Roy Hodgson (new Fulham manager)

[Armando]

Just like to add there has been the question can he motivate the players, he seems quite placcid etc?

Well going by what he's doing with Finland I'd say it's a resounding YES.
He has the whole squad on the same wavelength, not just the starting 11. Senior pros like Hyppia and Litmanen are right behind him. In Litmanens case he has made himself available returning earlier than expected from a bad achilles injury to aid their cause. And perhaps most tellingly Hodgson has even persuaded Antti Niemi back on board from retirement to sit on the bench as reserve to Jussi Jaaskelainen...Niemi originally retired because of lack of starts, but after a conversation with Hodgson, where he was told he would still be back up, couldn't wait to join up again to aid in whatever way he can.

If he can get our players of the same mindset...I'm thinking of someone like Stephen Ireland here and senior pros who might be considering retirement, then we will have a major chance of qualifying for the World Cup - no matter what group we are in.

[Wolfie]

Kevin Moran once said that Jack Charlton pin pointed his initial task as tackling our goals against record.

Irelands goals against record dropped considerably and made us hard to beat.

Many here, me included, often target the midfield as our main problem area. We often overlook the amount of soft and speculative goals our defence has conceded (possibly partly due to a weak midfield).

If we could replicate Finlands goals against record we'd be at least back on track to steadying the ship and restoring lost confidence.

[Stuttgart88]

There's a good Q&A write up with him here: http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/548601.pdf

Jeepers, that was a great read. Without twisting the knife in, can you imagine Stan trying to answer those questions?

"Eh, I dunno, you tell me?"

[eekers]

im finding myself watching highlights of finland on youtube now.
hope portugal get a result tonight

[passinginterest]

Jeepers, that was a great read. Without twisting the knife in, can you imagine Stan trying to answer those questions?

"Eh, I dunno, you tell me?"

Excellent reading. They should be the questions all the candidates are asked in their interviews.

[frankbrett]

According to the Guardian..

The Finnish FA yesterday vowed to do all it could to stop its coach, Roy Hodgson, succeeding Steve Staunton in charge of Republic of Ireland. The former Blackburn manager has been a great success since he took over at the start of last year and has moved into the reckoning alongside Terry Venables and Paul Jewell.
Senior Ireland players are believed to want a manager who has international experience, which goes against the former Wigan manager, and the prospect of Venables being available is receding as England now need only a draw against Croatia tomorrow night to reach the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland

[jmurphyc]

Yeah I'd say Roy Hodgson is the best candidate. He ticks a lot of boxes. If Beenhakker was available he would also be up there but we can't wait until after the Euro 2008. They're very similar candidates. The interview on the UEFA website was an excellent read and said a lot about his style.

[paul_oshea]

i really like this question. All common sense really, but it takes an intellect to get it across so simply:

12 • What are the key qualities which
a coach requires to be a success?
Briefly, I would say a successful coach
needs leadership skills, a talent for reading
the game, a gift for communication,
a capacity for detailed preparation, a
likable personality, a strong character,
a sense of perspective, and humility.
Books could be written on each of these
aspects of management – some already
have. And when we talk about these
qualities, I remember reading a quote
from the American John Wooden, who
said: “Talent is God-given; be humble.
Fame is man-given; be thankful.
And conceit is self-given; be careful.”
13 • What is your best quality?
Two qualities which I prize most in other
coaches are energy and enthusiasm,
and fortunately I think I have both. If you
are going to be a top coach, you need
to have those core qualities. Of course,
there are many other attributes which
we could discuss, but without energy
and enthusiasm a coach will struggle,
and I hope nobody will ever accuse me
of lacking either.

[NeilMcD]

Coach Roy Hodgson is looking forward to Finland's qualification-or-bust meeting with Portugal in Porto tonight, and so are his players. "The task is tough but I believe in my team. They are up to it," he said.

Final permutations
With Poland already through, Portugal, Finland and Serbia could all yet join them in the finals from Group A. A point at the Estádio do Dragão would be enough for Portugal, but should they lose, Finland would qualify for UEFA EURO 2008™ provided Serbia fail to pick up maximum points in their final games against Poland tonight and Kazakhstan on Saturday.

A simple plan
"I really enjoy these kind of matches," admitted English coach Hodgson, who has a fully-fit 21-man squad to pick from. "We will try to defend well and score when we have a chance. I know this sounds dull but that's the best answer I have. I am very confident that we are capable of fighting for a win and will not be nervous. The task is tough but I believe in my team. They are up to it."

Combined total
Should Finland's captain and vice-captain, Jari Litmanen and Sami Hyypiä respectively, play tonight they will reach a combined total of 200 caps - 110 for Litmanen and 90 for Hyypiä - and the benefit of all that experience has given Litmanen hope. "If there is something I have learned in my long career, it is that nothing is over until it is over," he said.

'We can make history'
"It will be a difficult task but at the same time a great challenge," added Hyypiä. "We can make history and we'll see after the match what happens. All the pressure is on Portugal - they are the favourites. I hope we can make the match really tough for our hosts. Of course we need to win - a draw is not enough - but we certainly have a chance."

[Ireland4ever]

I would like to see him get the job, and if people are worried he will skip off in a hurry i doubt he would...i reckon it would be the ideal job for him... he would be based mainly in Britain, something that should appeal to him, what with him being british.

[OwlsFan]

I'd take him.

And would you like him as a manager as well Neill likes to tick his box.

Certainly a wandering minstrel but if we got one campaign out of him for which we qualified, who cares. Yes, his record defensively for Finland is impressive and like Jack, if you start from that basis, you won't go far wrong and will be there or thereabouts.

[jmurphyc]

The important thing with Hodgson is that he'd almost certainly stay for a whole qualifying campaign. I'd be very surprised if he left halfway through. And even if he did leave after one campaign I really wouldn't mind that much, as if we did well with him (which I'm sure we would) then we wouldn't have a problem finding a decent candidate to replace him. And He'll make us competitive and more tactically aware. Whereas I could easily see Jewell leaving for a nice premiership job halfway through.

[JC_GUFC]

Great to see this thread on here! I very rarely come on to this forum but I thought I was on my own in thinking he was the man for the job.

What he's done at Finland is excellent, admittedly it's a pretty poor group but no worse than ours!

I've been saying to my mates all along that I was hoping he'd be appointed and it's good that he's finally been linked! That along with the fact that I've backed him at 60/1 for the job!

[eekers]

nil nil at the moment against the portuguese

25 minutes left and im craping myself in case the fins win

[eekers]

job done
roy the fai should send a plane for you in the morning

[Stuttgart88]

England may want him now.

Also, yet another chapter to discredit Venables.

[Noelys Guitar]

I wonder who England will go for. I have a feeling they will wait and leave Venables in charge on a temporary basis. Thus leaving Hodgson free to come to us!

[eekers]

they'll sniff after mourinho to look like they're after a top candidate, and end up with martin o neill no doubt

[geysir]

If Hodgson was keen to stay with Finland then wouldn´t it have been more normal that he sign a contract before the last game.
The Guardian journalist sounds pretty sure that the Finns have the Irish vacancy as a real threat.
I hope he is in the reckoning.

[Stuttgart88]

they'll sniff after mourinho to look like they're after a top candidate, and end up with martin o neill no doubt

Both set piece / attritious / long ball managers? Or is O'Neill playing more expansively at Villa?