Old Sod's Army-Roy Hodgson

[bog]

There is no doubt of the phenomenal times Roy Hodgson gave us. However i did not like the manner in which he soon cleared off to the illfated Liverpool job after they came sniffing. Let's be honest they would never have appointed him before his magnificent display at Fulham. Again an however, would he sort out our problems at the moment, organise us defensively and make us hard to beat, (another phoenix) with the players we have?  I think he would. All rather pointless I know.....

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[ron]

When he took Ray Lewington with him as well, that was a body blow that has been underestimated. Lew was the great motivator on the training pitch.

[nose]

i agree with everything here.... i was really disappointed with him when he left.... liverpool was an obvious big gamble and with kenny D still on site it was bound to be difficult.

[bog]

I could have put up with him leaving us for the England job. Where would we be if he had stayed that time be for leaving for the FA and not faffing about at Liverpool and WBA?

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[HatterDon]

I had two concerns about him leaving:

1. He did so after the World Cup leaving us little time to prepare for the new season.
2. We were ripe for rebuilding. I had hoped that he'd be able to do the sort of clearout he did in his first summer with us -- bringing in more players who thrived on his ideas.

He could have done both, of course. Roberto Martinez did studio commentary in the US much as Roy did in England. The difference, of course, is that Martinez signed three players for Wigan WHILE he was doing his studio gig. Roy could have done the same.

Because he wasn't available to do the reshuffling we needed, I was hoping that Hughes would be able to do that for us in HIS first summer -- which, of course, never came because MAF decided to go cheap and sell the club.

Still, I'll never forget what he did for us. We were dead and buried with Sanchez, and he pulled off the Great Escape, got us to a European final and -- as an extra bonus -- when he left he took The Alien with him.

[bog]

I agree Hatterdon. I think he knew he was going to move on. He was ofen of the move with clubs. But we would never have had those times if he had not come for 'Hodgson's Half Hour'. Wont see the like again I feel either.

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[Jimpav]

Roy's stint with us was one of the longer roles in his football career.

He could not have possibly topped his achivements with us and had the foresight to walk away on a high.

I've no issue with the way he left us or his reasons for doing so. If it wasn't Liverpool it would have been another bigger club and who were we to step in his way.

I'm glad he left on a high because as it stands our current manager, a one time Fulham legend and the "peoples choice" is on the verge of crashing out of the club on a sour note. I wouldn't have liked Roy to have left on this way if things hadn't worked out.

[Snibbo]

Always said that it was bad judgement on his part to take the pool job. Poisoned chalice. He could have stayed with us for another season or two and still been a shoe in for the England job. Plus he would have been a Fulham legend instead of leaving a sour taste for some of us. And we would have been  in better shape. Always grateful for what he did but it could have been even better if he had a bit more patience.