It’s one of the most debated managerial spells in our modern history, and Roy Hodgson has now offered a brutally honest reflection on his time with Liverpool.
Our former Reds, who only spent six months at Anfield, has admitted things simply didn’t work out as he would have hoped.
Speaking on the Wayne Rooney Show, as reported by BBC Sport, the 78-year-old didn’t shy away from how difficult his time on Merseyside was.
He said: “I suppose it’d have to be Liverpool because that went very badly,” when asked which club he wished he had more time at.
That blunt assessment sums up how that period is still viewed, both from our perspective and clearly from his own.
The Croydon-born coach added: “When the chance came my way I would have been hopeful that would last longer and [would have] been more successful.”
It’s a reminder that, despite how things unfolded, Hodgson arrived believing he could steady the club during what was a turbulent moment.
Hodgson went on to explain the context behind his struggles, pointing to uncertainty both off and on the pitch.
He explained: “It was a transition period I suppose.
“The club was transitioning from [Rafa] Benitez and two American owners to new American owners who were very interested in what the fans thought and who they thought should be the manager.”
That ownership uncertainty is something we all remember, and it clearly impacted the stability around the squad.
The former England manager also revealed issues within the dressing room at the time.
He said: “And also it was a transition with the players because some of the players who were there, in particular [Javier] Mascherano and [Fernando] Torres they weren’t really wanting to be there anymore.”
That aligns with what Brad Jones has previously said about that period, where the structure and style simply didn’t suit the group of players we had.
Hodgson concluded by pointing towards what came next, adding: “It took a time. It was only when [Brendan] Rodgers came in, and they started to change the squad a bit that it opened out.”
It’s a candid reflection from the new Bristol City boss, and while it doesn’t change how we view that era, it does offer some context to a chapter that remains one of the most difficult in the club’s recent history.
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