OPINION

That’s it, keep saying ‘Kenny’ and don’t mention the money...

Telegraph as saying of his dad: “I do not think he is the best person for the job, but he is the best person of everybody available.

“It is not as though Jose Mourinho is going to come and do the job. It is not as though Fabio Capello is going to leave England to be the next manager of Liverpool.

“My dad wants to do the job and he feels he is the best person available to do the job. If Jose Mourinho was available and wanted it, my dad would not have any interest in the job, because all he ever does is act in the best interest of Liverpool.

“If new owners come in to invest money in the team and they can attract a Mourinho or a Capello, he would happily step aside if it was in the best interest of the club.

“My dad wants to do the job because he feels it is the best thing for Liverpool at this time. If that were to change, he would happily step aside.” Well that didn’t change, did it? But the board went ahead and appointed Hodgson anyway, claiming he ‘ticked all the boxes’.

HODGSON’S HIGHS 1976: First job in Halmstad, Sweden, where he won two titles.

1992: Becomes manager of Switzerland. Takes them to the 1994 World Cup and Euro 96.

1997: Loses UEFA Cup final while boss at Inter Milan. Repeats feat at Fulham in 2010.

HODGSON’S LOWS 1982: Sacked as manager of Bristol City after run of poor results

1998: Sacked by Blackburn after winning nine points from 14 games

2001: Sacked by Udinese 2005: Sacked by UAE

Well, Mr Broughton, what boxes would they be, I wonder? In his sixties (tick), journeyman (tick), blew a load of money and was sacked by Blackburn (tick).

And as for bringing up the LMA as some kind of sign of quality? Nah. Past winners include Joe Kinnear, Frank Clark and George Burley. Say no more.

It seems the board – none of them football men – became obsessed with appointing someone British. Someone that would curry favour with the nation’s hacks. Someone, apparently, who would do things with ‘class’ and ‘dignity’.

Recognise those phrases? You may well do. They appeared in at least five or six reports from senior national journalists (some before Hodgson had even been confirmed as manager).

Not that those writers were briefed to pen those very words by ‘senior sources’ at Anfield, good God no, could you imagine?

That would almost be like someone was trying to pull the wool over our eyes, wouldn’t it?

Liverpool is, still, just, a formula one racing car. But thanks to the wisdom of the powers that be, we now have someone expert at steering a milk float driving it. And he’s on the back of the grid. With only a bit of fuel. Yet, still, he’ll be expected to make pole position…

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