Good luck to Roy Hodgson... and he's going to need it

Published 22:57 04/07/10

It’s a bloody hard job but someone has to do it. I sincerely wish Roy Hodgson the very best of British in taking on the most difficult job in English football at the moment, and I hope he makes it a success.

It is unusual for “southerners’ to take on big northern clubs but if there is a man who can bring experience of Sweden, Italy, Finland, Switzerland and seemingly everywhere in between to bear, it’s Roy.

Firstly he will have to have a smiling Torres and Gerrard committing their future to the Reds.

If he does that, the indifference that some Liverpool fans feel will disappear, as he will have been seen to have secured the short-term playing future.

After that, although he has been effectively brought in by the numpties that are Gillett and Hicks, he needs to be brave enough to denounce them, and put pressure on from within, advising them to sell as soon as possible for the benefit of stability.

He’s a wily old fox and as Martin O’Neill had to first deal with Doug Ellis before selling to Randy Lerner, I think Roy will be looking to do the same.

On the pitch it will be interesting to see what he can do with the worst Liverpool pool of players - bar Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano and Reina - in living memory.

Will Lucas play further forward now Yossi has gone? Will El Nino get a strike partner? Will Roy raid Fulham for Gera or Hangeland?

I’m sure every Liverpool fan will give Roy time and support in what is a difficult time. My view is he will struggle to get the Reds in the Champions League places any time soon unless the owners leave. I hope I am wrong.

We had a great debate raging with fans on talkSPORT after Luis Suarez's deliberate handball on the line against Ghana.

I say that in extreme circumstances, the referee should be allowed to make extreme decisions.

He is trusted to make the right decision so let him do it.

Luis Suarez, as a million players have before, stopped the ball crossing the line with his hand. He’s an outfield player, so under the rules he has to be sent off.

However, in a massive World Cup game, that simply does not punish the offender or the team enough. Why? Well, Asamoah Gyan has to walk up to a penalty spot with the hopes of a continent resting on his shoulders, looking at a goal that is shrinking by the second, with pressure that is virtually impossible to quantify. How is that fair?

Surely the answer is that if a player handles the ball on the line, the referee gives a choice to the attacking team.

Either the player gets sent off and you have a penalty, or a penalty goal is given (like rugby) and the player stays on.

It is easy for us to say that Suarez had been punished enough by being sent off. But I’m not comfy with Gyan or any penalty taker having so much pressure put on them for essentially doing nothing wrong.

Common sense should prevail, let referees have the choice.

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