Fulham - Glass Half Empty

However negative and cynical it may be, I have managed to turn the rather amazing prospect of a Europa League final into something really quite downbeat.

Speculation has been all but rife over the past few weeks of how, with our spectacular European run and solid Premier League campaign thus far, many a club is chasing the key men in our team, and most worryingly of all, the wisdom in charge of all this glory: Roy Hodgson.

By no means are their departures a forgone conclusion, but, if you were to map out the future without them, it's difficult to imagine such successes will repeat themselves any time in the not-so-distant future.

In all honesty, I have based this purely on a formula of Portsmouth and Middlesbrough, with Portsmouth being a more recent, but, slightly more extreme case of 'Not really as good as we were'.

Both teams lost their managers, and following that, began a downhill spiral which has resulted in Championship football.

In the case of Middlesbrough, it was of course Steve McLaren. While he never cut it at international level, there is no doubt that he is a top-drawer club manager.

He led his side to the equivalent final of the Europa League, and, consequently snapped up by his native country to uphold the post of England Manager.

It would seem like a case of deja vu then, if Roy were, as the press are suggesting, to be employed in the most prestigious role this country really has to offer.

It is no secret of what happened to Middlesbrough after the departure of McLaren.

While they didn't drop straight to the Championship, they suffered a slow and painful decline under the tutorship of Gareth Southgate, and I can only feel that that could happen to us sooner or later if Roy were to depart.

Roy's exit is of course not inevitable, yet, I know if I were a chairman, I would be throwing money, cars and property at him to have the man at my club. Or nation of course.

I just hope that when the sad day does come, that Roy will get a say in who takes the next seat in the dugout here in the Cottage.

Fingers crossed for Jose Mourinho? I think not.

Thoughts on my depressive outlook, please.

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