Football Update: Roy Hodgson - The right man for Liverpool
In just over 24 hours, Roy Hodgson has proved why exactly he is the man Liverpool so desperately needed as a manager. Liverpool were dismal last season finishing a disappointing 7th in the league and missing out on Champion’s League football and with it 20 million pounds.
If in their entire reign at Liverpool, Hicks and Gillet have done anything right, that’s signing Hodgson as a manager. The debate that whether Rafael Benitez deserved a sack or not, is for another day but for now Liverpool have a manager in Roy, who has the brains to run a club like Liverpool and the signing of Joe Cole is further testament to his footballing nous.
Every new Liverpool manager has always had the backing of their ever so loyal fans, Hodgson is no different, and by signing Cole, he has further endeared himself to the fans
Still there are a fair number of people who betray this philosophy. People almost queued up in front of the Kop to condemn his appointment and condemn anyone who offered a positive thought about their new manager.
Hodgson is not starting his term at Liverpool at the best of times, he has a difficult job of rebuilding a side that had just imploded and is on its knees. He has to gee up his players, convince them that the club is still ambitious and has what it takes to win the league and the signing of Cole is the first right step in that direction.
From his first press meeting, he has navigated the difficult waters like a seasoned pro. He has come across well to all and sundry except for the most blindly critical fan. Most importantly he came across well to the members of the team, who were thinking of walking out,
It surely took more than a few clever words. What he provided was a statement of intent, a sign that he is the right man to deliver the goods to a club that has been playing second fiddle for so long now, and is h**l bent upon proving his doubters wrong and convincing everyone at the club that there is light at the end of the tunnel
The signing of Joe Cole on a Bosman transfer is a glaring testament to his intentions, meeting Cole’s 90k wage demands and signing the player when the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham were interested. Given the fact that both of them promise Champion’s League football, while Liverpool has only Europa League to offer. Yet there was no singing, no dancing about it, no prolonged pursuit, and no media frenzy. It was just a massive blow that was delivered with minimum fuss.
Cole is an immensely talented player and persuading a player like that from Chelsea under the noses of Spurs and Arsenal show, that the manager has got some guts.
Immediately after the signing of Cole, Gerrard came out and pledged his future to Anfield. All of a sudden, he was interested in playing with his England team mate and all of a sudden, he wanted to stay at Liverpool. It was the signing of Cole that instilled the belief in players like Gerrard.
Hodgson has experience and knowledge in abundance. He may not be a glamorous name, not a darling of the media but he knows his football and knows how to react in the most demanding of circumstances.
It was nothing short of a miracle when he saved Fulham from relegation just weeks after taking over the position of the manager. It was nothing short of a miracle when he guided Fulham to Europa League final last season in Hamburg and all this is proof, that he has what it takes to be the manager of a club like Liverpool.
In these money driven modern times, it will simply be impossible to deliver the title in the very first year but at least he has made the right start. No one expects him to emulate the feats of Kenny Dalgleish and Bob Priesly but if he at least reproduces the dignity brought by those men, it will be another step in the right direction for a club in turmoil.
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