Mathematically Safe

For the record Wolverhampton Wanderers beat West Bromwich Albion by 3 goals to 1 with Peter Odemwinge netting his 15th goal of the season and thus becoming the first Baggies player since Tony Brown to score in 5 successive top flight games. However from a blue and white footballing point of view, this game was deemed irrelevant the previous evening when, due to a combination of others failure to win, the sole task of avoiding relegation was achieved. So while that West Midlands fringe club tries to reclaim the Black Country (thought that was Dudley, Cradley, Netherton, Brierley Hill), this week's Scrapplejack Reborn blog is dedicated to just one man- Roy Hodgson.

Just after Christmas Roy Hodgson's season plunged to a new low following Liverpool's home defeat to Wolves. To be fair with Liverpool's Boston based owners, they didn't dwell too much and it was not long into the new year before King Kenny got his call from the stands and Roy headed into the temporary footballing wilderness. There was plenty of column inches on Hodgson's short reign at Anfield as the club flirted with the lower echelons of the Premier League for the first time in living memory for many Red's followers. There were claims that the alleged negativity that served 'little' Fulham well was not the Liverpool way of doing things and the miserable Carling Cup exit to Northampton ensured that a honeymoon period was non-existent.

However February was the month when Hodgson announced a very quick return to top league management as West Brom reacted sharply to a decline in form with the surprise removal of Roberto di Matteo. Albion's caretaker manager, Michael Appleton, fluffed an 'on the job' interview by losing a 3 goal lead to West Ham and Roy Hodgson was installed soon after. Perhaps it was a return to an environment similar to Fulham or a steely determination to prove the Liverpool doubters wrong but over the next 3 months, Hodgson rejuvenated a West Brom side that had enjoyed a fruitful start to the season, instilling an organisation and desire to eventually avoid the drop. This was achieved with a zero change in available personnel but a tinkering of formation and a reshuffling of the squad pecking order once team selection time came.

Prior to the day actual survival was attained, Hodgson- led West Brom only lost one league game and acquired a steady accumulation of points that took them past previous Premier League totals and eventually to the final safety mark of 43. As this run of games evolved, the world of football began to take note and the stock of Roy Hodgson began to rise. Perhaps not quite to the levels of European bound Fulham or the spells in charge of the continent's elite, it was even a little premature to re-open the post Capello vacancy debate but Roy had regained the simple compliment of being referred to as a good manager.

There was a little bit of small talk of this being a temporary marriage especially as Albion have the infamous Head Coach structure where others in the set up are perceived to make key playing decisions. There is also the question of the short term contracts Jeremy Peace hands out and the notorious reputation he has of keeping a tight control on the purse strings. However Roy has indicated an acceptance to this regime and there appears to be very little rumour of this being a short term arrangement. The prospect of Hodgson doing a slice of wheeling and dealing in the forthcoming transfer windows is appealing to many Albion fans especially as those purse strings are sure to be released a little in the security of another Premier League campaign.

So on the weekend Roy Hodgson accomplished phase one of his West Bromwich Albion assignment, let's leave our Staffordshire friends to fret another week and celebrate the success one man has delivered and at the same time began to restore his reputation. This celebration will be shared amongst a capacity Hawthorns crowd in the upcoming final home match versus Everon where there will surely be the chant 'There's only one Roy Hodgson'.