Roy Hodgson has not won a single trophy outside of Scandinavia. He believes his track record puts him “in the same category as [Sir Alex] Ferguson”.
THE news that Roy Hodgson has been approached for the England manager’s job has prompted varying responses – his friends at the LMA and the media have welcomed it, some more balanced journalists have questioned it, while Liverpool fans have greeted it with laughter.
For Liverpool fans, Hodgson and England are a match made in heaven. They are more than welcome to each other. Both are a complete laughing stock that surmise all that is wrong with English football today. By appointing Hodgson, The FA are giving a huge kick in the teeth to all those who are seeking to actually adopt a more modern style of coaching in this country.
After the demise of English football was again shown at the last World Cup, the media started running out all sorts of statistics to show how coaching levels in this country were lagging behind Europe’s leading countries. FA courses have long been critiqued for being ‘old school’ (something the FA have looked to address in recent years). So the appointment of Roy ‘442’ Hodgson, a man who doesn’t believe in tactics or wingers is hardly a forward step.
Towards the end of Roy’s reign at Anfield we ran an article explaining how Hodgson felt he was ‘entitled‘ to the Liverpool job, and the same now applies to the England job, he’s always felt that way.
In Roy’s own words, his track record “if people bothered to study it”, would put him in the same category as [Sir Alex] Ferguson enjoys today – no word of a lie, that is exactly what Hodgson said. This is Roy Hodgson, a manager of 36 years who has not won a single trophy outside of Scandinavia. Comparing himself with one of the greatest football manager’s of all-time (yes that was hard to write) who has won 40 major trophies in his career as a manager. Ferguson might be Roy’s chum but that’s just a little insulting, to say the least.
One thing England and their fans can look forward to for absolute certain is the lowering expectations, hopefully they’re not expecting Roy to walk in with a magic wand:
“Fans are waiting for a man with a magic wand that can turn all of the ills that everyone has seen into something different. Those of us who work in the game and have been working in the game a long time know that magic wand doesn’t exist.”
For those who are criticising Liverpool fans for their derision of Hodgson, remember this is a man who signed Paul Konchesky (now playing in the Championship with Leicester City), Christian Poulsen (now at Evian in France) and wanted to sign Carlton Cole (also in the Championship with West Ham). A man who signed Raul Meireles but admitted to not knowing where to play him. A man who called a 1-0 win at Bolton a “famous victory” and praised our performance after a 2-0 defeat to Everton.
Having said all this, there are comparisons to be made between Hodgson and another former England manager. Steve McClaren’s England career is remembered for a rain sodden defeat against Croatia, Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool career is remembered for a rain sodden defeat to fourth division Northampton Town.
England, Roy, enjoy it.
From the archives:
Fan Comments