Roy Hodgson repairing his reputation at West Brom

West Brom’s 3-2 victory at Sunderland yesterday put the Baggies into the top half of the table.

West Brom have moved onto 39 points and are not yet safe from relegation but they are a big step closer to securing their Premier League status for next season.

Upturn

The arrival of boss Roy Hodgson has inspired an upturn in the clubs fortunes. Hodgson has continued the good work from his days at Fulham.

It seems he has managed to reproduce the same work ethic and atmosphere in the Midlanders as he did with the Cottagers.

Reputation

Roy Hodgson’s work at Fulham and in Europe before that earned him a reputation as a top boss. His reputation raised so much so that he was given a chance at a massive club like Liverpool. Unfortunately he was the wrong man at the wrong time for the Reds.

His time at Liverpool was a complete disaster. His players just couldn’t adapt to his methods and at times his team really did let him down. In fact he looked like he was out of his depth at Anfield, despite previously looking like such a top boss.

Excellent

I remember writing an article about Roy Hodgson while he was at Fulham praising his work and saying how he should be given the chance to manage England. His stock in European football was high.

I have never hidden my admiration for the former-Fulham boss, even when he took over the reins at my clubs arch-rivals Liverpool. I think he was given quite a hard ride at Liverpool by the fans and by the people behind the scenes at the club.

Caretaker

I always had the feeling that Roy was just keeping the hotseat warm for a bigger name boss. He also had to deal with the fact that Kenny Dalglish had wanted the job before he was appointed and was behind the scenes at the club.

He must also have felt like he had to fight against the tide of public opinion against him on the red half of Merseyside.

West Brom

When West Brom sacked Roberto Di Matteo earlier this season I criticised the Baggies board for getting rid of the Italian. I said whoever came in would find it hard to do a better job than Di Matteo. Hodgson has done a better job since taking over at the Hawthorns and the club are nearly safe.

Having dispensed with Di Matteo at least the West Brom board and chairman chose his replacement well. A lot of West Brom fans who criticised the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo will probably have to eat humble pie if or when the club secure safety in the Premier League.

Tight

The Premier League has been incredible this season. The league is so tight. West Brom are currently 10^th in the Premier League but are just seven points clear of the relegation zone. In most seasons 40^th points would see you safe but this season isn’t an extraordinary one.

The way West Brom are currently playing though I really can’t see them getting relegated. Their performances in recent weeks have shown that they deserve to be the Premier League next season.

West Brom’s survival will be a testament to Roy Hodgson’s managerial ability and proves that he isn’t the failure that the British media painted him as after he was relieved of duties at Anfield.

I am so glad that Roy has got back on his feet after his Liverpool nightmare and I hope he enjoys his time with the Baggies. Just goes to show you can’t keep a good man down for long.

Has Roy Hodgson repaired his reputation at West Brom?