Looking back over the past year of football, many things spring to mind. England's abject performance at the World Cup, Inter Milan's rise (and fall) and Blackpool's unlikely march to the Premier League. Nothing however, compares to the 12 months that Mr. Roy Hodgson has had.
Back in March, I was fortunate enough to visit Craven Cottage to witness one of the greatest comebacks in football history - Fulham, trailing 3-1 from the first leg in Turin, hosted much-fancied Juventus in West London - a game in which Fulham showed just how a full house of 23,558 can really drive a team on. Not only was it David Trezeguet's 2nd minute goal that tested the whites, but also the experience and resolve of The Old Lady. When Clint Dempsey lobbed Chimenti in the 81st minute - the chants (to the theme of the Banana Splits) of "Roy Roy Roy, Roy Roy Roy Roy!" rang out. I developed somewhat of a soft spot for Fulham (coupled with the fact my team, Middlesbrough, had a similar run to the then UEFA Cup final) that during the final in Hamburg I was genuinely gutted they lost.
Speaking to the Fulham fans I knew, Hodgson was nailed-on for the Liverpool job - and he deserved it. Very much like Steve McClaren, a manager had achieved great things with an unfashionable team - McClaren got England - Roy got the Premier League's very own England team - a sleeping giant who clung on to former glories passionately. Roy went into the job at Liverpool knowing that he was taking over from an unorthodox and sometimes calamitous manager in Rafa Benitez (who lasted under 6 months in Milan after leaving) and Roy was seen as a safe pair of hands.
It all began to turn sour however on 22nd September 2010. Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw at home to the basement boys of League 2 - Northampton Town. After Northampton's dramatic victory on penalties the name of Liverpool FC was suddenly tarnished - people began to see the holes developing in the threadbare squad and the lack of direction the senior players showed that night. Coupled with a shocking home defeat to much unfancied Blackpool, Liverpool's season came under scrutiny from the press and the blogosphere. Hodgson would now face an even bigger fight to win over fans who had struggled already to convince he was the man.
A furious boardroom fallout saw NESV, another American set of owners take charge of the club, installing Damien Comolli as 'Director of Football Strategy'. Comolli, it was reveled, would be one of the leaders of identifying the right type of signing to make and to work with Roy to support the development of the club. Roy lost his job on the eve of the FA Cup third round tie away at Manchester United and was replaced by Kenny Dagleish - the marquee signing Liverpool fans so desperately craved.
So after that lovely little potted history, the question remains - where did it go wrong? Well, after flirting around the idea in the paragraphs above, Roy simply wasn't box-office. He was slated for choosing the wrong tactics and wrong players in games that Liverpool should really have won. Roy seems to be one of the nicest guys in football, but the pressure got to him after his outburst at the fans. One thing is for sure, we will never forget this reaction to conceding a goal.
Roy, WAHS salutes you and wishes you the best
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