Happy Hodgson hails "wonderful achievement"
Monday, 12 May 2008 16:32
Roy Hodgson sympathises with relegated managers
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson was full of praise for his players after they beat
Portsmouth 1-0 to guarantee Premier League survival.
In celebrating his side's victory, however, he also sympathised with the managers of
Reading and
Birmingham City - Steve Coppell and Alex McLeish - who were forced to endure the ignominy of relegation on the final day of the season.
Hodgson took over at Fulham from Lawrie Sanchez last December with the side facing a stiff task to avoid the drop.
At one stage during the run-in the Cottagers were rated at 50-1 on to go down, and the former Inter Milan manager looked to have an impossible task on his hands.
However, a late Danny Murphy goal at Fratton Park on Sunday secured a third away victory in a row, a fourth win in five games and unlikely survival in the top flight.
"It's a wonderful achievement for the players, great work from the coaching staff - I'm delighted for them and everyone at the club. It's just a great day for us," Hodgson told Sky Sports.
"But, of course, it's a really bad day for Reading and Birmingham and my thoughts go out to Steve Coppell and Alex McLeish.
"I can't help but think that in all the great feeling that we have how difficult it must be for them.
"Quite honestly, for long periods in the second half I sitting there contemplating that fate myself."
Murphy, whose headed goal from Jimmy Bullard's 76th-minute cross sparked wild celebrations among the away supporters, said Hodgson deserved the plaudits after instilling the belief in his players that survival was possible.
"We've won four out of the last five, everyone had written us off and no one gave us a chance. It's a wonderful achievement," the former
Liverpool player told the BBC.
"We've had a few critics recently so it's nice to win and shut a few people up.
"The manager deserves credit. Even at Man City at half-time, when we were 2-0 down, he said keep playing, keep believing. And after that result (a 3-2 victory) we really believed we could do it."