Hodgson calls for defensive improvement
West Bromwich Albion manager, Roy Hodgson, sees it as paramount that his team concedes fewer goals if they are to be successful in the coming season.
Hodgson helped the Baggies to a sterling 11th place finish last season, but this could have been improved if fewer goals were conceded, as only Ian Holloway’s relegated Blackpool conceded more.
Hodgson took charge of Albion midway through last season, and in his first full season in charge is desperately hoping to tighten the defence, after they conceded 71 goals in 38 games last year.
However, ex-Fulham and Liverpool boss, Hodgson, isn’t picking on anyone individually, commenting: “If you are talking about soft goals and defensive errors and goals conceded, we’ve got a lot of work to do, all of us, myself and the coaching staff with the players we’ve got,”
The 63 year-old has a target in mind, adding: “You can’t go every year into a Premier League season letting in as many goals as we did last year and expect to survive. It was nearer 70 than the 40-50 most people expect. We have to improve that.”
Hodgson has a tough fight on his hands to back up these wishes, as West Brom meet champions Manchester United in their season opener on August 14, with Chelsea their second fixture.
