Roy: Schwarzer gets top marks

17 April 2009 15:30
Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has been hailed as the signing of the season and can rub salt in old club Middlesbrough's wounds on Saturday.The 36-year-old left Boro on a Bosman last summer and while Gareth Southgate's men have been battling against relegation this season, Schwarzer has been playing his part in Fulham's push for Europe.After more than a decade at the Riverside Stadium, Schwarzer makes his return this weekend and could plunge his former club closer to the relegation trap door.Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is full of praise for the Australian goalkeeper."We didn't buy him of course, he was a free transfer," Hodgson said. "So in that respect, if the transfer cost to Fulham was zero he must be the best signing of the season."Hodgson's men are eighth in the Premier League and seventh should get them into the Europa League next season.They have only conceded 28 league goals so far and Schwarzer has played a key role."He's been a major contributor to the success," Hodgson added."He's had an outstanding season, the goalkeeper we thought he was. His performances have been unbelievably consistent and the way he deals with shots and crosses has been very good."The stability he has brought to the team is something you can see in the confidence the back four have in him."Every team have units and our back four and goalkeeper have been very strong this year - Mark has been a major factor in that."Hodgson will look to strengthen his squad in the summer, particularly if they get into Europe."I'm hoping the nucleus of our squad is with us next year," Hodgson said. "We are not looking to release players, more to strengthening with a few players to bring in."Hodgson himself has been the leading English manager in the league, while younger managers such as Paul Ince have lost their jobs.However, he feels there is young coaching talent in the country and believes Southgate has a bright future in management, even if he takes Boro down this season.He added: "I don't think Gareth Southgate should be judged on this season, he should be judged on the excellent job he has done over the years at Middlesbrough. I think he is a shining example that we do produce managers here."It's been a bad season for young English managers. It's been a difficult season for Gareth but if you asked him when everything was going well, he would have said that he knew his time would come to fight at the bottom."He's dealing with it very well but unfortunately we will do our best to make sure they stay down the bottom, because that is the nature of the game."But whatever happens, I will still regard him as a good manager."[LNB]

Source: Eurosport