On Rafa and Roy Hodgson

After a spectacular start to his managerial career with Liverpool, Rafa Benitez never quite lived up to his early standard. Yes, Liverpool was always a threat in Europe, but we have seen Benitez long enough to know that he did not have what it takes to win in England. His downfall was squad depth as Liverpool could put out a starting 11 as good as any team in the world. However, he failed too many times in the transfer window and never gave the academy players a chance. When Liverpool lost players to injury, the team did not have the punch needed and too often players would get loaned and or sold without ever getting a shot with the first team.

With a new era facing Liverpool, Roy Hodgson could turn out to be the perfect signing. The current owner situation means the club’s manager will not be able to spend money like the other contenders. Liverpool will have to be frugal and get positive return on investments. In his two years at Fulham, Hodgson took a team that fell to an annual relegation candidate back into a mid table team. He has shown the ability to make shrewd transfer signings without burning through the budget. I do not believe that we will be seeing the busts that we saw under Benitez.

What kind of tactics will be deployed by Hodgson? With Fulham he favored a mix between a 4-4-1-1/4-4-2. Like Rafa, there have been criticisms that Hodgson is too conservative. This is a little bit of a concern if the team struggles to score, but a competitive team must have a solid defense so I am not worried. Plus, there is the fact that Hodgson has not had the attacking arsenal that he has been armed with at Liverpool.

I find it very interesting that at Fulham, Hodgson preferred to use inverted wingers on the flanks. Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey routinely operated on the opposite side of their strong foot in order to cut inside and shoot. This really suits the likes of Ryan Babel and Maxi Rodriguez who can play on the left. It is interesting to note Dirk Kuyt has played on the left for the Netherlands in the World Cup. Playing there could suit his attacking instinct more than playing on the right side. Liverpool does not have many options for the right, so if Roy lasts at least a couple seasons, look for him sign a left footed right winger or invert a left winger in the future.

While this is not a flashy signing and many people may be down on Roy Hodgson, I do not share that same pessimism. It seems like the club is getting a very similar manager tactically, but off the field is where this move makes the most sense. Hodgson has thrived on finding solid players on a limited budget.

This is my first attempt at a blog so I would love to hear any ideas, thoughts or opinions you guys have Let me know here or on twitter @royalsfan7. I expect to become more polished as time progresses.