Fulham’s Boss Sets the Pace.

Sports | Editor | March 20, 2010 at 8:48 pm

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by Kieran Murray,
Saint Eunans College, Co.Donegal
Roy Hodgson has showed football how you don’t have to be an ostentatious or over excited headline making manager to be a good boss at the highest level. He is taking Fulham to new heights in England and in Europe and is doing it in a modest and quiet way.

On New Years’ Day 2008 new Fulham manager Roy Hodgson made his way almost anonymously to the dugout at Craven Cottage before his first game against Chelsea. Over 3 years on now and the Englishman has changed things dramatically at the West London club.

Hodgson helped Fulham narrowly stave off relegation to the Championship at the end of the 2007/08 season and the club have kept making giant leaps under Hodgson. With three games to go in the 2008 season Fulham needed three wins to stay up. In the third last game of the year they were losing 2-0 away from home against Manchester City with only twenty minutes to go and scored three goals to win 3-2. They then beat Birmingham and Portsmouth in their remaining games to complete an amazing escape from relegation.

The standard of football at Craven Cottage improved again in 2008/09 when they finished 7th and qualified for Europe playing very stylish and attractive football. They beat both Manchester United and Arsenal at home during that campaign proving their worth against the very best world football has to offer.

One of the best abilities that Hodgson has as a coach is to get the very best out of all the players he has. Players like Damien Duff and Bobby Zamora whos careers were heading in a backwards step were revived under Hodgson. Players like Brede Hangeland and Clint Dempsey have been particularly impressive under the Fulham manager. He sets his team up in the very best way possible coupling stylish quick footballers with strong aggresive players. Big players are target men and hold the ball up front to bring others into the game and at the back they bring strengh and keep opposition forwards at bay. The more skillful players bring flair and supply the ball to the front and can also finish infront of goal.

They way Hodgson gets the best out of his players was most obviously on show against European giants Juventus in the Europa League second leg this March. They lost 3-1 at the Stadio Del Alpi in the first leg and conceded after ninety seconds at the start of the tie at Craven Cottage. They needed to score four goals to win against a team of world class superstars like Cannavaro, Del Piero, Trezeguet and Diego. They fought back with goals from Bobby Zamora, a double from Zoltan Gera and a magnificent chip from Clint Dempsey. It was a result that shocked Europe, Italy and most importantly Fulham.

It seems the sky is the limit for Hodgson and his Fulham in the months and years to come.

Kieran Murray,
Saint Eunans College, Co.Donegal