Liverpool have been linked with all sorts of managers since Rafa Benitez’s sacking a few days ago. From Kenny Danglish, Reds legend, to David Moyes, Everton manager, there are all sorts of managers that are currently linked with the Reds. But one that caught my eye was Fulham manager Roy Hodgson. I personally think that Roy is high up on the list of managers Kenny Danglish and Sammy Lee want.
Roy Hodgson has turned Fulham into a more popular team. He took them to the final of the Europa league, but unluckily lost the match 2-1. He knows what he is doing with the players, and knows about the team. It is unfair to compare Rafa’s record at Liverpool to Roy’s record at Fulham. Liverpool are (and have always been) the better side of them both, and have won most games in head to head battles. Whereas Fulham have unsurprisingly lost at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. Why? Because Fulham are not better than Liverpool, so their win record would be worse. But this season he’s taken Fulham to Anfield and escaped with a point. The tactics he set frustrated Liverpool, and we want a manager that can frustrate other teams, forcing them to give us points.
Another thing is that Roy Hodgson is English. There’s been talks of him being future England manager. This means, the media very rarely pick on him, unlike foreign Rafa Benitez. This would mean Liverpool wouldn’t have to go out in games while an untrue rumour is inside the newspaper.
And according to the Daily Mirror, Roy and his wife “enjoyed” their time in the north west of England.
Another manager that caught my eye was Marcello Lippi. He may have no Premier League experience at all, but take a look at Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti. He had no Premier League experience when he moved to Stamford Bridge, but look at him now. He’s added two more trophies to his collection this season, the Premier League and the F.A Cup.
So if Italian manager Ancelotti can win trophies with no experience, surely Italian Lippi can? He’s won lots of Italian titles, and the two most popular football competitions; the Champions League and the World Cup. This shows he’s able to handle the pressure of managing a big country and leading them to victory, which is far more pressuring than managing a club. The who nation is counting on you, not the whole city. So I would love to see Lippi or Hodgson touching the ‘This is Anfield‘ sign next season as they manage the Reds, hopefully, to another trophy.
Managers to avoid:
Sven Goran Eriksson – although he claims to be a Liverpool fan, he couldn’t handle the pressure of managing England, and he gets fired quite often.
Mark Hughes – got fired from Manchester City, and used to play for Man United.
David Moyes – Everton manager, and no trophies.