Despite his triumphs in the Champions League and FA Cup, by the end of the 2009/10 season, Rafa Benitez had lost the backing of the club's owners, and duly left Anfield by mutual consent.  Faced with internal struggles, poor finances, and little prospect of challenging for the league title, Liverpool struggled to attract a 'top class' replacement for the Spaniard, with veteran manager Roy Hodgson eventually being appointed as the club's new manager on the 1st of July 2010.

At the time, Hodgson’s appointment looked like a shrewd move by Liverpool’s embittered owners, Hicks and Gillett.  After the chaos and confusion at the end of Rafa Benitez’s reign, Hodgson looked like a ‘safe pair of hands’, someone who would bring calm and stability to a club that had lacked both in previous seasons.

Hodgson was also enjoying a purple patch in his career, having led Fulham to the Europa League Final the previous season, narrowly losing 2 – 1 to Atletico Madrid (who had beaten Liverpool in the Semi-Finals).  In the league Fulham had achieved top-ten finishes in 2008-09 (7^th) and 2009 – 2010 (9^th), with the London Club overachieving when considering their finances and playing squad.

After a decades-long career, Hodgson’s hard work and dedication brought him to Anfield, and one of the world’s greatest football clubs.  The footballing gods were smiling, football’s ‘Mr Nice Guy’ was reaping his just rewards – everything seemed set for the good days to return to Liverpool.

Aged 62, Hodgson was one of Liverpool’s oldest managers when he was appointed, yet he set about his new job with the energy and enthusiasm of a much younger man.  At his unveiling, Hodgson was full of praise for his new club, stating “This is the biggest job in club football and I'm honoured to be taking on the role of manager of Britain's most successful football club. I look forward to meeting the players and the supporters and getting down to work at Melwood”.  Two days later, after meeting the players he enthused "I have had a terrific welcome from supporters and staff. I always knew Liverpool fans were special and the reception I have received from them has been superb. I would like to place on record my thanks to them.”

Unfortunately, football is an unforgiving master, and despite all the goodwill and praise lavished on Hodgson after his appointment, his tenure began in the worst possible fashion, with poor transfers - and even poorer results – quickly turning opinion against him.

After the financial instability of the Hicks and Gillette era (LFC nearly went bankrupt!!), Hodgson knew he would be operating with a limited transfer budget, yet at previous clubs he had proven very capable of finding and nurturing ‘bargain buys’ into decent players, overachieving with ‘weak’ squads at Fulham, Blackburn, and Malmo.  Sadly for Roy, his one and only transfer window at Liverpool can only be described as a total disaster.

Managerial Milestones

"This is the biggest job in club football and I'm honoured to be taking on the role of manager of Britain's most successful football club."

Roy Hodgson, speaking at his unveiling as Liverpool Manager

"I think you can pay an awful lot of money for poor players and you can pay not very much money for very good ones – it is all to do with how good your scouting and your eye is. There are a lot of things here that the club has got to get right. We have got a lot more expensive failures on our list than good players that we have brought in for next to nothing."

Roy Hodgson attacking previous manager Rafa Benitez's transfer record

"As a player, you have a chance to change things. If you don't think the team is doing as well as it should, as a player you can do something about it. If you are a big player, maybe you will. My attitude is that we want our big players because they will help the team to win. Now if they are not playing well and not helping the team to win, I will be advising them to look into the mirror rather than look for excuses elsewhere and blame the owners for not having spent £500m."

Roy Hodgson, challenging his players to improve, rather than complain about the lack of transfers

"The protest does not help but it is something I have had to live with since I came to the club. I, like everyone else at Liverpool, would be very happy if the ownership situation was clarified and in particular if we got a very good owner that could help us move forward."

Roy Hodgson, talking about the ownership problems at LFC

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