EXCLUSIVE - No Liverpool approach for Fulham boss

[Springer]

FULHAM boss Roy Hodgson insists he is not about to join Liverpool – and has talked to no one connected with the Premiership giant.

 

Chronicle sport has learned the man who took the Whites to their first-ever European final just a month ago has no plans to leave Craven Cottage.

 

A rock-solid source close to the 62-year-old dismissed speculation linking him to the post as successor to Rafael Benitez – ousted from Anfield last Friday.

 

The source said: "No one from Liverpool, or connected with them has spoken to Roy – and he is mystified by all the conjecture over the last few days."

 

For all that, the man who came within a few minutes of a penalty shoot-out against Athletico Madrid to decide the Europa League is high up on the Reds list – mostly because Hodgson has worked wonders on a modest Fulham budget while reviving the careers of Danny Murphy, Damien Duff and Dickson Etuhu.

 

Liverpool want the same for their costly squad, but Hodgson hinted he would be in west London for campaign number three after welcoming his first signing of the summer on Tuesday when Philippe Senderos arrived from Arsenal.

 

Fulham Chronicle - Sport - Allsport - EXCLUSIVE - No Liverpool approach for Fulham boss

[SCOUSE TAPAS]

It must be true, it has come from the highly respected media outlet, the Fulham chronicle.

 

With sources as well.

[zigackly]

I think anyone on here could have given that exclusive, given the meeting to decide who to offer it to is tomorrow. I notice the "rock solid source" didn't say he wouldn't take it if offered. As you were then.

[RafaLaBamba]

I think this is more a case of the local paper trying to cheer up the Fulham faithful than anything else. I mean, the sources are absolute bollocks. Like a previous poster said, it didn't say that Roy would ever turn it down. I believe that Dalglish will be offered the job soon anyway.

[gkmacca]

Well, it seems slightly odder than that. Imagine the Echo dealing with the equivalent story at LFC - it wouldn't just try to cheer fans up whilst risking being accused in a couple of days of deliberately misleading them and/or not knowing what's really going on. Local papers with strong links to the local club are very protective of that balance between accurate reporting and 'supportive' reporting. I'm not saying the reaction on here isn't the most plausible, I'm just saying the story sounds rather strange.

[Hair Police]

One quote. Which, for all we may know, may have come from a Cockney street vendor on Croydon Road.

 

I see no credence in this piece. Although, I wouldn't care if it was true, either.

[gkmacca]

No, the paper (and reporter) has a similar relationship to the club as the Echo has with LFC, so I wouldn't dismiss it. As I said above, they don't just print any old canard the club demands, because they know they'll soon lose the trust of the local readers, and they don't antagonise the club, so it's a similar balance that we see in the city. That's why it's quite an odd report, bearing in mind what we expect to happen soon.

[Best Believe It]

I wouldn't be surprised if Purslow and the board have just assumed Hodgson will say yes and not thought that he might not want the job.

[Antynwa]

It's a smoke screen, it's gonna be Kenny

[Ezekiel 25:17]

He'll be the new Liverpool manager within a week.

[zigackly]

No, the paper (and reporter) has a similar relationship to the club as the Echo has with LFC, so I wouldn't dismiss it. As I said above, they don't just print any old canard the club demands, because they know they'll soon lose the trust of the local readers, and they don't antagonise the club, so it's a similar balance that we see in the city. That's why it's quite an odd report, bearing in mind what we expect to happen soon.

 

Isn't it obvious? Hodgson is getting all lathered up at the thought of managing us, but no-one's thought to ask him yet, so he's got his mate to stick it in the paper. Could ruin a chap's busman's holiday in South Africa, all that suspense.

[gkmacca]

Isn't it obvious? Hodgson is getting all lathered up at the thought of managing us, but no-one's thought to ask him yet, so he's got his mate to stick it in the paper. Could ruin a chap's busman's holiday in South Africa, all that suspense.

 

Yes, but as I said, the relationship between the local hack and the local manager doesn't really work like that long-term. I guess Hodgson could have asked a big favour by getting the hack to write a deliberately misleading article, but if he's about to leave what would the return of the favour be for the hack whom he leaves behind with egg on his face? It's a bit strange.

[zigackly]

It's not misleading. It says there's been no approach yet and he's a bit confused. I would say that's probably 100% accurate. If the journo has spun it to look like he's staying, that's his lookout.

[King Emlyn]

I don't think the report actually says anything other than he hasn't been approached. If he's had no offer he could hardly be planning to leave.

[gkmacca]

It's not misleading. It says there's been no approach yet and he's a bit confused. I would say that's probably 100% accurate. If the journo has spun it to look like he's staying, that's his lookout.

 

I give up. They don't meet up and then deviate on these things. If it's 'spun' it's done so in agreement. The wording will almost certainly have been checked very carefully and accepted by both. Someone like Dominic King has a looser relationship with an LFC manager. At a smaller club like Fulham, the local hack assigned to the club has a much closer connection and he doesn't expect to be a stooge (they may move on one day and they don't want a portfolio full of notably wrong 'exclusive' reports).

[zigackly]

I give up. They don't meet up and then deviate on these things. If it's 'spun' it's done so in agreement. The wording will almost certainly have been checked very carefully and accepted by both. Someone like Dominic King has a looser relationship with an LFC manager. At a smaller club like Fulham, the local hack assigned to the club has a much closer connection and he doesn't expect to be a stooge (they may move on one day and they don't want a portfolio full of notably wrong 'exclusive' reports).

 

Oh, you think the "rock solid source" was Hodgson himself? I doubt it personally. I think he just asked someone to make it known there had been no approach and he's a bit mithered about it.

 

It pointedly doesn't say he doesn't want the job. Why take more from it than face value?

[Guest PurpleNose]

This is so fucking boring.