EPL Talk » Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson Has To Be The Manager Of The Year

Christopher Walker — Sun, 10 May 2009 12:19:36 +0000

Roy Hodgson, surely the Premier League manager of the year?

On 28 December Roy Hodgson accepted the managers post at Premier League side Fulham. The Cottagers’ immediate future was looking bleak – in the bottom three, with just 14 points on the table. The revival was hardly immediate either, taking just two points from his first five league games in charge. Further to this Fulham only managed two wins in the first three months of Hodgson’s tenure.

Relegation looked like a mere formality by the time April had arrived. But, following a 3-1 home loss to Sunderland something incredible happened. Fulham for the first time since 9 September 2006 won an away game in the Premier League – prevailing over relegation rivals Reading by a 2-0 scoreline. Fulham went on to win four of their last five games including that superb encounter at Manchester City and sealed their survival on the final day away at Portsmouth.

Hodgson’s spending in summer shows that chairman Mohammed Al Fayed must have been impressed. Andy Johnson arrived for a fee reported to be between 10 and 13 million, a Bobby Zamora and Johnathan Paintsil also arrived from West Ham for a combined fee of £6.3 million. Those signings aside Hodgson appears to have been fairly shrewd, landing Zoltan Gera and Mark Schwarzer on a free.

Fast forward a year later and the same club is now not only leading the ‘race for seventh’ but playing decent football on the way. The defensive partnership of Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland has also been instrumental, Fulham have conceded just 32 goals in 36 games - only 14 of which at home. Although Fulhams record away from their beloved Craven Cottage is still questionable, I firmly believe we will see improvement in this department next season. Despite only winning two away games so far this season, only Liverpool and Manchester United have taken more points at home than the Cottager’s (although Manchester City can also claim this).

A superb second half performance helped to overcome fifth-placed Aston Villa to win 3-1 shows just how far the club have come. I still remember Franck Queudreue publicly criticising then manager Lawrie Sanchez, he was quoted as saying “Sanchez told us to hit long balls and pick up the rebounds” and “He wanted us to play like Neanderthals. But I am not a Neanderthal man and I told him I could not continue.”

I for one certainly don’t see these tactics present with Roy Hodgson in charge and cannot help but admire the counter-attacking brand of football that I witnessed when I have had the opportunity to watch.

Granted there are some justified calls for Tony Pulis after guiding Stoke City to safety. Alex Ferguson is always likely to be in with a shout – especially if he completes a four trophy haul. Martin O’ Neill, David Moyes and Gianfranco Zola will also not have gone unnoticed. However I believe Hodgson is the one that deserves to be recognised. After escaping relegation on the final day of last season, the club is not only within two games of the highest finish in its 130 year history but are also on the verge of a European adventure to boot.

Not a Happy Guus While Rafa’s Going No Where,

Johnathan Starling — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:18:50 +0000

I’m happy Guus is not as thrilled about Chelsea’s 1-0 win as I am.

A bit of a side bar before I get into the news tonight. Chelsea are extremely lucky they are a goal to the good heading into their Champions League second leg. For starters, I don’t believe Didier Drogba’s goal should have counted. Frank Lampard was actively offside, and when Drogba and Lampard are both teeing up to shoot, sorry the referee has to throw the flag up.

Then there are the two obvious penalties that should have been called on both Petr Cech and Michael Ballack. Then the icing on the cake, the man in the middle completely blows the last kick of the game. Alex did get the last touch and the referee didn’t seem to care.

Guus Hiddink has every right to not be happy with Chelsea’s performance Wednesday night against Juventus. Yes the first half went by fine, but Chelsea mentally checked out in the second half. Guus was the first to admit that. He isn’t satisfied with a one goal advantage heading into the second leg, but that’s understandable knowing the task at hand heading to Italy. Being complacent on an away European night could result in their ultimate undoing.

If preparing for Real Madrid wasn’t enough, having reports over your head about your job added to the difficult task Rafa had in front of him Wednesday night. The first denials about Rafa leaving hit my RSS feeder at 9:34 Wednesday morning, but nothing concrete from the ownership at Anfield.

Liverpool will be happy with their 1-0 victory. For starters they got that cliched away goal and got a road shut out. That is Rafa Benitez at his best. Every time Rafa has been under the gun, an European night has always given him comfort. Even his post match press conference was a happy place as he committed his future to Liverpool. We’ll see come this summer.

Other Stories
For those wondering, Middlesbrough are in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup after a 2-0 win over West Ham United. Now Gareth, can you get that result in league play?

And Phil Brown is hoping that an FA Cup win Thursday night will kick start Hull City’s dead form.

More FA Cup talk as Roy Hodgson is warning Manchester United that Fulham won’t be laying down. The problem is, it’s Manchester United. Even if you don’t lay down you may end up rolled over.

So Kolo Toure didn’t know the rule about not coming onto the pitch until the referee said so once play resumed? Along with a new ritual, maybe a look at the laws of the game wouldn’t hurt.

Martin O’Neill has added his two cents into the artificial pitch debate. Of course he had to use the Champions League Final jab in his comments.

So another Premier League player has been arrested. This time it was Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller. What driving offense (or offenses) could it take to be brought in for questioning.

And finally, Tony Mowbray intends to use loan signing Juan Carlos Menseguez as a super sub for that extra spark off the bench. West Brom could use one from the start as well.

Fulham Continue To Progress Under Hodgson

Paul Bestall — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:45:46 +0000

Why doesn’t Roy Hodgson get the credit he deserves in the United Kingdom? As I’ve mentioned before, In Scandinavia and Italy, he’s held in high regard, in Britain people point to his sacking at Blackburn Rovers back in1997. With 33 points gained so far this season, Fulham are one win away from emulating their points total for last season already.Hodgson is a class act, he knows his football, his list of contacts stretches world wide.

Fulham, under Hodgson, have begun to repair the damage that Lawrie Sanchez’s reign presided over, as Hodgson has looked to ship out some of the deadwood that arrived during the former Northern Ireland managers spell. Sanchez’s problem seemed to be his obsession with signing players he’d worked with at Northern Ireland, tallied with a depressing addiction to long ball football and a high defensive line, whilst using defenders not blessed with pace.

This season, after keeping them up by the skin or their teeth last year, has seen Hodgson add to the canny signings he made in the transfer window of 2008. Capturing the new strike force of Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora in the summer has been key to allowing Hodgson to implement his footballing philosophy on the Cottagers. Johnson with his pace and eye for key combined with Zamora’s strength and ability to hold the ball up has given them a new dimension, it allows Fulham to break and bring more players in to attacking positions. With Danny Murphy and Simon Davies resurgent this year, their seems to be no worrying about a relegation scrap, simply looking to finish as high as possible in the Premiership. They could even possible match or surpass their best Premiership finish of 9th, which was earned under Chris Coleman in 2004.

With the tightness of the Premierships bottom 14 sides, 7th is not beyond Hodgson and his Fulham side, they showed just how much better they are than the bottom side West Bromich on Sunday with an impressive footballing display. 2-0 frankly flattered West Brom, they were never in the game, Danny Murphy imperious in a midfield display that harked back to his days for Liverpool and England. An F.A. Cup Quarter Final against Manchester United awaits in March. The transfer of Jimmy Bullard now looks a masterstroke.

Yet there is still room for improvement. Whilst their home record is currently the 2nd best in the Premiership, they share an unenviable record with Stoke City in not achieving an away win this season with only 6 draws and 3 goals scored in 13 matches away from Craven Cottage. A decent away record could have seen them challenging Everton and Arsenal for a UEFA cup spot. That said though, they’ve earned impressive draws at Liverpool, Tottenham and Aston Villa, if Hodgson can nick a couple of away wins towards the back end of the season at say Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City and Newcastle who knows where they could end up.

Hodgson knows his team need strengthening in the summer, a striker to compliment Zamora and Johnson is paramount, when fit and available, they’ve started every single game and more midfield depth to cover his first choice combination of Murphy, Davies, Dempsey and Gera. The return to form of Ethuhu and the loan signing of Olivier Dacourt shows where Hodgson needs to add options. The back four could also do with more depth, as the back four seems to pick itself currently.

Allied with another expansion of the stadium, it seems 4000 seats are to be added, a top ten finish can give them something to build on. The board of Fulham keep increasing the capacity where they can as they try to push it up to 30,000. The Hammersmith End is ripe for increased capacity and will add vital revenue to the clubs coffers.

Fulham can be pleased with their progression this season, but Hodgson and the fans know they need to start winning games away from Craven Cottage for real progress to be made.

Five Facts to Explain Fulham’s Premier League Resurgence

tyduffy — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:57:53 +0000

One year ago, Fulham was arguably the worst team in the Premier League not named Derby. The club showed little holiday spirit, sacking Lawrie Sanchez just four days before Christmas. New manager Roy Hodgson needed a great escape, scraping to 36 points and safety on the season’s final day.

This season, however, Hodgson has revolutionized Fulham, currently sitting comfortably mid-table on 26 points with a game in hand. Here are five facts to explain Fulham’s resurgence this season.

Ferocity at the Back: Americans have a saying, “Offense wins games. Defense wins championships.” Fulham are nowhere near title contention, but a vastly improved defense has proved pivotal. Halfway through the current season, Fulham have allowed just 14 goals in the 19 matches. That’s fourth best in the Premier League, behind only Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. If Fulham maintain that pace, they would allow 28 goals. They shipped 60 the previous year. Fulham are far more competitive and have their backline to thank.

Fortress Craven Cottage: Fulham’s 2008-09 model has the requisite fragility away from home. They’ve failed to win in nine attempts, although they have drawn five. However, Fulham have been spectacular at home this season, winning six and drawing three of their ten matches. Only Manchester United and Liverpool have fared better at home this season than Fulham.

Overcoming Squandered Investments: Fulham spent serious moolah over the summer, nearly £20m, to revamp their striking with Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora. Despite their success, the duo have been largely ineffective, combining for only five goals in 33 combined appearances. American forward Clint Dempsey has four times as many goals as Bobby Zamora, with barely more than half as many pitch minutes. Fulham’s success has been despite not because of this substantial investment.

A Steely Run: Fulham, though only winning three, are undefeated in their past nine matches, last losing to 1-0 to Everton on Nov. 1. This run of matches saw Fulham play top tier sides, such as Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa. They also played more talented teams, such as Manchester City, Newcastle and Tottenham twice. Fulham may fade a bit, but those fifteen difficult points could stave off relegation.

Backbone Against the Big Five: These fixtures are often overrated. For a team out of the title race six-pointers, they matter not more than any other match. However, Fulham, with a victory against Arsenal and draws with Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa, are undefeated in these matches. They conceded just two goals in the four matches, both against Chelsea. Tangibly, Fulham gain six points, but the value of the confidence earned is considerable.

Wenger Criticism Is Wide Of The Mark

Paul Bestall — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:06:42 +0000

In the immediate aftermath of Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage on the second Saturday evening of the Premiership, several pundits queued up to pass judgement on Arsenal, the players who performed and the lack of signings. Two games into the season and Arsenal have no chance of winning anything, finishing in the top four or making any impact in Europe according to these wise men who seem unluckily to be without employment in the game they obviously know so much about. Lee Dixon on the BBC decided to pass judgement on Sami Nasri, stating “He was nowhere near good enough to play for Arsenal.”

Now, I can quite honestly say that I don’t reckon Dixon has seen very much of Nasri at all over the last 3 seasons, in fact i’d stake a large wager on the fact that what Lee Dixon knows about Le Championnat could fit on the back of a postage stamp. English pundits tend to have an arrogant stance toward European football other than the Champions League, a passing interest in La Liga which is waning now Beckham, Owen and Woodgate have all departed and general indifference to Serie A, SupaLiga, Bundesliga or any other that you care to mention. I’ve always found this attitude both baffling and annoying, a constant precursor to the antiquated and deluded idea these pundits still churn out that anyone who plays abroad is usually technically better but weaker, afraid of cold weather, rain and playing away at Bolton on a Tuesday night in January. It’s an argument consistently weakened by England’s performances in competitions over the last few years, but then we play the referee, the weather and bad luck, it’s never the fact we’re not good enough

The criticism of Nasri and Arsenal though is beyond a joke, This is player who has played in one of the most frenetic grounds in Europe, the Stade Velodrome, a sea of seething, passionate and raucous fans that always let the Marseille players and management know exactly what the think of events on the pitch good, bad and indifferent.Anyone who has watched French football over the last few years know that Nasri is little gem of a player and one that Arsene Wenger will know exactly what he’s paid £11.8 million pounds for. He’s got a dynamic, exciting and sometimes inspirational player who can weave around players like they’re statues. Selling Hleb for more than they paid for Nasri was a wonderful piece of business for Arsenal and Wenger, but the barbs that are directed toward Nasri are also aimed toward Wenger.

Wenger’s last trophy was the 2005 FA Cup, but lets not forget the run to the 2006 Champions League final, equalling Chelsea’s record currently in the competition, lost to Chelsea in the 2007 Carling Cup final, finished 3rd in the league last season, lost to Liverpool thanks to some dodgy refereeing in the Champions League Quarter Finals and got to the Semi-finals of the Carling Cup. Now that in my opinion is consistent achievement across several competitions.

More criticism has been aimed Wenger’s way with the transfer window closing with Arsenal’s failure to make any more purchases, but Wenger knows his squad better than anyone, no-one has set off like a train in the Premiership, so find themselves a point behind Liverpool and Chelsea. He didn’t feel he needed buy anyone, players are coming back to fitness and form and he knows come the next round of matches, he’ll have an almost fully fit squad to choose from. He also working with the backdrop of two billionaires trying to gobble up as many shares in the company as possible to try and achieve the magic 30% mark, yet hasn’t let this disturb his consistency or his footballing ethic. Look at the recent upheavals at West Ham United and Newcastle, clubs in absolute turmoil, weaker squads and low morale. Where would Wenger rather be?

Wenger hasn’t been at Arsenal for 13 seasons by luck, he’s delivered trophies, great players for bargain prices and made transfer profits, year in and year out whilst getting his team to play some lovely football on a consistent basis. Uneducated criticism of him simply makes the critic look rather foolish, as Arsenals performance against Newcastle last weekends showed and it also does the work Roy Hodgson has done at Fulham no favours at all, they’ll get a few more scalps along the way this season. He let Overmars and Petit go and the team got better, let Vieira go and the team almost won the Champions League and let Henry join Barcelona only missing out the Premier League by a couple of points. At every point, critics said Arsenal would never be the same again. How many times do they need egg on their faces?

One more thing, as a Tottenham fan, I never thought I’d be defending Arsenal or Wenger but sometimes stupid comments from ex players trying to gain publicity need addressing and Arsenal will be in the mix across all four competitions again this year. Unlike pundits on a channel with no live football until August 2009.