Liverpool's Chances of Europe Evaporate as West Brom's Chances of Survival Improve

Roy Hodgson returned to haunt Liverpool yesterday as his West Brom side virtually killed off any slight outside chance the Reds had of Champions League football next year.

Two penalties from Chris Brunt after Martin Skrtel had opened the scoring for Liverpool were enough for the Baggies to deservedly claim all three points and thus extend their unbeaten run under the ex-Liverpool boss to five games.

Roy Hodgson Takes Over at West Brom in the Hope of Getting England Call

Ex-Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has taken over from Roberto Di Matteo as manager of West Bromwich Albion after the Italian was sacked following a disastrous run of results that saw the Baggies lose 13 of their last 18 games. It will be the 63-year-old's 21st management job in a football career that has spanned 46 years.

The move back into the dugout for has come much quicker than anyone expected, including Hodgson. From being unceremoniously sacked by Liverpool after just six months it was assumed by the watching football world that the well liked manager would take a well deserved break from the game.

However, it would seem that his desire to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager next summer after the Euro 2012 finals would be the main catalyst to a quick return to the game.

Premier League Sack Race: Odds For Every Manager

Who will be the next manager to get the sack in the English Premier League? Are Avram Grant’s days numbered? Does Wenger have to win a trophy? Can Roy Hodgson turn Liverpool around?
You wait around all season for the first EPL manager to be sacked and then two happen within the space of a week.

Harry Redknapp and Danny Murphy: Misguided Or Malicious?

Within the space of a couple of days, both Harry Redknapp and Danny Murphy issued extensive comments about two of the hottest topics concerning the English footballing world at the moment, the financial situation at Liverpool and dangerous tackling respectively. But were those comments genuine attempts at voicing their opinions or just misguided attempts at something else completely?

Who Will Replace Rafael Benitez at Liverpool?

Liverpool are now out of all the domestic cups, out of the Champions League, and adrift in the Premiership. It looks as if Rafael Benitez will be replaced, but who is up to the task?

It would seem that bookmakers have already decided that Rafael Benitez has no future at Liverpool. The strangled 1-1 away to Stoke will not have done anything to deflect the talk that Rafa will be replaced, sooner rather than later.

Manager of the Year 2008: Roy Hodgson

Exactly one year ago, Roy Hodgson took over as Fulham manager after Lawrie Sanchez's ill fated run. The team were in disarray and were conceding goals at an alarming rate and relegation looked a foregone conclusion. And just to rub salt in their wounds, Roy Hodgson found himself taking over on the verge of the crunch tie with Chelsea, a match that saw Fulham sink to even lower depths after a 2-1 defeat.

Move forward a year, and Fulham sit comfortably in mid-table. They are unbeaten in seven games, only Manchester United have conceded fewer goals and today they dealt a massive blow to Chelsea's title ambitions by claiming a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage, a real fortress under Hodgson.