Quiet Hodgson fires up Fulham
Source: Agencies |
May 1, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
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IT was surely one of the all-time great moments of footballing irony when, moments after Fulham secured its place in the Europa Cup final, Roy Hodgson said: "I'm a little bit drained of emotion".
Having just seen his team come from a goal down to beat Hamburg SV 2-1 and send Craven Cottage crazy, Hodgson exchanged a few handshakes and disappeared down the tunnel.
He was never going to sprint to the center circle Jose Mourinho-style but Hodgson's quiet dignity in victory summed up the cerebral approach that has brought him so much success during a peripatetic 34-year coaching career.
On Thursday, well-taken late goals from Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera on 69 and 76 minutes sealed Fulham's unlikely victory and a place in the May 12 final against Atletico Madrid in Hamburg.
Croatian striker Mladen Petric had earlier stunned the home side with a vicious 30-meter free kick after 22 minutes that Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer could only watch as it sailed into his net.
"It just keeps getting better doesn't it," captain Danny Murphy told ITV. "It would have been easy to think this was the end of the journey but I thought the spirit we showed in the second half was tremendous."
Hodgson, a former Inter Milan and Switzerland manager, thanked the club's players and supporters.
"Tonight is a reward for the fans who have supported us so well over the last two years and it's certainly for all those really faithful Fulham fans who have seen some bad times through the years," said Hodgson.
"I know the players are never going to let me down. Football is an emotional game so in a semifinal they could be excused for losing their heads or discipline but they didn't do it tonight."
And to think that just 13 years ago Fulham was in the fourth tier of English soccer.
Having just seen his team come from a goal down to beat Hamburg SV 2-1 and send Craven Cottage crazy, Hodgson exchanged a few handshakes and disappeared down the tunnel.
He was never going to sprint to the center circle Jose Mourinho-style but Hodgson's quiet dignity in victory summed up the cerebral approach that has brought him so much success during a peripatetic 34-year coaching career.
On Thursday, well-taken late goals from Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera on 69 and 76 minutes sealed Fulham's unlikely victory and a place in the May 12 final against Atletico Madrid in Hamburg.
Croatian striker Mladen Petric had earlier stunned the home side with a vicious 30-meter free kick after 22 minutes that Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer could only watch as it sailed into his net.
"It just keeps getting better doesn't it," captain Danny Murphy told ITV. "It would have been easy to think this was the end of the journey but I thought the spirit we showed in the second half was tremendous."
Hodgson, a former Inter Milan and Switzerland manager, thanked the club's players and supporters.
"Tonight is a reward for the fans who have supported us so well over the last two years and it's certainly for all those really faithful Fulham fans who have seen some bad times through the years," said Hodgson.
"I know the players are never going to let me down. Football is an emotional game so in a semifinal they could be excused for losing their heads or discipline but they didn't do it tonight."
And to think that just 13 years ago Fulham was in the fourth tier of English soccer.
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