On Tuesday, January 25th, 2022 it was announced that Roy Hodgson has found his way back into managing a club in the English Premier League (EPL) once again at the tender age of 74 – years – old.
The former head coach of England’s international team was just hired by Watford on last Tuesday, and he has been brought in to help Watford remain in the English Premier League for the knockout playoff stage of the 2021 – 2022.
This will be no easy task to keep the football club in the top division (English Premier League) following their recent descent into the relegation zone. Presently Watford sits in 19th – place in the EPL and they need to climb up into at least the 17th – spot in the EPL in order to avoid the relegation zone.
The 70 – year – old Italian, Claudio Ranieri, just so happened to be fired as the head coach of Watford on last Monday, January 24th, 2022 following Ranieri managing the Watford football team for the previous 3 and a half months in charge as their head coach. The firing of Claudio came only a matter of days after Watford dropped into the bottom 3 – spots in the 2021 – 2022 English Premier League table for the 1st – time this season.
Watford’s board has now brought in Hodgson, another one of world’s most experienced and well – traveled football head coaches. Roy has been out of the managing a football team. Business ever since Hodgson left Crystal Palace at the conclusion of the previous European football season (2020 – 2021), when Roy claimed it was time to move on from “the rigors of top – flight Premier League football” after 45 – years of coaching in order to spend more time with his family according to Roy.
As it turned out the English Premier League’s oldest manager of all time in Hodgson just could not help himself from jumping back into the coaching role once again as that is what he knows best.
Watford did not publicly release the overall details regarding the longevity of Hodgson’s new contract with the football club, but there was no indication that Roy has come aboard their organization as just the interim head coach, but who really knows at this point.
Hodgson will be working closely with his longtime number – 2 man in his assistant coach, Ray Lewington, who also managed Watford as their head coach from 2002 to 2005.
Watford is in second – to – last place at the moment. They are only 2 – points away from missing relegation right now with 2 – games from safety but with two games in front of the team in fourth – to – last place, Norwich, which handed Watford’s football team a devastating 3 to 0 ass – kicking on Friday, January 21st, 2022 that proved to be the last hurrah for the Italian coach in Claudio Ranieri.
Watford is in their 1st – season back in the English Premier League following a year of having to compete in the second – tier championship.
Hodgson has previously been the head coach of Liverpool, Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, and Blackburn in England’s top division of football. Roy is Watford’s 3rd – head coach / manager of the current 2021 – 2022 football season as Watford’s continuous revolving – door policy at the club level under Watford’s owner and the Italian businessman, Gino Pozzo. Ranieri had astonishingly been Watford’s 15th permanent head coach over the course of the past 10 – years.
Hodgson possesses tremendous experience in staving off relegation throughout his head coaching career. When he took control of Crystal Palace back in September of 2017, the team was in last place in the English Premier League following them losing their first 4 – matches. Crystal Palace finished the season in 11th – place, and they never ended a season lower than 14th – place under Hodgson rule with Palace.
Watford’s first game with Hodgson at the reigns is on February 5th, 2022 at Burnley, who is the only team lower in the English Premier League table right now. Watford will drop to last place in the EPL if they lose to Burnley on February 5th this year.
The 2021 – 2022 English Premier League Table (as of 1 / 26 / 2022)
Football Club GP W D L P
1 – Manchester City 23 18 3 2 57
2 – Liverpool 22 14 6 2 48
3 – Chelsea 24 13 8 3 47
4 – Manchester United 22 11 5 6 38
5 – West Ham United 23 11 4 8 37
6 – Arsenal 21 11 3 7 36
7 – Tottenham Hotspur 20 11 3 6 36
8 – Wolverhampton Wanderers 21 10 4 7 34
9 – Brighton & Hove Albion 22 6 12 4 30
10 – Leicester City 20 7 5 8 26
11 – Aston Villa 21 8 2 11 26
12 – Southampton 22 5 10 7 25
13 – Crystal Palace 22 5 9 8 24
14 – Brentford 23 6 5 12 23
15 – Leeds United 21 5 7 9 22
16 – Everton 20 5 4 11 19
17 – Norwich City 22 4 4 14 16
18 – Newcastle United 21 2 9 10 15
19 – Watford 20 4 2 14 14
20 – Burnley 18 1 9 8 12
Positions 1, 2, 3, and 4 all make it into the Champions League. Position 5 makes it into the Europa League. Positions 18, 19, and 20 all face relegation from the English Premier League (EPL), and they do not get to participate in the knockout playoff round of the English Premier League at the end of the season.
As of Wednesday, January 26th, 2022 Watford needs to climb up 2 spots in the standings of the 2021 – 2022 English Premier League table / standings in order to stave off relegation this season. Presently Watford still has 16 more English Premier League matches in this current 2021 – 2022 European football regular season which concludes for Watford on Sunday, May 22nd, 2022 when they play their final regular season game of the season against Chelsea.
Sources:
Douglas, Steve. “Watford hires Hodgson, 74, in bid to avoid EPL relegation”. The Associated Press. January 25, 2022.
“English Premier League Table 2021 – 22”. ESPN. January 26, 2022.