Football Burp couldn’t help but cast a forumwards glance at what fans of West Bromwich Albion were saying about losing their manager Roy Hodgson to England – sure enough, the tributes were pouring in…
dont ask me to choose luv, West Brom Dot Com
I would like to say a big ‘THANK YOU’ to Roy Hodgson for the fantastic job he has done in turning West Bromwich Albion into an established Premier league club. Since he arrived he has continually broke records, brought a professional way of doing everything connected with the club & has created an air of belief in the team that has never been achieved by previous managers in the Prem. Good Luck Roy, you’ve earned your chance to manage your country, I hope you are treated with the respect you deserve & become an England legend.
Rainwizard, WBA Fans Online Messageboard
I must admit i did get a bit frustrated at times with some of the home performances this season. But, overall he has given us some fantastic memories, and, really for the first time, given me a feeling of us really belonging in the Premier league. All the very best Roy, you are a true gentleman.
sing on our own, West Brom Dot Com
Im gutted but how can you moan about a man who has the chance to manage his country,good luck to Roy he will need it as we have no chance at the Euros and i fear he will get hammered by the press,but he will always be a legend to me and a lot of other people,thanks for the memories
imabaggieboy, WBA Fans Online Messageboard
Personally i would use a few stronger words than frustated but it would not be fair for me to slag the man off. I am sooooooo gutted that he is going but i cannot remember another man in football who has impressed me so much with the way he dealt with everything since Bobby Robson. This hurts me to say but I would like to go on record as saying i hope he is successful with England.
RowleyBaggie2, West Brom Dot Com
Gutted beyond belief but dont begrudge him the chance. You dont know what youve got til its gone.
Buggybaggy, WBA Fans Online Messageboard
He’ll probably spend the next 2 weeks checking out players’ form etc on t’internet and just click back to some Albion related screensaver when JP walks into the office. I’ve heard a few people do such things when they are upposed to be working.
boinging_along, West Brom Dot Com
Really don’t want Brum to go up now. I’d like us to go for Hughton and we’d hopefully keep Foster.
jonny, West Brom Dot Com
Chris Hughton would be my number one should Blues fail to go up. Ray Wilkins? Someone from the continent? Bernd Schuster, Michael Laudrup
Dudleylad, West Brom Dot Com
I am gutted but it should also be treated as a proud moment for our club. We just need to make sure the next manager is the right one and in all fairness Peace and Ashworth have never really got that wrong.
Hayzi, WBA-MAD
Just want to wish Roy all the best for the future as England Manager. He has been fantastic for our club and I can only admire what he has done for us. He is a true gentleman and conducts himself so well he should be England Manager so others can aspire to be like him as they will learn a lot. I hope the media leave him alone and let him do the job we all know he can. England have the right man at the helm and I will now start to follow England again.
baggieheart, West Brom Dot Com
1 and half seasons and has done the job he was paid to do very well, keep us up help get us established. Hope England works well for him, deserves some public recognition.
Utrecht67, WBA-MAD
Roy is a tracksuit coach with buckets of experience who worked wonders with a small, vulnerable squad that couldn’t defend. He also cherished the youth set up which should stand us in good stead. How we move on from him is key and next season will again be scary and may also again be backs to the wall time. Do not underestimate what Hodgson has done for our club and be very careful what you wish for.
Kicking Pigeons, West Brom Dot Com
Just looking at the Tweets from the FA and BBC Sport writers all replies are aggressively negative. He’ll be hounded out by the fans even quicker than he was at Liverpool, the players who publicly stated they wanted Redknapp won’t do him any favours either.
johnthebaggie, West Brom Dot Com
I think its a big mistake on both sides, the public and media want Harry, so unless Roy hits the ground running and wins games quickly the move could ruin his reputation. Good luck, Roy, if you take it and thanks for turning us into a solid, mid table premier team.
charliewestbrom, West Brom Dot Com
Personally I’m dissapointed, to see Roy leave first but also as I think Harry would have been a more interesting appointment. Capello made England play pragmaticaly and wasn’t succesful at the 2010 cup, I think we needed something different. Also, I wonder what Gerrard makes of this?
JBullyWBA, West Brom Dot Com
Good luck to him, he’s the best manager we’ve had certainly in my lifetime and he deserves the opportunity, though I fear the egos at England may push even the best of managers to the limit.
AlbionBest, West Brom Dot Com
Gives a lot more meaning to the last few games now as, disappointed as we all are, we can at least give him the send off he deserves – show the national media and the whinging scouses what the man has achieved in a short space of time.
BB74, West Brom Dot Com
Bless him, he’s delighted and so he should be. Not one bitter bone in my body. Good luck Roy, you are a true gent and you don’t deserve the tripe that is about to come your way.
baggies4eva05, West Brom Dot Com
Fair play to the FA, didn’t interrupt our season, praised WBA and peace do many times, and Roy has handled these questions well!
LegendOfAstle, West Brom Dot Com
Sad to see Roy sitting there. Sad to see our best manager ever going into a the most thankless job in the world. Good Luck anyway Roy.
Greenock Baggie, West Brom Dot Com
Every England manager who when he finishes with England or is sacked by England leaves under a black cloud. Some go on to better things like Robson did with Newcastle but taking the England job more or less finishes most people who accept the role. I think he will live to regret taking it. Yes I know its a prestigious job but he’s on a hiding to nothing with the London press because he’s not “their ” man is he !
RowleyBaggie2, West Brom Dot Com
The last time i felt this gutted was when superbob [Bob Taylor] left for Bolton. Gutted.
Greenock Baggie, West Brom Dot Com
I havent felt like this since the 79 team broke up. On the verge of really doing something then all taken away. Hope our players dont feel like this and can kick on without Roy. Just a shame really.
southampton_baggie, West Brom Dot Com
Took us from certain relegation to comfortable mid table in 1 and a half seasons. As important to our club as Megson was. Thank you Roy.
westbrom87, West Brom Dot Com
I’m now going to have to give a s*** about the England football team for the first time ever. I was more concerned about Olsson having a good tournament, but I’d love Roy to do well and stick it up ’em.
Baggie66, WBA-MAD
I can’t pretend I’m not disappointed about losing Roy, but I’m pleased that he has been offered the job that he really wanted. I hope the press don’t crucify him, as they have done with some nice blokes in the past. What happens next ?, I hope we don’t go back to ‘young, hungry and inexperienced’, Roy has proved that organisation and experience are the way to go.
Roy had made some noises about not being able to find bargains all the time, and sometimes having to spend the going rate to get what you want. There where also the rumours about Jelavic and Roy becoming frustrated with the shortness of JPs arms and the depth of his pockets. Maybe Roy getting the England job has led to a few sighs of relief in the boardroom.
Some on here will be pleased to see him go, I won’t. He inherited a squad that was struggling to halt a run of poor results that saw it plummeting towards the drop, he had a net spend of next to nothing, and with organisation and experience he took the back four that had conceded 71 goals the previous season and led it into the top 10.
IMO what he has done here is nothing short of phenomenal. Some feel the quality of the squad is what has kept us comfortable, I think nothing could be further from the truth. I think Roys expertise has given us a false sense of security about the quality and depth of our squad.
A lot of fans wont realise just what a good job Roy has done here until he has gone IMO. Its going to be very interesting next season, lets hope that the proof of Roys expertise is not a painful home truth for all of us. Good luck with the egos Roy, you’re going to need it mate.
Dale, West Brom Dot Com
Thanks for the memories Roy. Stoke, Wolves, Liverpool and many more fantastic games under your leadership. Like people have said the man is a legend at this football club now. Thank you so much Roy for the good times and all the best with England. Unfortunately I think the FA are making the right decision. Watch Roy organise this England team and sort them out good and proper. We may not win anything but we will be tough to beat and it’s just what this current England team needs in my opinion! Rather him stay here though
blackheathbaggie, WBA-MAD
Thank you Roy. Not only the best manager we have had at the Albion in my lifetime, but also a wonderful human being who I had the pleasure of meeting last year. Humble, warm, good-humoured, engaging. A complete gentleman, and a pleasure to talk to. Last season, as my son and I were walking up Halford’s Lane before the West Ham game, we were drawn to a car pulling up alongside us. Out popped Roy, as he strolled into The Hawthorns, with the fans crowding round. ‘Good luck Roy!’ I shouted. He smiled, gave my son a wink and said ‘ I will do my best’.
Well, you certainly gave your best to our club Roy. At the time you came in, we were in the mire. You transformed our season and kept us up. In summer he strengthened the side considerably (Long, McAuley, Jones, Foster) and has now given us a 3rd consecutive season in the Premier League.
As I reminded him at the Gala dinner that I was probably the first Albion fan to speak to him after his appointment ( ), I thanked him profusely for keeping us in the division. You have ignited my son’s interest in WBA, I said, he was in danger of following his Man Utd supporting cousin! He shook my hand, smiled, ‘It was my pleasure’. No Roy, it was our pleasure. Thank you for everything. I wish you every success with England, and while I’m sure every Albion fan is gutted to lose your services, we are so very proud that our manager has achieved his dream job. Good luck Roy!
Baggies fans! Who would you like to see replace Roy Hodgson? Have your say in the comments section below…