‘An Odd Choice’ – Ex-Winger Unconvinced On Roy Hodgson Appointment

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Former EFL winger Adrian Clarke has questioned Bristol City’s move to hand the reins to Roy Hodgson for the rest of the season, cutting ties with summer appointment Gerhard Struber, despite a spell that was far from disastrous.

 

The Ashton Gate outfit currently sit firmly in mid-table in the Championship, placed 16th with an eleven-point gap separating them from both the relegation zone and the top six.

 

Having hovered around the top ten until late February, a run of eight defeats from his last ten matches in all competitions saw Struber’s side slide down the table, ultimately prompting the hierarchy to act and turn to Hodgson in a bid to steady the ship.

 

 

Among that run, the most damaging setback came in the FA Cup fourth round, where a shock 1-0 defeat to Port Vale laid bare their struggles against lower-league opposition.

 

The 78-year-old veteran, boasting a managerial career spanning five decades, is set to take charge of the Robins for the final seven games of the season, with his most recent managerial stint having come in 2024 with Crystal Palace.

 

 

Clarke cast doubt over Bristol City’s decision to part ways with Struber, pointing to the lack of urgency given their steady position, with neither promotion nor relegation a pressing concern.

 

 

He suggested sticking with the Austrian until the end of the campaign would have been the more measured route, particularly as he did not view the situation as untenable, despite questioning Struber’s in-game management.

 

 

The 51-year-old also highlighted that a sizeable section of the support did not hold a negative view of the Austrian tactician, ultimately branding the move an unusual one while wishing Hodgson well.

 

 

Clarke said on What The EFL (33:34): “I don’t see why they couldn’t have just stuck with Struber.

 

 

“He wasn’t going to take them up, they’re not going down.

 

“They could’ve just stuck with him till the end of the season and then made that change.

 

“I don’t really get it.

 

“It wasn’t as if it was disastrous.

 

“I didn’t think Struber’s decision-making in game was very good in the games where I covered Bristol City live.

 

“I was looking at his changes, his subs, and thinking, ‘What’s he doing? Not sure about that.’

 

“But I know that Bristol City fans, a lot of them, didn’t think he was bad at all, so yes, an odd choice, I think, from the club, but we wish Roy the best.”

 

The Ashton Gate outfit have faced criticism from a former Championship striker, who questioned the club’s hierarchy and suggested the winter arrivals may fall short of what Struber needed following key departures.

 

Hodgson, who had a brief spell at Bristol City in 1980, now returns for a second stint with the Robins, tasked with steadying the ship, and it remains to be seen what he can achieve with the current squad as the season reaches its conclusion.

 

He will take charge for the first time on Good Friday against Charlton Athletic at The Valley.

 

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