Roy Hodgson has now been linked to a third open managerial position in the past month. The newest link is that Roy might be a potential candidate to be the new manager at Liverpool. These stories in the media are difficult to read. I am a fan of Fulham, and I personally would want Hodgson to stay as long as he wanted. With that said I was thinking about some of the reasons Hodgson might consider for either staying at Fulham or possibly taking another job like Liverpool. If I were Hodgson I would make a list of pros and cons for considering this position. I am going to list below my thoughts on the "pros and cons for Roy Hodgson to consider if he becomes a legitimate candidate for the new manager of Liverpool".
Pros -
1. Liverpool has to be one of the most prestigious clubs in the world. Now Liverpool didn't have one of their best campaigns last year, but the club has a worldwide following and an incredible history.
2. The Liverpool fans are extremely loyal and passionate about their club. When Liverpool get back on top Hodgson would get tremendous support from this fan base. Even while they are a little down he would probably feel the fan support.
3. Liverpool still have a good nucleus of players. As long as Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are on your team you have a very good chance at winning. You also would have a very good goalkeeper in Pepe Reina. I am also a big fan of Dirk Kuyt. Again, I think the team still has a base of talent.
4. Liverpool should get back to the Champions League within a few years. If Roy became the manager of Liverpool he would probably get them back in the Champions League in a short amount of time. Playing in this league has to be a pro for any manager.
5. Liverpool should be in the hunt for the EPL title in a short period of time every year. Since it became the Barclays Premier League, Liverpool have not won the league. If Hodgson was able to give them that title while he was manager he would probably become a legend at that club for that title alone.
6. Under the current financial situation of Liverpool the job would be a challenge. If Hodgson is looking for a new challenge what would be better than getting Liverpool back to the top.
Cons -
1. What kind of budget would Hodgson have to upgrade Liverpool? Liverpool does have a strong nucleus, but to get the club back on top the new manager is probably going to have to get some new players. The current owners are looking to sell so they might not give the new manager a tremendous budget to spend on new players.
2. Who are going to be the new owners? This could be a major question for a new manager. I apologize in advance but I do have an example from American Football. Bill Belichick did not want to stay with the New York Jets because of the uncertainty of new ownership. He then decided to become head coach of the Patriots with an owner he was familiar with. The chemistry of owner and manager can be extremely important. A new manager might be concerned that a new owner might want to bring in a new manager once the new ownership has taken over. This uncertainty at ownership of Liverpool is definitely a con.
3. There will be tremendous pressure from the fans and the media to get back to the top right away. When you become manager of Liverpool I think this pressure to win comes with the job. Some managers enjoy this pressure. Some others might not like this at all. I have no idea how Hodgson feels about this pressure. But, I think it might be something to consider.
4. Hodgson currently has a very good working relationship with his owner. Hodgson has tremendous support right now from Mohamed Al Fayed. This relationship is very important. When the owner and the manager are on the same page that gives your club stability. Why would he want to leave this good situation?
5. Fulham also has a strong nucleus to build upon. In my opinion Fulham are in good shape to have a second chapter to Hodgson's story. I just think he needs a few more pieces to add to his current base. I wouldn't be surprised to see Fulham back in Europe after next year. Hodgson might want to see if he can continue to build on what he has already established at Fulham.
6. Hodgson reportedly will be given funds to upgrade his talent at Fulham this summer. Hodgson is probably going to have the opportunity to make Fulham better with more talent. He might not have that opportunity with Liverpool because of the uncertainty of the financial situation at Liverpool.
In concluding, I think there are some good reasons to consider the position at Liverpool. However, there are also good reasons not to consider the job in my opinion. If it were up to me it would come down to what was most important to me. The question is what is most important to Roy Hodgson? Only he has the answer to that question.