There`s no denying that the period in our history when Roy Hodgson was in charge will be remembered very fondly.
Under Hodgson our Premier League status was maintained, with us also achieving a record high finish during his tenure, and our exploits in the Europa League, last season will forever remain etched in our memories.
But football is a changing game, a beast of a kaleidoscope that can churn thing sup and give you the most irregular of patterns. We`ve no doubt that Hodgson thought long and hard about leaving Craven Cottage to go to Anfield. Hodgson would have been divided over whether to take the Craven Cottage model to another level or grasp the opportunity to try and restore a falling giant back to the higher echelons of English football.
As it so happened Roy went for the latter, charmed by the Liverpool offensive and keen to finish his managerial career with a flourish by restoring Liverpool to the lofty perch the Anfield support have always believed is their divine right.
Unfortunately, even as Hodgson was heading north the troubles, behind the scenes, at Anfield were being played out by a cast not supported by the audience. Hicks and Gilette were never the most popular of owners amongst the home support, all in all a far cry from the experience he`d had with Mr Al Fayed a the Fulham helm.
As is often the case the Liverpool faithful gave Hodgson a warm reception, they`re nothing if not fair in that respect. Enticing Joe Cole, from Chelsea, added further to his rising stock on Merseyside and all appeared to be well in the Hodgson run camp.
Sadly, for Hodgson, seven games into the Premier League season and all has not gone according to plan. Liverpool languish in the relegation places with a solitary win to their credit. That rising stock has fallen to such an extent that the home support are erring towards Kenny Dalglish returning as the manager and with the possibility of new owners coming in change could be the only norm at Anfield.
Naturally, Hodgson remains confident that he can turn things around and that he can lift Liverpool out of the relegation zone and towards challenging for a European place basing his belief on his, more than decent, record in the coaching and managerial fields he`s inhabited for the past three or four decades declaring,
“That`s the way of football. At the end of May I was having fantastic moments and at the end of September I`m having bad moments, but I don`t think that after 35 years of coaching I`ve suddenly lost the abilities that have served me so well.”
Now I`ve rattled on for quite long enough here, especially as my original intention was to only make a single point, but I can`t help feeling if Hodgson has any regrets about vacating the managerial office at Craven Cottage for the quagmire that is currently Anfield.
It`s be an awful shame if his quest for one final hurrah at the end of a managerial career that has seen his credentials become firmly established was to end in despair and disappointment, would it not?
Vital Fulham on:
Vital Fulham on:
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