Reasons for loving Hodgson no. 624

Roy's been linked with the Liverpool job. This is happening more often of late. Mr Hodgson being linked with "bigger" jobs. Each time I see one mentioned it makes me both proud and fearful. I know he's happy doing the job he's doing, but you couldn't blame him if one day he decides he'd like one last shot in a major job. Then he goes and says something like this,

"It's nice I'm being linked here and there, but it's not something I was aware of. We all know it's part of football. We also know the sword has two sides. One minute the sword is tapping you on your shoulder and asking you to arise, the next thing it's being used to cut your head off."

and I can breath a little easier.

I've missed the football today. The last time I went was for the Spurs game on Boxing Day and the next time I'm going is January 30th for the Villa game. It's been too long already and there's another two weeks to go. Ho-hum. Back to my chore list I suppose.

Words of wisdom

Time, I think, for me to move on from upsetting Liverpool fans and talk about Fulham again. Last week Roy Hodgson was interviewed by Fulhamfc.com to discuss the summer transfer dealings. He made some interesting points about the size and shape of the squad. The key quote I picked up on was this.

When I came in January we really had far too many players and lots of them just trebling or quadrupling up for positions, never getting a game and obviously costing the Club a lot of money, but not playing any football. Whereas now, with a squad of only 23 players, of which three are goalkeepers, it will give the younger players, like Milsom and Brown, a chance to push forward and show what they can do in the First Team squad. It will give the players on the fringes a greater chance of playing, and although the squad is at the limit in terms of size, at least it’s full of the right type of players that we want to be at the Club.

He makes an excellent point regarding the size of the squad and the subsequent opportunities for young players. I've previously expressed a concern that we might be short of players and yet have also been keen to see our development squad start to make the breakthrough. Clearly you can't have it both ways. There won't be any quick fixes under Roy but this does give a positive indication that he'll be looking to bring young players through which can only be a good thing for the long term future of the club.

Moritz Volz has also written another excellent piece for The Times, talking about the uncertainty of the transfer window, how he's settling in at Ipswich and trying to get the local press to spell his name right. It doesn't sound like his debut for Town went all that well but I'll be keeping an eye on Volzy and the other loan players as the season progresses.

Very very excited!!!

It's really hitting home now, less than 24 hours to go and I'm struggling think of anything constructive to say. It's a gorgeous sunny day, we've been out and about this morning checking out aquariums and fish for my eldest's upcoming birthday. Now the boys are playing in the paddling pool while Mrs C gets her hair cut so I've had a rare chance to just sit in the garden enjoying the weather and reading the paper. Fantastic but I still can't quite wait for tomorrow to come.

Hodgson says some sensible stuff here, though I don't think he's got anything to be concerned about. I feel comfortable that whatever happens tomorrow I can deal with it. If we stay up it will be an absolute miracle and a third life we scarcely deserved. If we go down then so be it, it'll be a new and interesting chapter in our history and one that I think Hodgson can take us forward into. Possibly all a bit Obi-Wan Kenobi but hey-ho I'm a child of the 70's.