The vacancy at Fulham is perhaps seen as a desirable one, but there is no doubting that there are some very big shoes that require filling.

Roy Hodgson became a wanted man after guiding the Londoners to the Europa League final and mid table security in only his second full campaign with the club, on what could be regarded in Premier League terms as a shoestring budget.

Gone are the days that Mohammed Al Fayed is prepared to try and compete with the big spenders at the very top end of the market, indeed, Damien Duff was the only paid for import last summer at £5million.

So the lure of Liverpool proved too much for the Manager Of The Year for last campaign, an individual, baring his spell with Blackburn Rovers, has been largely overlooked in his home country. There will be very few who will begrudge Hodgson a crack at the ‘big time’, with Liverpool, the opportunity to resurrect the fortunes of a crestfallen club.

Would you resent perhaps your best player upping sticks form your 5-a-side soccer or 6-a-side football Leisure Leagues to take up an opportunity of a life time?

Perhaps Tom Hicks, George Gillett and co, thought they were going for a safe option, someone to steady the ship, and it is likely they will get that with their selected appointment. It would be difficult for Hodgson to fair much worse than his predecessor’s reign ended in, with Liverpool having to enter the qualifying stages of the Europa League, a competition which has become increasingly familiar with the former Inter Milan boss.

The forthcoming campaign will be one of transition for the Anfield club, and patience will be required, a virtue which may well be wearing thin with supporters who are so desperate to return to the glory years of the 1970’s and 80’s.

This is a maybe, but what does the future hold for the poached? Fulham had a gem in Hodgson, who worked miracles to keep the club afloat following Lawrie Sanchez’s desperate tenure at the helm. Perhaps survival will be seen as an achievement, but, whoever does take up the job, will always be judged upon Hodgson’s record – which will be difficult to better.

Reports have emerged suggesting that Ajax manager Martin Jol has all but signed up at Craven Cottage, and if these claims are valid, it could be a very shrewd appointment by Al Fayed.

There can be a number of comparisons drawn between Jol and Hodgson. Both have managerial success abroad, both have a promising record on a European stage, Jol most notably with Hamburg when they were unfortunate to fall at the Semi Final hurdle against fellow Germans Werder Bremen.

Martin Jol is all set to take on the Fulham job

Fulham owner Al Fayed was encouraged to spend big in the summer months by Hodgson, and perhaps this was an underlying factor for his departure, although it would be unfair to read anything into this before it is determined how much the new manager will have at his disposal.

The appointment of Jol could well be seen as somewhat of a coup for Fulham, luring him away from a club with the magnitude and history possessed by Ajax. The Dutchman has Premier League experience of course, where he did considerably well at Tottenham Hotspur, before a shocking start to the 2007-08 season lead to his departure and appointment of Juande Ramos.

If Jol is given a transfer kitty, then it could well set him up for a successful spell at Craven Cottage, and after somewhat harshly being disposed of at White Hart Lane, the Ajax manager may well feel justified in having another bite at the Premier League cherry. He could well prove to be the man who shakes Fulham supporters out of those post Hodgson blues.

Alex Z