Hodgson perfect for Liverpool

What a biased article. Any fan who doesn't want Roy is a romantic'? Benitez's involvement in politics against the two owners was 'tiresome'? I'm sure it was if you were the two owners, who continue to undermine this great club. Well done, Phil - no doubt a seat next to Christian in the directors' box will be your prize.

Not so sure, certainly not at the expense of Kenny walking away.

The Liverpool hierarchy have demonstrated many times that they are not interested in the opinion of the fans or the views of well respected ex-players.

I really fear meltdown of my beloved club.

for such a long piece there is very little substance, mostly the normal Roy guff : safe pair of hands, top man, a real gent.

no mention of any of the sackings ?

or his lack of winning......... anything?

his main strength is that he can keep quiet?

even though it is unintentional in this article, talk about damning by faint praise....

Don't get me wrong , if this is what it has come to at the club then I have no problem with his appointment. What I fear is that he was actually the first choice because he is the path of least resistance for the owners and board, which shows astounding lack of ambition (and arrogance, to be fair)

Of course what would be perfect if he worked with Dalglish as his number 2. Cant see it happening though.

I don't know what to think. Only the season will tell....

The media has been telling us Liverpool fans for months we're deluded and in denial for backing Rafa, we've been told over and over he had to go and Hodgson had to come in, well now the media's getting what it wants, if it doesn't work will all you chief sports writers agree never to utter another word about Liverpool again?

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Be fair to Phil, he didn't say that anyone who didn't want Hodgson was a "romantic". He said that anyone who wanted Kenny was a "romantic". and I have to agree with him. Kenny's better days in management are long, long gone and he never coped great with pressure anyway. Imagine if Liverpool had been beaten by Arsenal and Manchester City in their opening games, with Kenny as manager. The pressure would have been intense and he would have suffered. As someone who cares more for Kenny's health I don't want to see a return to the white ghostly figure of his time at Newcastle, where he looked genuinely unwell.

Liverpool Football club needs a dose of realism. And I say that as someone with great respect for the isntitution. They are in a mess. A mess created by two Americans, and partly by Rafa, but a serious mess nonetheless. Roy Hodgson is a sensible, intelligent man. He will only be a short term appointment, but he will be a sensible and successful one. Liverpool might not quite snatch back a top 4 place, but I can't see them any lower than 5th next season, some stability and not the possible collapse that a higher risk candidate (Kenny because of his health, Pelligrini because of his lack of knowledge of the English league) would have been.

And Phil, you're much better when you don't write about England.

I remember Hodgson from his time at Blackburn. That quickly turned sour and he left the club amidst a row with Jack Walker over Tim Sherwood. During his time there I distinctly remember an agitated manager, he seems nothing like that now.

No manager could fix Liverpool. The owners are rapidly destroying the club. We could become a mere top 10 team next season, and if you believe what you read, Liverpool's best players want to leave.

Personally I would have given the job the Dalglish or Jamie Carragher, as a temporary solution, until the owners eventually sell. Their greed and lies are ruining this club, and with no signings this summer to be made, only sales of at least one of our major players (Mascherano) is making times exceptionally bleak at Liverpool. The sooner the owners leave the better, but I don't think that will be for years. We've heard absolutely nothing concrete at any point in the last three and half years that they are close to selling. Only that they are asking for over double the going rate for the club.

Hodgson, or any manager, working under these two disillusioned crooks is going to be a complete nightmare. Liverpool are a rapidly sinking ship. Revenue streams are being evaporated, the fickle support is waning, and the worst thing is, at the moment, there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Whoever Liverpool appoint will garner very minimal excitement, because we know that any manager will struggle to make this ever-weakening squad low on confidence competitive again.

Last season was a disgrace and that was largely down to Benitez, but I doubt any major improvement on that debacle can be made to be honest.

I think he should wait to see whether Capello stays or goes. I hope he stays, but if not, I think Hodgson would be the best available replacement.

But I wish him well whatever he chooses, as should all Fulham fans. We owe him our Premier League status, and our Europa League adventure!

This sounds like "Liverpool will win the title this year". Sadly Liverpool today is the Newcastle of 2004 (it is only getting worst and the only way is down).

I just wish it was United rather than Liverpool, but all in good time

Hodgson has everything to lose and nothing to gain from this appointment although if he were to take it I can understand his reasons for doing so. But equally he has nothing to lose or gain from remaining at Fulham. In fact, it's probably better he leaves on a high rather than something a bit less than that.

I'm not convinced he's the best man for the job. Not because he doesn't know his football but just purely I don't believe he will be given the time and patience required to steady the Liverpool ship. There are many things wrong at Liverpool that will not be fixed by his appointment.

I do think though Phil, that a report based on fact rather than emotion might have been better. You obviously like Mr Hodgson and, just like the rest of the UK press, seem to have it in for Mr Benitez. I was never particularly fond of the man myself but I'm not paid to write emotive and factless articles on a job or profession that I've never actually done.

He is perfect for Liverpool, but only because of the desperate state of the club.
He will stay quiet when Gerrard, Torres, Masch et al leave. He will stay quiet when the boardroom force him to downsize. So yes he is perfect for the Liverpool boardroom, just not for the fans.
I have alot of respect for what he has done at Fulham, but one swallow doesn't make a summer. Let us not forget Steve McClaren did a similar thing and we know how useless he was on the big stage.
My personal preference would have been Peligrini. He has experience of managing big players and dealing with difficult boardrooms. And had Jose not been available, he would still be at Real Madrid, where they scored more goals and had more points then they have ever gained in their history.

From what I saw, Hodgson is a good manager and a clever signing by Liverpool. His job at Fulham was great and I never saw Fulham not play well...they gave everything...so much for tired players!

What's more he is intelligent and has some class. Rare in football.

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in addition to my comment above, reading the few posts that made it through the moderation process in the last hour it is clear that the scouse fans don't deserve such a good manager either.

Roy will sort us out. FACT. no more zonal marking for one! how many goals a season will that save us!!

It's certainly not a bad appointment, and while I have huge respect for Roy, you miss the point entirely. Namely, the inept and damaging ownership and their "high-level-business-contact" cronies, Purslow and Broughton. How can you have a chairman who cannot attend a home game because it conflicts with his support of the opponents? It's a very bad joke. Until these people are gone, damage limitation is the best that can be expected.

Those criticising the appointment as lacking ambition are missing the point, of course it lacks ambition, why would owners committed to selling the club want to appoint an expensive manager who would want a large transfer budget?. They want Woy who can come in, be "a safe pair of hands" for the next year or maybe 2 while they find a new buyer, and the new owner will be able to get rid of him fairly chaply and without too much fuss when they want to bring in their own man and spend some cash on players. This appointment will do exactly what it is meant to, buy the owners time to sell and nothing else. Why would any big name manager want to come in knowing they have no money and will probably be sacked in a year when the new owners come in?

A mere 3 days after England go out the World Cup and Phil is back on his pro-Liverpool agenda. Going to tip them to win the league again?

Once again... Rubbish. Why do I bother reading these?

I like Hodgson, but the man to stabilise the club and then take it further? I doubt it, some excellent results but he's won.. nothing? I mean for God's sake even Steve McClaren had got a UEFA final and won a Carling Cup.

Why not Pellegrini?
Why not O'Neill?
Why not even Mark Hughes?

As I say, I like Hodgson and I hope he does well for obvious reasons, but right now, I can't see him as being anything other than a stopgap manager until new owners come in.

Hi Phil,

although I have a huge amount of respect for Roy Hodgson, his knowledge of football and his previous achievements, I do not share your enthusiasm of this appointment.

If I am Steve Gerrard or Fernando Torres this appointment would seriously worry me, because it shows lack of ambition from Liverpool FC. It says that we no longer can compete with the Top teams and that now is a time for consolidation. It says that we have NO chance of even thinking about the Premier League. With Rafa at least we saw a progression cycle reaching its peak last year and then the spectacular fall this year. We dreamed of winning the Premier League and a certain someone tipped us to win it.

With this appointment I do not get a sense of expectancy, more like a sense of acceptance that the ship needs to be steadied and that a Top 7 finish will do and that a Top 4 spot would be an achievement. Even if Rafa had stayed my expectation would have been higher.

Again, I have nothing but the highest respect for Mr. Hodgson the man, but I cannot see him being a huge success for Liverpool and I see him as the fall man as soon as new owners come in.

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It remains to be seen if Roy Hodgson will be as criticised as Rafa Benitez from the xenophobic britsh media. And it will be interesting to see if Roy Hodgson will do better (in terms of trophies, transfers and points) than the "fat Spanish waiter" who was not good enough for Liverpool (or should I say for the tabloids?) and now took over at European Champions Inter...

I think Roy is a good manager, the best English manager there is (which is not difficult) but it's a bad time to come to Liverpool. Hodgson's appointment also indicates something else, something much more important: Hicks and Gillett will remain at Anfield for the foreseeable future. Forget all those sale rumours, they probably were spread by Christian "The Mole" Purslow to calm the the masses. No new owners will come in before the start of the season. Because if there would be new, rich owners, they would not choose someone like Roy Hodgson but go for a worldclass manager.

The appointment of Roy Hodgson indicates only one thing: the lack of ambition by the club.

Cancerous parasites such as Hicks, Gillett and a board full of liars like Purslow and Broughton are the problem at Liverpool, not the manager, not the players. And I'd be glad if English journalists would do a bit more research but I understand that their job primarly is to invent stories and sell papers. My advice: Write about what is going on at Anfield, write about the total failure these owners and this board are. You might gain some credibility.

What has Woy won in the last 20, yes 20 years? NO Liverpool fan I know personally wants anything to do with the old codger. Rafa got SLAUGHTERED for not finishing in the top 4. Have the rules changed for Uncle Woy? If so the Xenephobia has reached new heights. My club is DYING!!

I have been a Liverpool supporter for years, and I like Roy Hodgson a lot. He is a great coach and a good man. However; at the moment, the Liverpool job is a poisoned chalice and Roy should stay away from Merseyside until the Yanks have long gone. Kenny Dagleish is the only person who can take this job on without destroying his reputation for ever. Anyonr else will be dragged down by these awful Yanks as they try to exit with thier pockets full of money.

Oh what a surprise, Phil is talking about his favourite subject - Liverpool again, Can't you find anything else to talk about Phil?
It makes me laugh now that Liverpool are considered a fallen giant. Surely a fallen giant wouldn't have spent as much as Chelsea and Man City in the last few years and well more than Utd and Arsenal! Let's face it, Liverpool are similar to the national team, everyone (especially the media) thinks they are better than they actually are including the players themselves. At least they have got rid of the dispicable Rafa Benitez, what a horrible character he was. He lost the respect of all of his peers, wasted transfer funds like a lottery winner and nearly sent Liverpool into the abyss, yet the fans still love him. I think in Hodgson they would be getting a true gentleman with only respectful comments to say about opposition teams and with his feet firmly on the ground and a wealth of experience. Liverpool will be lucky to have such a man with high moral standings to turn around their free falling club. But lets hope not too quickly, otherwise Phil will be writing about their return to greatness on a daily basis!

It’s the wrong move for Roy he deserves better than a decaying club. Let the dreamers have King Kenny and become rulers of the championship.

I’m so fed up of Liverpool’s history and tradition- going to the toilet in an outhouse is tradition.

Overall good blog. Hodgson does seem to have the temperament to work in LFC, troubled as my club is with the Yanks; perhaps without them Benitez would have suceeded, who knows. Hodgson deserves his chance (his Wikipedia makes good reading) so, if he joins, every LFC should give him utmost support.

Football is cyclical. Liverpool have enjoyed more than their fair share of time at the top end of the table, and with the advent of Manchester City, Spurs, perhaps even Villa and Everton, it means one or two clubs will have to fall into mid-table.

Obviously one wouldn't expect the Liverpool fans to be happy about it, but they'd better get used to it.

Most seem to see success as some sort of divine right. It isn't. They welcomed the Americans with open arms (at least United fans put up a fight) and look where it's got them. They've sold their soul.

Obviously the local fans will stay loyal but I imagine they'll lose an awful lot of glory hunters to City or Chelsea.

As for Hodgson - he's the right man for the time. A "yes man" who'll keep his trap shut as his best players are sold from underneath him and he's given only buttons with which to replace them.

I'm actually with you Phil, at least partially. While I don't think that everyone who wanted Dalglish was being guided by 'romantic' reasons, I do think Hodgson is a safe, realible pair of hands at a difficult time for our club.

Dalglish would have been a good appointment in my view, but would have carried more risk than Roy - and the last thing we as a club need at a minute is any more 'risk'. The financial situation is risky enough.

Hodgson comes having done some fine work at Fulham, although some of the rest of his CV is a bit concerning. However, I believe (and hope) that he has improved a lot as a manager over the last few years and thus is a different manager to the one that was in charge of Blackburn in the late 90s.

Hodgson will guide us through some troubled times for the club. If he doesn't do that well, then when new owners do eventually come in, they will have the option of bringing their own manager in. But I really do think he is a safe, solid appointment for the situation we find ourselves in.

My only concern does not lie with Roy himself but with the owners (yet again). Will they give Hodgson the final say over whether Torres and Gerrard are sold? And even if they do, will the money from these sales if they happen be re-invested back in the playing staff? I'm not convinced what the answers are to these questions, and they are the most important questions of all in my opinion.

But I will be pleased to see Hodgson as Liverpool manager, and hope other fans will join me in giving him a warm welcome to the club when he joins. Give the guy a chance at least....

Im sure yre right Phil and Hodgson will be a sensible appt, however for this LFC supporter and England fan its the end of the road with football, for the time being at least. The dreadful way England exited from the WC along with the shenanigans (Sp) in the PL with teams going bust, the appalling ownership of Man utd and Liverpool and the PL's unwillingness to regulate, has made this football fan fall out of love with football again-the last time being in 1981 at the height of hooligan mania.

Im sure Hodgson will do a good job but my interst in watching a sub-standard fayre served up by over-indulged and over-paid players has waned.

One last thing however. Maybe Hodgson will get Murphy back and maybe that over-paid Capt of ours will flee the nest to RM where all washed up footballers go at some stage.

Seems to be a lot of mixed opinion about the potential appointment of RH. I reckon based on what he did last season at Fulham, with a threadbare squad, he at least deserves a decent crack of the whip.. Especially if any kind of player exodus occurs at Anfield...he would really come into his own then.

Completely agree (for once) and have said so from day one. He has respect, knowledge, integrity and bags of experience. Mix all that together with being able to manage on a tight budget and the fact that he's English - what more do you want?
Just because he's not Dutch or in any way exotic doesn't mean he's not up to it. He's gonna be excellent, lets just get behind him. YNWA.

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Shame the article is made up of pure speculation and no substance in the way of quotes by Roy Hodgson, Fulham or Liverpool, still since when do the media let the truth get in the way of a story?

So who's going to get the England job now?

And what happens to Roy when Leverpool is sold?

"Hodgson is a deep thinker about football and other things besides, as an avid reader of Milan Kundera, John Updike and Philip Roth. Liverpool will hope he can apply the intelligence gleaned throughout a long career to rebuild one of the fallen giants of the game."

:D

Seriously Phil? I mean, seriously, is that how desperate you are to try and justify this baffling decision to put a man who managed only one league away win last season into the hot seat at Liverpool?

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Still you won't see Liverpool in the top 4 next season.. As with England, changing the manager only solves half the problem as not only do Liverpool have a poor squad they don't have any money to improve it either.

Anyway, Roy Hodgson's record at Fulham isn't anything to write home about - Played 127; Won 50; Drew 32; Lost 45.

From an England perspective I'm dissapointed that it now looks like Hodgson will be ruled out of the running for the national job. He is probably far to intelligent to drink from the FA's poisoned challace anyway.

Interesting thoughts Phil..but Hodgson's sacking in December 1998 from Blackburn whilst they were propping up the Premier League table and picking up just nine points from his first thirteen league games in charge at Fulham in 2008 (just managing to escape relegation that season) wont inspire confidence amongst too many Kopites. I hope he does well as he always seems a nice, diplomatic, polite man with a lot of European experience plus it would be good for a 'big' side to employ an 'English managers', but I suspect he'd be more suited to being England's next International manager than being used as a 'stop gap' appointment at Liverpool - by owners who appear content to treading the Mersey waters.

As a match going Red , I for one am looking forward to Roy Hodgson taking over ( assuming it happens ) . He isn't coming to win us the Premier league , something we're light years away from , he's coming to steady the ship . He's a man of dignity , something Liverpool need at this stage . Kenny was never an option to me . I'm old enough to remember the glory days and Kenny had lots of them , but his time as a manager has passed ( in my opinion ).

lol this moderation is a joke. What was wrong with what I said?

Nothing, so I'll say it again.

What i basically said was that he's the only person who could rescue Liverpool from themselves, that he'll steady the ship, that he'll be great on a shoestring budget and that it galls me as a United fan to see them make a good appointment.

I just wish the FA would grow some nuts and organise a switch with the Liverpool board to give them the "glossy" appointment of Capello, while England get the better manager.

BBC moderation, just like the FA and England managers. They take hours to make a simple decision and then get it wrong.

Give him a chance I say. Roy is a good signing considering the state LFC are in.

Look out Liverpool!

Liverpool will win the league!
Gerrard behind Rooney
Capello is a great manager for England!
Gerrard behind Rooney
England can do well in the world cup!
Gerrard behind Rooney
Cappelo is a terrible manager!
Gerrard behind Rooney
England disgraced at World cup, Capello to blame!
Gerrard behind Rooney
Capello should be sacked yesterday!
Hodgson perfect for Liverpool!


BBC's Phil is not the greatest at football predictions.

Phil much better blog than previous England ones, I appreciate the mood changes thick and fast at a World Cup as emotions rage but I just felt the bbc have slipped into sensationalic journalism during this tournament. I hope it improves for the oncoming premiership season?

Anyway as for Liverpool I believe that Hodgson is a sound appointment, it is a bit cliched to say he is 'safe' but in this case in genuinely applies.

He is hugely knowledgeable and widely respected and he will undoubtedly command respect of the players. His biggest strength I think is definitely his transfer market acumen, which will be vital as no doubt money will be tight for them. Imagine if he had been given the £18m that Benitez spent on Glenn Johnson?

Phil, would you agree with me that Liverpool have enough top players that with shrewd transfers and a smart manager could still make the top 6 this coming season?

A side containing Reina, Mascherano, Gerrard and Torres should not need too much of an overhaul. The squad is thin and with Europa League qualifying starting in July it will be a long hard season but I'm sure that if Hodgson is allowed to spend the money he makes from transfers he will bring in enough, I'd say 5 or 6 players to bolster the squad.

Typical deluded Liverpool fans, blaming the Americans for the recent demise and refusing to admit that Benitez struggled from 2006 onwards. The team is probably worse now than it was under Houllier, whose squad Benitez inherited for the Champions League success. I hope Hodgson succeeds - he will certainly bring some common sense management to this once-great club which, in my opinion, has been in decline for over 20 years since the latter days of Dalglish's tenure

Needlesstosay that the American's have been a disgrace, but Benitez worked hard to get himself sacked at the end and that sucked another £6m out of the club. The sad thing is that this blog is completely correct - we just wish it wasn't. If we didn't go with a safe pair of hands now we could be sliding down the league, losing players and in receivership in 18 months - and this is of course still possible.

One thing we all need to be aware of though, is that RBS will not sit back and let any transfer revenues be spent on new players. They will be as nervous as anyone about meltdown at the club - and at the end of the day we owe them almost £400m.

These are very difficult times indeed.

IMO it's a good appointment for Liverpool at the current time. They couldn't have attracted a really big name and right now that's not what they need - they need a solid manager to rebuild and restructure the squad.

I understand that Dalglish is a 'pool legend but would they really have preferred a guy who hasn't managed in over a decade to someone who took an unfancied club to the Europa league final last season?

typical Liverpool fans having a go saying hodgson hasn't won a lot when he took fulham to highest ever league finish and europa league finals with over 10 wins in europe out of a possible 19 so its just rubbish he cant win Finalnd's most successful manager, 5 league titles and european title with Malmo the list goes on so stop your monaing because he obviously wins and takes clubs as far as mine (Fulham) as far as he can with a squad that will never match that of half the Premier League and budgets 1/5 size so imagine what he can do with some money and quality watch it Liverpool your going to be so much better get some quality players in and he will speak to Dalgelish reguarly on how to take the club forward but if your think Kenny wants the job to only ruin his reputation your being silly I never heard him publically say he wanted the job??
Roy as a die hard Fulham I understand you want that big club and I wish you all the success your the best manager of my club i believe EVER and you will most definately be in our Hall of Fame we and I love you and will be so sad to see you leave but I know when you return to the Cottage I will be the first to stand and applaud you on. LONG LIVE KING ROY

Roy Hodgson must be seen as a temporary solution to Liverpool's management crisis. He is unlikely to want to manage for more than a couple of years anyway. When/If new owners can be persuaded to purchase Liverpool (probably a matter of when Gillette and Hick can be persuaded to accept realistic offers rather than seeking to price the club out of the market), then they will probably want a new manager. This seems to happen in most clubs when a change of ownership takes place.

The main issue for Liverpool is to keep the core of the team in place. With the right motivation and tactics, Liverpool can only improve on last season's performance. If the likes of Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano, Kuyt and Reina, Maxi, Aquilani can be encouraged to stay and play as they can then the possibilities are there for a good season. Unfortunately I get the impression that all these stars both at Liverpool and at other clubs want is the instant glory. (Look at the way that Fabregas is keen to move away from an excellent Arsenal team to be enticed by the glory of playing for Barcelona)

'Tiresome politicking'? Come again? Rafa was the last man standing between Liverpool and anarchy. He was so busy trying to save the club's soul it took his mind off the pitch. He was the last bastion; after him, the deluge, the firesale.

So, Hodgson. Sigh. Does anyone really care that much? I feel numbed. They could install Beaker from the Muppets and it won't mean anything while the current regime and its limpets continue to pull the club down. So, Roy, do your best, but I fail to care. I will carry on doing what I can to force out the owners and then, and only then, will I be able to look upon what's happening on the pitch without a jaundiced eye. In a way, I feel sad that a decent man, albeit a limited manager, has been thrown into such a situation. He should have stayed well clear. Instead, he is to Liverpool 2010 what venables was to Leeds 2002. A man chosen to manage decline, while the owners sell off all they can and with Purslow's help, run it into the ground.

It's a remarkably uninspiring choice. But there can be no inspiration in the current situation. Just hard work trying to bring the great rain that will wipe the scum away from our club.

There are people I know (family included) who are members of the 'nobody but Rafa' brigade and will no doubt think Hodgson isn't enough of a name, but I must say I agree with Phil. Liverpool need someone like Roy Hodgson right now - someone who isn't overly ambitious and will beaver away for a season or two whilst trying to get a solid foundation built for the club and turn them back into a winning force. The question is whether he can stay as realistic as he did at Fulham or if he'll get sucked into making rash promises like getting them back to the Champions League.

Based on the World Cup I don't think he'll have a problem keeping Gerrard (unless there are rumours to be believed) and unless Torres suddenly strikes a vein of form I think he'll stay too. He could sell Johnson but after his dire display on Sunday I doubt it, and ditto Aquilani, but then the latter is a decision I would personally have sacked Benitez for. Of course the absolute dream is for us to 'do a City' and get bought by some kind of Middle East businessman who basically says, "Here's £100 million, you're the manager, do what you want, I'm just in this for the fun of it" and lets him get on with it.

I'm sorry but Paraguay vs Japan was more interesting than this blog. Why is it that even when Liverpool are proven to be a failing club year after year that you still consider this to be "biggest, best, most interesting and most hotly-debated" topic that there is to write about? Wake up and smell the coffee that is the Europa League! Not a lot of people care what Hodgson will do for Liverpool if he goes to be honest.

From a total neutral :P

I am a West Ham supporter and admirer of Liverpool FC (due going to see them play 25 years ago - birthday gift from my cousin). This is a totally wrong move. I think Roy although a true gent of a fella is far too old, has not really been successful winning trophies...boring old style of play...and just plain wrong. However I think Rafa maybe should have been given 1 more season especially after 2008-09 season.

Personally I think Dalglish coming back as manager was NEVER an option he is too clever for that and has been away from the game for too long I think to reimmerse in the long days etc that are required

The whole Kenny coming back was a very clever smokescreen by Dalglish whilst they went about getting thier man.

Just like England the expectations of the Liverpool fans are currently a long way ahead of what in fact the team is capable of achieveing and a rebuilding period is what is required and as the credit crunch has virtually emptied the coffers of every club that is not owned by either an arab sheikh or a russian oligarch the days of the really big signings are over

I think Dalgleish is doing a good job at the academy and provided the board and fans give him the time he will get good players coming through for the club for later

Meanwhile Hodgson will at least get the players playing for thier shirts and giving thier all for the fans again and I would think if they lose games it will be because they were beaten on the day by a better team not because the manager substituted a player who could score or worse still not play him at all!!!

Patience boys patience is required there is a lot of work to de before the Liverpool of old is back and in fact a season of consolidation may be no bad thing but of course in these money money money days that will not be easy

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Appointing Hodgson has to be an utterly depressing prospect for so many of us Liverpool fans.
Yes he's an experienced and justifably well liked/respected Manager but this appointment reflects only what is best for the owners and management (safe pair of hands, not outspoken, doesnt need many backroom staff, cheap etc etc) and not what is best for the club. Talk about a statement of intent (or lack of one)!
Rafa came in on the back of winning 2 x la Liga titles and a Uefa cup with little fancied Valencia in a league dominated by the giants of Barca and Real. What Hodgson did with Fulham in the UEFA Cup was admirable but no more of an achievement than what Holloway did with Blackpool (maybe he should get the job? Oh no forget that, he is too outspoken)
At 62, will Hodgson have the hunger, ambition, enthusiasm and passion of Rafa? Will he be able to attract the next Torres, Alonso or Mascherano? Unlikely.
Liverpool have gone from being title contenders to an upper mid table joke and we’ve sacked the man "supposedly" responsible (many of us would disagree) only to replace him with someone who is unlikely to get anywhere near matching his achievements.
The irony of course is that if Hodgson gets Liverpool to 2 CL finals (winning 1), an FA Cup victory and 2nd in the league in his first 5 years he will be knighted and given the freedom of the City..... as long as he keeps his mouth shut and doesnt criticise the owners/management of course.

Lets all have a debate.

How about I ask you something, and then you reply.

I will wait an hour until I acknowledge your reply and then replay back.

You will have to wait an hour for my reply back though.

Should be one heck of a debate.

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"The Liverpool hierarchy have demonstrated many times that they are not interested in the opinion of the fans or the views of well respected ex-players."

You drone on like the Newcastle fans who 'Knew best' and demanded Keegan and Shearer as managers; Look what happened there.

I think this article is hugely irrelevant. The titanic is sinking and once again you're discussing deck chair arrangements Phil... The real problem is our blood sucking yanks. All the 'journalists' gunning for Benitez last year will see that over the next few years if we don't get decent owners soon. It doesn't matter who the manager is if the owners are crooks. By the way if Benitez was so flawed, why was he employed by the champions of europe?

The appointment is an unsurprising neutral one given the current state of affairs at Liverpool. A safe pair of hands but also somebody who won't create issues for potential new owners. What is more surprising is the absolute rubbish that makes it on to the comments section given the fact that pre-moderation is in use.
One can understand the Liverpool and Mcnulty haters wanting to have their say but surely the moderators might be expected to filter out some of the bile that ranges from inaccurate to deliberatley untrue. We even have somebody posting that the Americans were welcomed with open arms. By who?

Anyway, Roy Hodgson's record at Fulham isn't anything to write home about - Played 127; Won 50; Drew 32; Lost 45.

factor in resources and clubs stature and they are decent statistics

The southern press can talk up roy hodgson all they like, but the truth is he is a third rate small time manager. In all his years the best he has achieved is an easy europa league run in to a final defeat to a very average side. But this is what gillet and hicks have done to the club. Roy isnt wanted by most on merseyside and if he is appointed, he will soon be sacked. Another thing he has experience of. Being sacked.

Good appointment, no point LFC fans wanting O'Neill, Pelligrini or anyone because they probably wouldn't want the job. LFC are another Newcastle in the making but the appointment of Roy will probably stop the rot and save the club. Hopefully another owner will take the club off the Yanks hands but until then you guys are in trouble.

The big problem is if Gerrard and Torres go. They wont finish in the top 10 without these players.

It's going to be tough for him at first, so I hope not too much is expected of him straight away.

Who am I kidding, it's Liverpool, of course too much will be expected of him straight away. But regardless, he should be aiming for a top-six finish in his first season, which will be a good consolidation, and then only think about the top four after that.

words cannot express my anger at this appointment of hodgson.

his record at every level is nothing to write home about but i supose noone else wanted the job (bar kenny) so its his now.

thats it, the end of liverpool, partially due to this new era, mostly because the americans have wrecked it.

after the england result and this im no longer feeling the passion of football anymore. fed up.

Nothing will change for the better until we have new owners. "nuff said".

Not happy about Hodgson being manager whatsoever.

I wasn't a huge fan of Benitez and was glad that he was eventually sacked but Hodgson isn't an improvement.

If and when Hodgson joins my allegiance to Liverpool is well and truly over.

Your blogs are usually very well written to the point, but this one, no sorry.

I seems to me because Hodgson is english, you`d like him to became the next Liverpool manager. Like so many others, I applauded Roy for steering Fulham into the EL final. But considering his age and Inter the only big club he`s managed so far, his CV is not very impressing. The Blackburn venture was short and ended in failure, coaching Switzerland is not one of the most wanted jobs in the universe.

If Liverpool go for him, it will be a surprise to many and seen just as a transitional move while waiting for new owners to take over the club. Depending on who it will be and what their mid and long term ideas are, not a long stay at Anfield. Apart form the supporters, some of the players will not be impressed either and would have hoped for a top gun to come in and change things around.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Despite how silly it sounds, in the light of England's campaign in South Africa, but I would have waited 2 weeks until Capello's future has been resolved. He has won the lot at club level and would probably consider the job at Liverpool viable as it would be his last of his career. Roy's a good appointment though, someone I thought we'd get since Rafa was given the boot. Nobody should complain or give him a bad time, we should all embrace it or in some people's case endure it. Let's see what he can do because let's face it, Dalglish hasn't been in football for 10 years, he hasn't been at Liverpool for 20.(when he quit citing PRESSURE.. now, the pressure is intensified by endless TV coverage, Liverpool's state ect) No real top manager bar maybe Capello or Hitzeld would really want the job so I don't know what everyone expected to be honest.

Thinking that King Kenny having another spell as manager would be a good idea is a sure sign someone has lost their mind - or perhaps more likely, never had one in the first place. Still two wrongs don't make a right, and three is even further away; Liverpool will not attract a manager of the calibre of Benetiz; Hodgson, nice guy though is, is not the answer to anything.

You are so so wrong McNulty,

If the current board believe he is the right man for the job then we as Liverpool fans should be on our guard.

The self serving leeches appear intent on sucking the life out of the club. Therefore, any manager worth their salt would wince at the thought of working with them, so why hasn't Roy Hodgson?

When you say earlier this decade, do you mean like January? I thought he was Fulham boss all of this decade so far?

Anyway, enough being facetious, Hodgson is exactly what Liverpool need, with a view to make Jamie Carragher his understudy. Imagine it, as Carra's career winds down over the next few years, Hodgson can stabilize the ship and Jamie would inherit the team a la Boot Room days.

All Liverpool need are some passionate scousers at the club, not a high profile foreign manager who couldn't give a monkeys about the team's heritage.

I personally think both Fulham and Liverpool have made BIG Mistakes, Fulham for allowing Roy to leave and Liverpool for signing a great manager who if Liverpool don't win anything within two years the fans will make Roy's life hell and he will be sacked, Liverpools present management is ruining the club and unless that changes like others have said Liverpool wont win anything and just be a top 10 club if they are lucky.

Hodgson's low key appointment, if the FA don't get there in the next day or so, will say to Torres and Gerrard that its time to go. Gerrard hopefully will realise that he should go abroad and learn some lessons about his performances in the last year or so and look after himself, giving him one last go at the WC.

Torres will go abroad I suspect as well, too classy to go to City and wouldn't go to others either. Does this mean Riena will want away, because quite frankly Liverpool would have been no where in last season if it were not for him.

Expect an exodus and the money won't go back into the playing staff thats for sure. Mid table obscurity awaits for the the Reds, Hodgson or not

Unless Roy Hodgsons got a spare £100m I can't see him lifting Liverpool to title contenders. Good manager yes, miracle worker no.

Its a massive job for anyone, Liverpool has spent wastefully by a revolving door transfer policy and have a pretty poor squad. Add to that the lack of talent in the reserves and anyone has their work cut out. Hope that Liverpool can sort themeselves out though, they should be challenging

Best thing we can hope for now is some stability and someone like Hodgson is not a bad bet given the respect and knowledge he has. First jobs are getting Gerrard and Torres to stay (Mascherano is probably a different kettle of fish as I reckon he wants to go), ring Steve Heighway and ask him to name his terms to run the Academy again and finally persuade the owners to go.

Call me romantic but anyone agree we should start grooming Carra to take over once Hodgson retires or moves on?!

It's an awkward one as Roy seems such a nice bloke you don't want to be too harsh on him , but let's be honest, we are ( It looks like ) inheriting a guy who is so tactically brilliant he has led Fulham
( including a squad with the talents of the likes of Schwarzer, Hangelaand, Hughes, Murphy, Zamora and Duff ) triumphantly to 4 whole away wins in the last 2 seasons of the Prem & a whole 1 last season.
Who knows I might be LMA manager of the year next year.

As Phil points out, Roy must be a clever guy ( would never be caught with a Harry Potter book obviously ) and must realise that he is being employed basically as he is too polite to say anything while the owners asset-strip us, unlike that nasty foreign person who insisted on pointing things like that out.

I am also at a loss also as to how footballing decisions at Liverpool are being made by guys like Purslow ( who was solely brought in to find us some investment funds & has a proud 100% failure rate on that ) and Broughton a chairman brought in on the back of his glorious stewardship of the happy ship that is British Airways & a person that couldn't even pretend to be neutral in our game against his beloved Chelsea ( He also has failed miserably so far in his main task of introducing new owners ).

By the way, as a old-time scouser who remembers Phil McNulty from his loacl media career here in Liverpool, he is an Everton fan so could all these idiotic people alluding to his Liverpool bias please wind it in. The only reason Phil is besotted with Liverpool FC is that it is in the DNA of every bluenose.

what ever happens i will always support liverpool and im sure hodgson is a good manager. this just shows how far weve sunk under the americans and signals the end of liverpool as a top 10 team!

Surely the idea to appoint Kenny is the same kind of sentiment that attracted Newcastle to Kevin Keegan again. Appointing on sentiment is not a good plan, (and it really is a romantic idea), let the head rule the heart on this one.

I can't see that Hodgson is a perfect fit for Liverpool, I just can't see him as the manager than can take Liverpool to the next level. Mid table manager. Though i don't want to slate him to much because i respect what he has done, especially at Fulham.

whoooah! lets give the man a chance, if he can persuade a few players to stay that are supposedly leaving then he only has to rectify a few things within the squad, ive said it before and im saying it again, this set of players if kept fit enough is good enough to beat anyone with the right tactics in place and players played in their proper positions,
I keep hearing how our great club is in freefall, what a laugh we have a few off the field problems going on but there are clubs in far worse dire straits than us, essentially no matter how long it takes the club will be sold to someone else and we all know it, lets not get carried away, these are talented players who underachieved last year and had a stack of injuries too, Mr Hodgson might just have a trick or two up his sleeve to get this squad playing for him, i suggest we slow down and give the man a chance, it could be a whole lot worse from where im standing.......

Will be a great appointment for them. He's a top coach and deserves a top job. Surprised it took so long.

Dalgleish? Immense as a player and first time round at Liverpool but couldn't manage Celtic albeit with the disaster that was John Barnes. Kenny ended up holding news conferences in pubs..very unbecoming..his day has gone Phil.

I was working in Switzerland when Mr Hodgson took them to no.3 on the FIFA world ranking list ( dream on England)

....I am a Rugby man and dont have too much time for the overpaid Wendyballers as a rule, but this guy is a seriously good manager and is not to be underestimated.

Liverpool or England even could do far worse, and no doubt will...

Agree with #1.

Purslow, Broughton and the owners want a quiet, "yes man" and thats the main reason they are going for Roy.

Phil - how many away games did Fulham win in the last 2 seasons !

To be honest I think this could be the latest in a long line of bad club moves for Hodgson.

By all reports he'll have no money to improve the squad, and may have to sell some of the top players with most of the money going to pay off debts.

Even if he does relativly well will the fans support him if he keeps liverpool in the Europa League? They expect CL and many of them may blame Hodgson for results on the pitch even if they are the result of lack of resources.

And when the owners finally find a buyer will the buyer want to keep him? If it's someone with massive wadges of cash he'll likely want his own man, a big name to prove he's a big player, and I can see Hodgson getting the boot within 6 months of a buyer being found.

It's a shame really as he's one of the nicest managers around. But I think this job will ruin his reputation. He'll either get blamed for problems caused by the board, or at best get the boot the moment the finances change.

Being known as a "safe pair of hands" normally means you are a stop-gap.

And being a stop-gap is worse than Roy deserves. But he's making his bed, and once made he'll get no sympathy from me when it does all go wrong.

I was a bit miffed when I saw Hodgson being linked with Liverpool but the more I think about it the more it does make sense. I wanted a big name manager to come in to attract big players but seeing as how we don't have any money at the mo its kind of irrelevant. Liverpool in my eyes have a big problem in that their best players are outstanding but their poorest players are very poor indeed. A consistency is needed throughout the squad and if that means selling on a few big names so be it. Fergie sold players in their prime at Man Utd and it never did him or the club any harm

I was also very fed up of Rafa moaning on in press conferences and being made to look quite foolish at times, Roy is clever enough to just get on with the job and try to get the club playing and winning again.

Why is it all of a sudden Hodgson is the best thing since sliced bread? One very good season with Fulham and now he's touted as the next England/ Liverpool/etc manager. If he does go to LFC I will be behind him, but I am not in favour of him getting the job. Maybe Liverpool can't get anyone better, and the board do not want to risk Dalglish (they will say time out of football - that's rubbish he's on the ball. What they really fear is the support and power he'd have, as Rafa had before he signed his new contract). Hodgson meanwhile will be the gent, and quietly go about his business - whilst that is very much needed at Liverpool, will he be able to take Liverpool back to the top four. Benitez had one poor season, the chances are that he would have got LFC back into contention next season.

To his credit he had Fulham playing good football, if he manages to avoid the collapse he took Blackburn through then he will get support. Liverpool fans will be fair, begrudgingly so but nonetheless fair. Hodgson, if he is the man, will have to keep hold of the best players and build; more importantly beat Arsenal, Man City, United in the first handful of games with attractive football and the doubters like myself will step back.

Phil,
Have you ever actually visited Liverpool and spoken to any fans who follow the club closely? Have you any idea how much guff you have written in that blog? Truly shocking for being so out of touch with the situation the club is in. Rafa to Roy Hodgson. Good God, we're doomed, and those of you who don't understand or care what happens at Anfield please keep your ignorance to yourselves. It's very boring for those of us who do.

Roy Hodgson would be perfect for the Liverpool job. As many have stated he is sensible and hardworking manager. He is also one of the only managers that could improve the squad without having to spend lots of money in the transfer window ie through formation and man mangement.The only problem i see is if he takes this job then the FA will stick with Capello as he is the only suitable competition for the role of English manager.

Liverpool would have been heading for disaster if they had brought back Dalglish as boss. He left a side that was on its way down at Liverpool and showed absolutely no desire to try and rebuild, he looked lost at newcastle, and his appoinment of John Barnes for Celtic showed a man out of touch.
If I was a Liverpool fan knowing we had no money and no champions league I would be very grateful that someone like Roy Hodgson is coming.

One season under Dalglish and we would be looking at a Liverpool team fighting of relegation.

I dont know if Liverpool fans want Hodgson as manager? but if they don't who are they expecting to get, Dalglish has been out of the game for years and maybe what the romantics want but is a huge gamble. Other top managers go to clubs who have a big transfer kitty and Liverpool dont seem to have this. Its ok blaming owners but lets not forget they do not play and do not sign players Benitez did. I would guess that since the Americans came to Liverpool they have been in the top five spenders in the Premier League. It shows how crazy football is that a manager who has been a huge failure can walk away with a big pay off and then take over the current European champions. The American owners have not delievered what they promised but neither has Liverpool's last four managers and i dont remember any mass demonstrations against them and surely what happens on the pitch is of more importance than what goes on in the boardroom. Poor owners they maybe but if the clubs managers had delievered the title would the clubs fans be as hostile towards them as they currently are? Any new manager walking in to Anfield has a big job on and although its still a prestigous post its no longer one of the top jobs in England never mind Europe. Would success for Liverpool now be to qualify for the Champions League?