th, their worst finish since the Premier League was introduced.
After a Fairytale start to his Liverpool managerial career where he won the Champions League in 2005 in his first year in charge. It all went wrong after that, with only a Super Cup and F.A Cup the year after to show for his six years in charge,most clubs would be happy with that, but not a big club like Liverpool.
So where now for the Anfield Club, Martin O’ Neill, Roy Hodgeson and Kenny Dalglish are the front runners with the latter taking control of first team duties until a permanent replacement for Benitez in place.
Roy Hodgson looks the most likely predecessor after guiding Fulham to the Europa Cup Final last season, losing to Atl.Madrid who beat Liverpool in the Semi- Finals. While Martin O’Neill might be wiser to stay at Villa Park after his team finished above Liverpool this season.
Whoever takes over will have to assemble a team on a shoe string transfer budget as the club try to claw back their substantial debts.
England’s “SPECIAL ONE”
Roy Hodgson has guided Fulham into the Europa League Final. It will be Fulham’s first European Final in the club’s 130 year history, but when Hodgson took over in December 2007 the club looked almost certainly relegated, they only survived on the last day of the season, beating Man City 3-2, after trailing 2-0, what an important result this happened to be,and the rest is history, well not queit yet.
Hodgson led Fulham to 7th position in his first season in charge at Fulham, gaining qualification for the Europa League, and as we all know by now he has guided them to the Final of this season’s Europa League, while also keeping Fulham in mid-table in the Premier League, all this with very little transfer money spent or available.
His CV is also impressive, having guided Switzerland to their first World Cup Finals since the ’60s in 1994, and also qualifing for the European Championships in 1996.
He also led Inter Milan to the UEFA Cup Final in the 1996-97 season only to be beaten on penalties against German side Schalke.
And now he has achieved the near impossible by guiding Fulham to the Europa League final , where they’ll meet Spanish out-fit Atl. Madrid who beat Liverpool in the other Semi- final.
So with all this success, why can’t we claim him to be England’s answer to Jose Mourinho. Roy Hodgson the Special One.
