Fulham

Fulham’s seventh-place finish in the Premier League last year was built on the Cottagers’ defensive strength, while at the other end of the pitch their strikers struggled to score goals following Andy Johnson’s injury.

In an effort to right some of the wrongs of last term, it’s of little surprise that Roy Hodgson has been linked with a £2.5 million swoop for Wisla Karkow’s 26 year old Pawel Brozek, as reported in today’s Times of London.

The striker started his career at Wisla back in 2001. In his early days Brozek was loaned out to LKS Lodz and GKS Katowice respectively in order to gain some valuable playing experience, and it wasn’t until the 2007-2008 season that the forward was given the chance to make his mark in the Ekstraklasa with his parent club.

But when the chance arose Brozek grabbed it with both hands, registering 23 goals in 27 matches back in 2007-2008 to make him the leagues top-scorer; a feat which was repeated last season when he bagged 22 goals in 32 games. In total Brozek has scored 65 goals in 140 games for Wisla.

For a player who stands at 5ft 11inches his aerial ability is poor, however he is blessed with both electric acceleration and physical strength. His modus operandi is to play just off the shoulder of the last defender, looking for through balls where he can utilise his pace to create space and beat the goalkeeper. He is an excellent finisher in one-on-one situations.

His main drawbacks, notwithstanding his aerial ability, is that apart from goals Brozek is black-marked as contributing little else to the cause. He rarely works the channels, often seen as selfish and self-serving in the way he approaches the game. In this regard he is a little similar to Michael Owen, in that if he is not scoring goals he can often go unnoticed.

Brozek have found the international arena much harder to make a splash in, the striker consistently unable to recreate his league form for Poland. This has seen him sidelined from the national team, Brozek has missed out on major championships including Euro 2008.

At £2.5 million though, Brozek is worth a punt, yet Fulham fans should not expect him to arrive in the Premier League and become a goal scoring machine. He will however offer an alternative to Andy Johnson and will increase the pressure on the club’s current strikers to perform better. His pace will trouble defences but as with any player coming from a lesser league it will be difficult for him to make that step up to Premier League level.

Video evidence of Pawel Brozek can be seen here.

Fulham’s seventh-place finish in the Premier League last year was built on the Cottagers’ defensive strength, while at the other end of the pitch their strikers struggled to score goals following Andy Johnson’s injury.

In an effort to right some of the wrongs of last term, it’s of little surprise that Roy Hodgson has been linked with a £2.5 million swoop for Wisla Karkow’s 26 year old Pawel Brozek, as reported in today’s Times of London.

The striker started his career at Wisla back in 2001. In his early days Brozek was loaned out to LKS Lodz and GKS Katowice respectively in order to gain some valuable playing experience, and it wasn’t until the 2007-2008 season that the forward was given the chance to make his mark in the Ekstraklasa with his parent club.

But when the chance arose Brozek grabbed it with both hands, registering 23 goals in 27 matches back in 2007-2008 to make him the leagues top-scorer; a feat which was repeated last season when he bagged 22 goals in 32 games. In total Brozek has scored 65 goals in 140 games for Wisla.

For a player who stands at 5ft 11inches his aerial ability is poor, however he is blessed with both electric acceleration and physical strength. His modus operandi is to play just off the shoulder of the last defender, looking for through balls where he can utilise his pace to create space and beat the goalkeeper. He is an excellent finisher in one-on-one situations.

His main drawbacks, notwithstanding his aerial ability, is that apart from goals Brozek is black-marked as contributing little else to the cause. He rarely works the channels, often seen as selfish and self-serving in the way he approaches the game. In this regard he is a little similar to Michael Owen, in that if he is not scoring goals he can often go unnoticed.

Brozek have found the international arena much harder to make a splash in, the striker consistently unable to recreate his league form for Poland. This has seen him sidelined from the national team, Brozek has missed out on major championships including Euro 2008.

At £2.5 million though, Brozek is worth a punt, yet Fulham fans should not expect him to arrive in the Premier League and become a goal scoring machine. He will however offer an alternative to Andy Johnson and will increase the pressure on the club’s current strikers to perform better. His pace will trouble defences but as with any player coming from a lesser league it will be difficult for him to make that step up to Premier League level.

Video evidence of Pawel Brozek can be seen here.

In very recent times the Premier League "Big Four" have dominated the Premier League. Well with recent injections of money to some of the teams outside of the Big Four, this season is shaping up to be on of the best and closest yet.

The idea of this article will be to write about the teams that have got what it takes to finally crack the Big Four.

Everton:

Everton are considered to be the best team outside the Big Four, consistently finishing fifth or sixth in the league. This season with the correct transfers which is David Moyes gets right Everton could posess a serious threat to the teams above them.

What I think that Everton are missing is a holding midfielder which hasn't been filled up since Lee Carsley left the club. Stephen M'Bia has been linked with a move to Everton ever since the beginning of last season. A price tag of about eight million could tempt his current club Rennes to sell him.

I also think that a striker is needed to make Everton a bit more stable when an injury happens. It was very unfortunate that Yakubu suffered that injury but he should be back and scoring goals.

Louis Saha has suffered injuries pretty much his whole career and that is why a striker is needed. Michael Owen and Jo are two names being thrown about for that striking role.

The last position that I think needs to be looked at is right back with Tony Hibbert just not cutting it for me. Kyle Naughton would give the Everton backline a bit of a spark and would add speed on the other flank.

Aston Villa:

With Gareth Barry leaving the club to join money bags Manchester City and Ashley Young expected to leave the club, those two players will need to be replaced.

Aston Villa have recently been moving up the table and finishing in the UEFA Cup places (now named Europa League). Manager Martin O'Neill has done a great job at Aston Villa and is now looking at taking the club to the next level.

I forgot to mention that the backline will need looking at as well with Martin Laursen's retirement so that is where I will start.

It was a sad end for Martin Laursen who had to retire due to injury and Wilfried Bouma expected to do the same thing so two names have been thrown up which are David Wheater and Sylvian Distin. I know those two names are not the names that you would expect to improve a team but these two are decent defenders and will come pretty cheap.

Now in the midfield there is a huge gap which Gareth Barry has left and soon to become even bigger with the departure of Ashley Young. There have been a number of rumors going around who should replace Ashley Young, those names are David Bentley, Steven Defour, and Stewart Downing.

It was reported that Aston Villa offered Ashley Young for David Bentley's signature but nothing has eventuated. My choice for replacing Ashley Young would be Stewart Downing as he would come cheap since Middlesbrough are in the Championship and he is currently injured, but of course that is if Ashley Young leaves the club.

Gareth Barry was a real coward to leave Aston Villa clearly only going to Manchester City for the money but that is now over and out of Aston Villa's control. A couple of names have been thrown around with Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone being the main candidates to go to Aston Villa. Aston Villa's attack line seems to be alright with some up and coming talents being revealed last season such as Nathan Delfounso.

Manchester City:

Money bags Manchester City look as though they can crack the Big Four this season with all their money. Being linked with pretty much everybody in the entire universe.

So far Manchester City has bough Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz who are both talented players but with the rumored news of Carlos Tevez switching Manchesters and Samuel Eto'o's big money move which asks us the question, how many more strikers do Manchester City need?

Manchester City probably have the biggest squad which means what happens to the players that aren't playing, do they leave to find first team football or wait and take the chance they are presented with?

Manchester City's defensive issues seem to be the big problem and are looking for the player they think will stabilise goals being conceded. Joleon Lescott seems to be the favorite to switch teams but Everton are battling to keep the England defender and will not sell unless a reasonable offer comes through.

With saying all that I think that Manchester City seem to be getting their act together and are on their way to fulfilling the owners task of winning the tittle.

Tottenham:

With Harry Redknapp in control it finally looks as though Tottenham have a chance of cracking the Big Four's stranglehold in dominating the league. Their defence looks pretty solid and if Ledley King can stay fit this could be Tottenham's season.

Mr Redknapp will be restocking his troops with some big names set to leave the club such as David Bentley, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent. With Roman and Darren set to leave the manager is in real need to find reinforcements for their current strike duo of Jermaine Defoe and Robbie Keane.

Tottenham has been criticised as being a far from great place for youngsters to be brought up by rival fans but I don't think that is the case at all. Although Gareth Bale hasn't really improved to his potential and neither has Giovanni dos Santos I think that Tottenham still have a great facility for youngsters.

I'm not really the biggest fan of Tottenham but I think that it may be the season that they finally crack the Big Four.

Fulham:

Last season Fulham showed a consistency that we have not seen before from them, well I have not seen from them before but anyway Roy Hodgson brought in some great players with Mark Schwarzer probably being the pick of the bunch.

Fulham were an impenetrable wall at home last season managing to beat Manchester United which is a very hard task for any team to do. Brede Hangeland was also a big part of Fulham's success and now looks as though he will leave for a bigger club.

What I think Fulham are missing is a striker, they have Andy Johnson, Bobby Zamora, and Diomansy Kamara just to name a few, but I don't think that these three can work well together.

Diomansy was dynamite towards the end of the season and I think that his strike partner could be either Jo or Tuncay who are very decent strikers in their own right. The better choice would be Tuncay as he is a very underrated forward that can score goals even though he didn't show that at Middlesbrough.

I think that Fulham are set to have one of their best seasons yet in the Premier League and are, in my book, rank outsiders to finish in a Champions League place.

Who Is Going To Fall Out Of The 'Big 4'?

The answer to that question in my opinion is Arsenal. Arsene Wenger has done a great job in producing wonderful and talented "kids". I used the word kids as most of their team is made out of 20, 21, 22-year-olds. The purchase of Thomas Vermaelen won't help Arsenal that much and if they lose Emmanuel Adebayor I think that they will be in deeper trouble.

In my opinion Arsenal need to look for a new goalkeeper, defensive midfielder and a striker if Emmanuel Adebayor leaves the club.

The circular nature of the endless cycle of transfer gossip is in full evidence this Friday as many of the papers latch onto old quotes from Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh to spice up a story linking Fulham and Arsenal with the want-away forward.

According to a report in The Times today, “the Morocco player has refused to extend his contract, which has one year left, and he claims to have a buyout clause of £7 million.”

Back at the end of May many media outlets carried Chamakh’s soundbite that “I want to play in the Premier League and a club like Arsenal would be a dream. If they were to come calling, I would certainly give them a positive answer.” The consensus opinion at the time though was that The Professor was uninterested in answering Chamakh’s come-and-get-me pleas..

Today however, with the fifth estate presuming fans collectively suffer from short-term memory loss, the quotes are freshly spun in order to give way to a juicy tale of a battle of London clubs for the attacker’s signature. The truth remains though that very little has changed in three weeks, and the likelihood of the Gunners making such a move for the striker appears slim to remote.

But that is not to say that the links to Fulham are complete folly. The Cottagers continue to scourer for new striking options as the prepare for a jam-packed season including involvement in the Europa League on top of their domestic responsibilities. Without question the West Londoners require extra firepower up-front, and Chamakh could definitely fit the bill.

Having come through the ranks at Bordeaux, 25-year-old Moroccan international Chamakh has become a pivotal figure for both his club and country. Known particularly for his blistering pace, Chamakh also has excellent ball and dribbling skills as well as boasting a strong aerial ability.

That said, Chamakh’s start to the 2008-09 season got off to a stuttering start with the striker only bagged five goals in the first five months of the campaign. However, since the turn of the year Chamakh’s form improve, with the forward eventually closing out the season with 14 goals in 42 appearances, together with three assists. Internationally, Chamakh has represented Morocco since 2003, playing 50 games and scoring 15 goals.

Video evidence of Marouane Chamakh can be seen here.

Striker Robert Acquafresca has been linked with both Fulham and West Ham in today’s papers after the Inter Milan forward spent last season on loan with Cagliari netting nine goals in 22 games, making him the Rossoblu’s top scorer for the campaign.

According to reports surfacing in Italy, Jose Mourhino has made it plain in recent weeks that Acquafresca is not part of the Nerazurri’s immediate plans, which in turn has forced the player and his agent to shop around for alternatives ahead of the 2009-10 season.

So what does Acquafresca offer future employers?

First and foremost, at just 21-years-old, Acquafresca is as a budding, maturing talent—a forward still with plenty to learn in order to become the lethal goalscorer he threatens to become. Within this framework some have criticised the striker for being slightly too selfish and direct when leading the line. But simply flagging up the negatives is to do the forward a disservice.

Standing at 6ft tall and blessed with pace and strong upper-body strength, Acquafresca has all the attributes needed to be the focal point of a team’s attack. Good in the air, and capable of scoring with both feet, Acquafresca can score just as easily inside as outside the 18-yard box.

His talents have been used to the full by the Azzurri. The striker’s talents have been recognised at every level from the Under 17’s to the Under 21’s, where he has an excellent striking record of eight goals in 17 appearances.

It has already been confirmed that Fulham are interested in the player. Acquafresca told Gazzetta dello Sport “Fulham called me personally on the phone. Each hypothesis must be considered—I could also try to go abroad as others have done.”

However, a deal in the short term may be difficult to conclude, particularly if Acquafresca shines at the European Under 21 Championship which kicks off in Sweden today. Many of the stars of tomorrow have been scouted at tournaments such as this, so both the Hammers and the Cottagers must be worried that if he has a strong tournament his transfer value may inflate considerably, making his signature far less of a bargain buy.

Although Fulham have made the front-running, expect Zola’s links with the player as his former Under-21 coach to count in West Ham’s favour, making Upton Park his probable destination if he comes to the Premier League.

Video evidence of Robert Acquafresca can be seen here.

As the summer rolls into action, we are happy to re-introduce our “Video Evidence” features in which we run our eye over some of the mooted transfer stories currently taking up column inches in the papers.

Taking into account where they started from, the size of the club, their financial clout and their squad of players, many have justifiably been trigger-happy to label Fulham as the team of the season last year in the Premier League.

Over-achieving is never easy to accomplish, but Roy Hodgson surpassed all reasonable expectation by lifting the Cottagers into seventh-place at the season’s end, resulting in the guarantee of European football next season in West London.

Adding to the squad is not a luxury for Fulham, but a necessity. With a relatively small squad that proved more than the sum of its parts last year, Roy Hodgson only has to look in the goals scored column in the final table, just 39 goals scored all season, to see that recruitment in the attacking areas of his team needs care and attention.

And, so it is that with the onset of the re-opening of the transfer window, the Cottagers have been linked with two of the brightest attacking stars on the continent—Standard Liege forward Dieumerci Mbokani, and Toulouse’s lethal hitman, Andre-Pierre Gignac.

Before arriving to his technical abilities on the pitch, Dieumerci Mbokani should be credited for providing one of the best all-time videos ever to be shown on this website (watch here). Big hair and a big smile, Mbokani has a seemingly infectious personality that makes him likable and easy to connect with.

On the field Mbokani boasts the talent too, the 23-year-old Congolese striker has an overall recent career record of almost a goal every two games having bagged 15 goals in 32 games during the 2007-08 at Anderlecht, whilst in 2008-09 at Standard the forward claimed 20 goals in 41 appearances.

Big, strong, powerful in the air, and with good technical ability, £5m-rated Mbokani is a striker primed to lead the line, relieving much of the pressure and expectations currently falling on the shoulders of Bobby Zamora and Diomansy Kamara.

(Video evidence of Dieumerci Mbokani can be seen here.)

Alternatively, reportedly being-lined up as a second option is Toulouse’s serial goalscorer Andre-Pierre Gignac who has shot to fame after a terrific season in front of goal in Ligue 1.

Fulham will have to join the back of the queue for Gignac, as the 22-goal top goalscorer in France is currently also being courted by Aston Villa and Stuttgart, while his current club Toulouse have declared their intention to fight to hold onto their star-striker as the vultures begin to circle.

Under contract until 2012 Gignac will not come cheap, however as a striker with a keen eye for goal and primed to act as the focal point of any teams’ attack, blessed with pace, excellent aerial ability and a lethal right-foot.

(Video evidence of Andre-Pierre Gignac, including the majority of the striker’s goals this season, can be seen here.)

In the seventh part of my "Three Transfers" series, I will be taking a look at Roy Hodgson's Fulham. Narrowly escaping relegation last year, Fulham have achieved a level of consistency in the league this season, that has seen them finish in seventh place, which is really, the highest they could realistically aim for, given their limited resources.

As with the Everton article, it might be difficult to strengthen this side, as they look solid in most positions, and money isn't exactly available in truckloads. Here's where I feel improvements can be made.

LEFT-WINGER

Currently, American Clint Dempsey is being played out of position at left wing. He has been doing a decent job out there, with his tremendous work-rate and knack of getting into good goal-scoring positions.

However, I think Fulham would be better served if they had someone who can naturally take the ball down the wings and deliver good crosses like Simon Davies on the right. With Dempsey in the team, Fulham sometimes lack width, and that forces Paul Konchesky to push up in support, leaving the defence rather exposed to a quick counter-attack.

With the other option in the squad being Julian Gray, who has only made one appearance for Fulham, clearly, a natural left-winger should be near the top of Roy Hodgson's summer shopping list.

Ideally, I think Fulham should pull out all the stops in a bid to acquire Martin Petrov from Manchester City. Since he returned from injury, appearances have been few and far between, and it is still unclear if that is because he is rusty, or because he is no longer an integral part of the team.

In any case, with Manchester City probably going to buy 269 players this summer, Martin Petrov might be viewed as dispensable, and if so, Fulham would really improve their squad with the addition of an explosive and exciting player like Petrov.

If that deal doesn't work out, Fulham could set their sights a little lower and perhaps try to sign Chris Brunt. He has a good left foot, a bit of pace, and most importantly, is a hardworking creative player. Creative players are seldom hardworking, so he is a bit of a rare find.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDER

The Fulham squad has a fair few of players in this position. Danny Murphy, Dickson Etuhu, Olivier Dacourt, and Andranik Teymourian. Out of the four players listed above, Olivier Dacourt looks like he is past his prime, while Andranik is perhaps good enough to be a substitute, but is certainly not first-team material in a side playing in European competition.

Dickson Etuhu has done well this season, adding energy and bite to a midfield that has lost Jimmy Bullard. Danny Murphy has been outstanding as usual, as the creative hub of the team, and so his place in the team should still be reserved for him, despite him being on the wrong side of thirty.

With the demands of European football next season, it would be unwise and unrealistic to rely on Murphy and Etuhu to play every three days. As such, Fulham will probably have to shop for a central midfielder to share the minutes on the pitch with the other midfielders.

With Middlesbrough being relegated, Fulham could do with one of either Didier Digard or Julio Arca. Arca is the more versatile of the two, having played at left back and left wing earlier in his career, and thus is the Argentine equivalent of Gareth Barry.

Didier Digard is a combative midfielder who is able to pick out a pass, and I think if he remained fit, Middlesbrough would not have gone down. That they had to play Matthew Bates in the centre of midfield really spoke volumes about their lack of quality in midfield, and it was no surprise that they went down.

Both of them are likely to be available for a low price, as Boro will definitely have to reduce their wage bills by selling their top earners. Personally, I think Arca will be the better signing, because of his versatility, and also because he is more inventive, meaning Fulham do not have to rely on Danny Murphy to create chances.

STRIKER

While Fulham have more than a few strikers, with Zamora, Johnson, Kamara, and Nevland fighting for two spots, none of them can be considered as good enough for a top six team.

In particular, Bobby Zamora has come in for criticism this season, after registering a paltry two goals for his side in an entire season. Sure, his hold-up play may be excellent, but he has also registered only two assists all season.

So he's not a creator, and he certainly isn't a scorer, but yet he's in the first team as a striker. Hold-up play is important to a team, but wouldn't it be better if Fulham got someone who can do both (hold up play, and score more than two goals a season)?

For that, I suggest Fulham consider taking Mark Viduka to Craven Cottage. Still good despite his age, he holds up the ball excellently as well, and unlike Zamora, he does not take 52 million chances before finding the net.

He is very clinical, and with his contract surely not going to be renewed by Newcastle who are struggling to keep afloat, Fulham could nip in and pinch Viduka away on a free transfer.

If that move doesn't materialise, Fulham could go for Mido. This will be a bit of a gamble, considering Mido is a striker who seems to perform based on his mood, and has been known to have an attitude problem.

On his day though, he is unbeatable in the air, and has very good technique, making him a very difficult striker to mark. With Boro being relegated, I'm sure Southgate will be willing to let him go.

Another Egyptian also springs to mind when thinking of strikers. Amr Zaki was in fantastic form for Wigan at the start of the season, and although that fizzled out after mid-season, he is undoubtedly a good player.

With Steve Bruce unwilling to make the loan deal permanent, Hodgson could perhaps take a gamble on Amr Zaki to be the man who will get him the goals.

Having done admirably to reach the Europa League, Fulham will have to be wary of letting their European commitments distract them too much from the domestic league. A deep squad will definitely help, so I think Hodgson has to address the depth of his squad as well.

If Fulham somehow manage to secure the signatures of the players listed above, I think they could be next season's Aston Villa, ie threatening to break into the top four.

This article, and more, can also be found at thetipsters, a website set up by my friend Roland and I.

What a difference a year makes. This time last season, Fulham Football Club headed into the final fixture in dire straights. A loss would see them tumble into the Championship, perhaps never to rise again. They won that last game, thanks to a Danny Murphy header 14 minutes from the final whistle.

That win, and their superior goal difference, kept them afloat. They would live to fight again in the Premiership—and find themselves on the cusp of Europe this time around.

Manager Roy Hodgson, mastermind of the 2008 rescue act, was now entering his first full year at the helm. There was much to do at a maligned club like Fulham, but he seemed to have the right plan during the summer break.

Fulham lack the spending power of Chelsea or Manchester United. With money hardly at a premium, the signings in summer 2008 were few and far between. Hodgson had to make sure he brought in players who would make an impact.

Andy Johnson, the prolific goal scorer from Everton, and Bobby Zamora, from West Ham, were added in an attempt to give the Fulham attack more bite. Mark Schwarzer was brought over from Middlesbrough to solidify the goalkeeping.

The start of the 2008-2009 season brought a small glimmer of hope, as Fulham managed a 1-0 win against Arsenal at home. Results away from the Cottage were significantly improved—though no games on the road were won in the fall of 2008, seven of the nine games ended in draws.

The addition of Schwarzer turned out to be massive, as his presence in goal led to 11 clean sheets before the end of the year was up. By the end of the season, he would concede just 34 goals—down from 60 the previous season.

As a result of this defensive stability—also due to the Norweigan international Brede Hangeland—the Cottagers found themselves in a rather unusual position. Instead of being mired in the muck of relegation, they were in the top half of the table. All of a sudden, a position in the newly christened Europa League was a possibility.

With a steady string of results in 2009, Fulham kept par for the course. A 1-0 win against Newcastle United in the second-to-last game of the year ensured the Europa League was in sight. A win against Everton, and seventh place was clinched.

That last game didn't go as planned. It became forgettable as Everton stifled Fulham at home, winning 2-0. Fortune was on their side that day, as neighboring club Tottenham, just two points off the pace for seventh place, couldn't muster a win at Anfield.

Spurs' 3-1 loss to Liverpool rendered the Everton game meaningless. Their final haul of 53 points stood up for Fulham's best finish in nine seasons of top flight football.

What Roy Hodgson has done in one season is nothing short of remarkable. To go from a floundering club, rescued last season by goal difference, to qualify for a European spot is sensational. There's no doubt that Hodgson should run away with the Manager of the Year award. It would be heinous to allow another manager near it.

It will be even more interesting to see what happens next year. Can a club like Fulham make a significant run in Europe? Or will Hodgson be conservative and simply trot out a reserve side?

There's nothing wrong with trying to maintain a top 10 finish in the Premier League. After all, with the startling lack of parity in the English top flight, finishing where they have this year is almost the best Fulham fans can ever hope for. With that said, it shouldn't take anything away from their incredible achievement.

Over the last decade or so, the debate on English managers has been sparked off by every period of a vacant English hot seat.

In 2000, when Sven-Goran Eriksson was appointed, the public wanted to know where all the great up-and-coming Englishmen were. Six years later, the FA, bowing to media pressure after courting and being turned down by Luiz Felipe Scolari, looked to the "best Englishman for the job," Steve McClaren, whose Middlesbrough side had just been crushed by Sevilla 4-0 in the UEFA Cup Final.

The media, and the public, were crying out for an English manager with European honours and a proven track record to take control of their team. Little did any of them know that there was one waiting in Finland.

In 1976, Roy Hodgson began his first managerial job at Halmstad BK in the Swedish Allsvenskan league. The year before he took over, Halmstad had been left flirting with relegation, only surviving on goal difference.

In his very first season in charge, however, Hodgson took the team tipped to go down and surprised the whole of Sweden by winning the league for the first time in the club's history. He then did it again in 1979.

In 1983 he left after a short period at Bristol City to return to Sweden and manage Orebro SK, who narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight two years running. From there he joined Malmo FF, and from 1985 to 1990 won five successive league titles, two Swedish Championships, and two Swedish Cups.

When Hodgson took the helm of the Swiss national team in 1992, the country had not qualified for a major tournament since 1960. He led them to qualify for the World Cup in 1994, losing only one game along the road to the tournament (in a group that contained Italy and Portugal) and qualifying for the last 16 as runners-up in a group that included hosts the USA, as well as Colombia. They eventually lost to Spain in the second round.

He then guided Switzerland with ease to Euro '96 in England but left to join Inter Milan once qualification had been secured.

The Inter Milan side he joined was one suffering the worst period in its recent history. In a league dominated by rivals AC Milan, as well as Juventus, Inter had struggled to keep the pace during the 1990s, with an impatient chairman and a difficult set of players. Hodgson worked there for two years, reaching the UEFA Cup Final in 1997, which was lost on penalties to Schalke 04 in what would be the last ever two-leg European final.

Following short spells at Blackburn and Grasshopper Zurich, Hodgson moved to Danish side FC Copenhagen in 2000, where he won the Superliga.

Further international experience followed with the United Arab Emirates and Finland, with the latter narrowly missing out on Euro 2008 qualification, but nevertheless having a very respectable qualification campaign, finishing fourth in their group.

Then, on Dec. 28, 2007, Hodgson took the job at Fulham FC, a team on the brink of relegation. A run of results kept them up in 2008, and this season they currently lie in seventh place in the league, having beaten champions Manchester United along the way.

So essentially, here is an Englishman with a proven international and club record. He was many people's contender for Manager of the Season last year for keeping Fulham up, and this year for their excellent league position.

Maybe now his name will finally come up in the papers when the English national manager debate starts up again.

But then, I'm sure Fulham fans want to see the man from Croydon going nowhere.