Paddy Barclay On 'The New Special One'

[White Noise]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/fulham/article7069175.ece

Roy Hodgson, the new Special One of SW6, overlooked for too long

The FA neglected to hire Hodgson, who would have been as good as the costly foreign coaches


Patrick Barclay, Chief Football Commentator

José Mourinho had only 50 hours in the limelight. At least that was the view on Thursday night from Putney Bridge, which is a short bus ride from Chelsea's ground and a walk through the park to Fulham's.

The sparkle in the eyes of passers-by owed less to the Inter Milan coach than one of his predecessors. If Roy Hodgson had wanted to cross the Thames on his way home, he, too, could have walked — but without using the bridge.

Hodgson was the new Special One of SW6. Two evenings after Mourinho had masterminded Inter's Champions League triumph at Stamford Bridge, the Englishman had supervised an unforgettable Fulham comeback to oust Juventus from the Europa League.

Later, a flushed and lolling fan on a train was asked about it by the enthralled guard. "We were still queueing to get in when [David] Trezeguet scored," the fan said, using a gift for elegant observation that you could find only in a Fulham drunk. But somehow Craven Cottage had known that, although the odds against four unanswered goals were long, a punt on the spirit of Hodgson's side might be worthwhile. And somehow, too, it was worthy of the equal attention to skill at his club that Clint Dempsey should secure the winnings with a chip of almost ethereal beauty.

That Hodgson should appear almost an overnight success at 62, having qualified as a coach so long ago that his tutor, Bobby Robson, was regarded as up-and-coming, reflects dismally on his native land. I met him in Sweden in 1978 and he was already winning championships with Halmstad. He went with Bobby Houghton to Bristol City, who were going bust. Returning to Sweden, he won five more titles with Malmö before moving to Switzerland, where he coached first Neuchâtel Xamax and then the national team, guiding them to a first World Cup finals in 28 years.

He also saw the Swiss through to Euro '96 but, by the time they arrived in England, he was with Inter and there also Hodgson did well, the Nerazzurri finishing third in Serie A and losing only on penalties to Schalke in the Uefa Cup final.

Yet still England ignored him. Unlike Germany, whose FA president sounded him out about succeeding Berti Vogts before being persuaded that a foreigner's appointment would damage the national coaching body. If only the English had been as wise.

After a stint with Blackburn Rovers — they soared, then plummeted — Hodgson became manager of first Mars and then Pluto. Or might have done, given the scant credit awarded here for his achievements, which included a title in Denmark and a fine European Championship qualifying campaign with Finland.

He was considered when Kevin Keegan was given the England job, and again when Sven-Göran Eriksson got it, but each time the FA made the wrong decision, as it has continued to do since. Even when hiring Fabio Capello. For all the plaudits lavished on the Italian, would Hodgson not have been capable of getting England to the World Cup finals? Of course. And for a quarter of the money. And whatever England achieve in South Africa would have been earned, not bought.

The call will come if England flop in June or Capello leaves. But it might be too late, for what Hodgson has done since being beckoned by Mohamed Al Fayed at the end of 2007 would qualify for description as a fairytale were it not more simply the product of exceptional work by a man at the peak of his powers.

Once, during a turbulent spell with Udinese, he warned me that it was likely to be brief with words to this effect: "The money's great in management those days, but it does make you more short-tempered. You're less likely to put up with nonsense — because you don't need to. You can walk away."

Hodgson has come through that. He is as clever as ever, and as passionate, but less moody.

Before Al Fayed, there was lower-division football. Keegan, Jean Tigana and Chris Coleman are among those who have taken part in the rise and it must be acknowledged that the edge is taken off this modern fairytale by a debt of nearly £200 million that may, in time, cause Al Fayed to seek a valuation of the Craven Cottage site as prime housing land.

Whatever is running at a loss, though, it is not the Hodgson regime. Burnley apart, few clubs have less expensive squads. Yet he has this gift of coaxing the best out of every man. To individualise would miss the point. It was noticeable, especially after Fabio Cannavaro had been sent off and the obligation was to stretch Juventus, that Fulham had been imbued with a communal intelligence. No one took too many touches or too few. Seldom did the ball go forward when it had to go wide.

This is the masterwork of a football man and if his country had not been so perennially misguided, it would be more than SW6 receiving the benefit.

[finnster01]

Brilliant

[Lighthouse]

Roy is nothing special. May be a bit lucky is all. Now leave him alone and stop thinking of England and let him continue with little old Fulham. :59:

[KCat]

''The call will come if England flop in June or Capello leaves. But it might be too late, for what Hodgson has done since being beckoned by Mohamed Al Fayed at the end of 2007 would qualify for description as a fairytale were it not more simply the product of exceptional work by a man at the peak of his powers. '''

God I do hope so !!!  :013:


Good article Paddy !!!