By IRNA,
London: Veteran British coach Roy Hodgson became the third manager in the English Premier League (EPL) to lose his job this season after Liverpool announced Saturday that he had left the club by “mutual consent.”
‘Both parties thought it in the best interests of the club that he stand down,’ said new American owner John Henry in a statement on the club’s website on the eve of Liverpool playing Manchester United in the FA Cup.
Hodgson, who took Fulham to the finals of the Europa Cup last season, was appointed in July to replace Spanish coach Rafael Benitez at England’s most successful club.
But just over half way through the season, Liverpool has won just seven out of 20 games and is currently 12th in the EPL. Until last year, the club was one of the so-called ‘top four’ along with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
The club announced that former title-winning player and coach Kenny Dalglish has been placed in charge until the rest of the season.
Last month, the coaches of both Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers were replaced. Speculation is that others could follow, including Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti of Chelsea, which has fallen out of the top four in recent weeks after the club’s worst run in more than a decade.
Hodgson, aged 63, was voted manger of the season last year.He has also coached the Swiss national team as well as many notable club sides, including Malmö, Internazionale, Blackburn Rovers, Grasshoppers, FC Copenhagen, Udinese, Viking,
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