There has been no action in South Africa over the last three days, but the biggest domestic news story of the summer was one we have seen coming for a while.
In Tuesday’s article I suggested that Roy Hodgson would be an excellent choice as England manager, but that will not now be the case. The 62 year old is heading to Anfield in a three year deal.
The Croydon born coach surely deserves his chance at a major English club and now has what he calls ‘the biggest job in football’, but I have some doubts about the appointment.
The main issue must be his age. He is old enough for a free bus pass and this is clearly not an appointment with a clear vision of the future. Yes, Sir Alex Ferguson is 68 years old but he been at Old Trafford for 24 years, Hodgson is starting from scratch
In addition, the former Finland and Switzerland boss has no record of winning things in his homeland. Isn’t this what Liverpool fans crave most? - Winning things. Or is it just a matter of stabilising an apparent ‘sinking ship’ and attempting to get the team back into the top four? Is that really enough?
As a Liverpool fan, another thing that would concern me is Hodgson’s status and prestige. Rafa Benitez was a glamour name and was able to attract some of the biggest names in football. Can Hodgson attract stars with the stature of Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, Glen Johnson, Maxi Rodriguez and Xavi Alonso to the club. Does he even have the pulling power to attract top young stars such as Ryan Babel and Daniel Agger to Anfield. At the time they were both purchased by Benitez, they were two off the hottest young properties in Europe. The Spaniard did have that knack that not many managers possess.
In his defence, Hodgson can certainly spot a talent when he sees one, and perhaps due to Liverpool’s limited budget and apparent lack of spending power, he is the suitable choice.
The former Fulham boss also has excellent contacts around Europe and is able get the best out of his players.
If Hodgson can manage to keep the majority of his stars and bring that extra ten per cent out of the young, promising players such as Lucas and Emilio Insua, Liverpool could be in business.
I also think Hodgson could be the right man to get the best out of some of Liverpool’s under-used gems. Ryan Babel and Alberto Aquilani are individuals full of supreme talent and in Babel’s case, untold potential. But they were players who were not always fully utilised by a stubborn Benitez.
In fact when you observe how Hodgson has transformed Bobby Zamora and revitalised Danny Murphy’s career, he has certainly demonstrated what an excellent man-manager he is. This is probably the one thing Benitez really lacked and I personally feel Babel is a similar type of character to Zamora who needs to believe in himself more. If Hodgson can help the Dutchman fulfil his potential then I believe there is a real star in the making.
It has already been rumoured that Gilberto Silva and/or Danny Murphy could be signed if Javier Mascherano decides to leave Anfield. Hodgson certainly does like that mix of vast experience and young players in his side and perhaps a calm, experienced head in the centre of the park is what Liverpool have required ever since Alonso’s departure last summer.
Another reason why the Englishman may prove to be a shrewd choice is that he appears to be from the ‘Liverpool school’ of coaching and management. He does have that kind of Bob Paisley or Joe Fagan feel about him in the way that he is fully respectful to others, rarely gets flustered and knows the game inside out, but portrays this knowledge in a quiet, modest manner.
Hodgson is a true gentleman who lacks any form of arrogance, but must also have a tough streak somewhere to have got as far as he has. Maybe just maybe that is exactly what is needed at Liverpool in these uncertain times.
Hodgson actually began his management career at the time when Liverpool were the top club in world football. So I’m sure he is fully aware of the history and expectations at England’s most successful club. This makes him ideal for the job in some ways, and perhaps gives him a greater grasp of the club that another foreign manager may have.
He is also an articulate, clever man who speaks five languages. It is a skill that is obviously an important element in the modern game, but perhaps at such a big English club it is particularly helpful – especially in their current predicament - to have a fluent English speaker at the helm.
As I've stated before, I felt that Benitez was so often a victim of ‘lost in translation’ games conjured up by the English press and frequently appeared to be the victim of a media witch hunt. Hodgson will surely not fall for those tricks and he certainly doesn’t attract them.
It is shrewd appointment by the Anfield board for commercial and emotional reasons as well. Hodgson is not known for being confrontational and could even be perceived as a bit of a ‘yes man’ . It is probably something that the board will appreciate following on from Rafael Benitez.
But ‘our Roy’ is also very likeable, and this makes it difficult for the fans to really turn against him. The Anfield faithful will certainly give him a chance, that’s for sure, and he will certainly not be hated at any point, you can guarantee that.
On the playing side however, there are grave concerns. The London born coach clearly did a terrific job at Fulham, but hey were a club who were only really able to play their best at Craven Cottage. Whilst at the club, Hodgson's side only won nine away games in two and a half seasons.
At Liverpool, the team will always be strong at home, whoever is in charge, but last year they also fared very poorly away from home.
Hodgson will need to alter his style on Merseyside and the Anfield faithful will obviously expect more than what Hodgson offered at Fulham. While I’m sure he is fully aware of this it will probably take a little time for him to stamp his authority on the team and the team's style, but does he have time? He has a three year contract and is approaching 63 years old. This is the concern.
What’s also a little worrying is that Hodgson, although vastly experienced, does lack any long term experience at a truly, globally renowned club. He had two short spells at Inter Milan, but only really as an interim manager with limited success.
The biggest job he has had in England was at Blackburn Rovers, where he had money to spend. But after a good first season he had a disastrous second campaign. The Ewood Park club actually ended up going down that year following Hodgson’s dismissal in December. He will be hoping his second stint in the North West of England is a better one.
Liverpool will not be relegated, but can he get them back into the top four? He says he can, but with only 12-15 million currently available in the transfer market, he’s going to need to use all his persuasive skills and use his full quota of contacts to get this great club back to the top.
As I stated earlier though, good luck to the man. He certainly deserves this chance, whatever happens…..
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment