Hodgson hails Fergie empire

17 February 2009 18:26
Roy Hodgson admits he would like to know the secrets behind Sir Alex Ferguson's unrivalled success at Manchester United.[LNB] Fulham boss Hodgson can boast an impressive CV himself, having coached at Serie A giants Inter Milan and led Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup.[LNB]However, everything he has achieved in the game pales into insignificance when placed next to the record of his Old Trafford counterpart.[LNB]Ferguson has enjoyed a glittering 23-year stint with the Red Devils, collecting countless trophies and personal accolades along the way.[LNB]Hodgson, who is set to go head-to-head with the wily Scot on Wednesday, hopes that Ferguson will one day write a book on football management, so that those who follow in his footsteps can benefit from his considerable expertise.[LNB]"We're playing a team who are champions of England, champions of Europe and champions of the world in a fantastic stadium," Hodgson said on Fulham's midweek trip to the Theatre of Dreams.[LNB]Global institution"These are the sort of games everyone wants to play. We struggled at the end of last season and worked our socks off to stay in this division and the reason we did that was for games like this.[LNB]"Alex's qualities as a coach are well documented but what makes him special as a manager is his record.[LNB]"He took on a job 20 years ago which, even then, was considered one of the most difficult jobs in the country. Since then he's built an empire.[LNB]"They were a big club when he went there and now they are an institution around the world. He is a person who has been able to evolve with the times, keep abreast of things and he has a very good eye for a player."[LNB]He added: "You could write books on how successful he has been; in fact I'm sure there have been books.[LNB]"But it would be nice one day to read a book when he tells you how he has managed to achieve this great success, then the rest of us could read it and try to follow it."[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports