What would happen if Hodgson get a better offer at another club this summer? Will fulham be able to keep up or improve their form the next season without him?

Fulham is much more settled now – both as an organization and on the field – but that is not a particularly ’sexy’ thing for the media to focus on. Fulham has a stout defense (hmm, after Blackmouth left. coincidence?) but don’t score all that often. This kind of team (like Bolton a few years back) is going to please the home fans who had been threatened with relegation in recent years, but bore the neutrals.

Bullard was the one live wire on the team – a player that could shake up a grinding battle with a bit of brilliance. But his injuries took that away from the team and Hodgson wisely shipped Rocky Dennis off. That kind of offensive threat is missing, but the Fulham defense is strong enough that they are still much, much better than the last couple seasons. In order to progress, Fulham will need that spark – but I am okay with this being a year of getting the house in order before the team strikes out on an adventure.

Burt is probably right that Roy may not be around long. He kind of seems like the ‘turnaround man’ a company brings in to save them from bankruptcy but who departs soon after. Hodgson may not (or not want to) be the manager to carry them on to a five seasons of mid-table respectability, but he gets my thanks. Any season that doesn’t end in a last day, peek-through-my-fingers relegation escape is fine by me.