Roy Hodgson named Manager of the Year
Many managers could follow the example of Roy Hodgson. A spell away from English football has done wonders for the newly crowned LMA Manager of the Year.
The Fulham boss picked up the coveted award after gaining an overwhelming majority of the votes from his peers. Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Harry Redknapp and a host of others all called for the 62-year-old to be honoured after a remarkable campaign in charge of the west-Londoners – and he was duly rewarded for his achievements at yesterday evening’s LMA awards.
It’s all a far cry from when Hodgson was last working in England; and it’s because of this turnaround that he deserves even more credit for the superb job he’s done since arriving at Craven Cottage.
During the mid-1990s, Hodgson left the Premier League with his reputation tarnished. Having guided Blackburn Rovers to a Uefa Cup spot in his first season, the former Switzerland and Inter Milan manager was then sacked during his next campaign in charge - with Rovers lying rock bottom of the table.
Over the next nine years, Hodgson would revert to plying his trade abroad, managing clubs in no less than seven different countries.
But although the Londoner had won trophies across Europe, including the Danish Superliga with Copenhagen, Hodgson’s managerial credentials still weren’t trusted on British shores following his previous stint in England.
When Fulham announced they’d appointed the former Blackburn manager in December 2007, it was met by a wave of scepticism around Craven Cottage and the Premier League as a whole.
How those who doubted him must be feeling now. Hodgson has worked miracles at the club during his first two-and-a-half years in charge – transforming Fulham from relegation-certainties to Europa League finalists within that short period of time.
During his first half-season at the Cottage, he inspired Fulham’s great escape from a seemingly unassailable position – incredibly hauling them away from the drop zone on the very last day of the season.
Consolidating the club’s Premier League status was the message from the board in his first full campaign in charge; but in true Hodgson style, the cultured manager blew that mission statement out of the water, guiding the unfashionable outfit to their highest-ever league finish of seventh.
And if that wasn’t a grand enough achievement; in this – only his second full season at the helm – Hodgson has excelled himself once again.
Fulham’s Europa League campaign began way back in July in Lithuania; but 18 matches and several spectacular comebacks later means the Cottagers are now braced for their first European final.
Regardless of whether or not Fulham triumph against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday evening, their first campaign in Europe has far exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations – and it’s Hodgson who’s injected discipline, confidence and organisation into the squad to allow the club to reach these heady heights.
Little over a decade ago, Fulham were struggling in the basement division of the Football League. Those dark days must now seem like a distant memory for the club’s euphoric fans.
With Hodgson at the fore, Fulham’s supporters have every reason to be hopeful for the future. Keeping hold of him will be the Cottagers’ most significant challenge after the Europa League Final; but for all of Hodgson’s experience, he will be fully aware that he and Fulham have a special relationship worth keeping hold of.
Approaching the winter of his managerial career, Fulham will be desperately hoping their wily, experienced manager has seen enough of the world to call time on his globetrotting adventures and finally settle down at their quaint Cottage.
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