Jurgen Klopp reacts to 'crazy' Roy Hodgson, Bristol City appointment | OneFootball

The ex-Liverpool boss was surprised to learn of the 78-year-old's return to Ashton Gate

Bristol City raised eyebrows on Friday as they announced the sacking of Gerhard Struber, with Roy Hodgson returning to Ashton Gate for the final seven games of the season.

Even though the Robins have had a poor couple of months, which includes six games without a win right now, few expected Struber to be sacked.

They are currently without several important players due to injury, and there was a feeling that the Austrian didn’t get the necessary support in the January transfer window, which has left the club short.

So, his dismissal was seen as a surprise, and the decision to turn to Hodgson was one that nobody saw coming.

Jürgen Klopp reacts to Roy Hodgson’s appointment at Bristol City

The 78-year-old needs no introduction given his CV, having been in charge of the likes of Inter Milan, Fulham, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and the England national team throughout a managerial career which now spans an incredible 50 years.

Hodgson’s last job came with Palace, but he stepped down in February 2024, and most presumed that would be the last time he was in a dugout.

However, those within the City hierarchy clearly feel Hodgson is the man to steady the ship for the run-in, and his first game will be against Charlton Athletic at The Valley on Good Friday.

Naturally, this was a talking point in the football world, and former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp was among those to react to the news, as he gave his thoughts to the BBC shortly after it was announced.

“Is it true that Roy Hodgson is the new manager of Bristol City? And he turns 79 in August? Roy, I asked you last time if your flat is wet or whatever, but it’s really crazy. Good luck," said the German.

“But they are 12 points ahead of the relegation zone right? Then it’s not the most difficult job at least, Roy. Enjoy it in Bristol.”

The Champions League-winning boss is back on Merseyside for a Liverpool legends game this weekend, and he will have come up against Hodgson plenty of times during his time at Anfield.

Roy Hodgson will hope to settle things at Bristol City ahead of their huge summer

There is a lot of anger among the Bristol City support right now, and you can understand why.

The January window was a time for them to try and improve the squad in order to kick-on and push for the play-offs.

Instead, they sold Anis Mehmeti and Zak Vyner to Ipswich Town and Wrexham respectively. Even though some new faces arrived, it was still felt they were left short in key areas of the pitch, particularly in defence.

With the club now in an 11th successive year in the Championship, there is a frustration that they haven’t really looked like taking that next step. Even when they did make the play-offs last season, it was effectively over after the first leg against Sheffield United.

Clearly, they have regressed since then, and whilst Struber made mistakes, he will be unhappy at the lack of backing he received.

As Klopp highlights, there’s no real danger of Bristol City going down, and they’re 12 points away from the play-offs as well, so a mid-table finish is inevitable.

Hodgson will oversee the team for the run-in, and having someone of his experience around may help certain players, and he should be able to offer feedback to the board when he departs in the summer on where they must improve.

So, it could work out to a degree, but it’s clear a major summer is looming for Bristol City, and there is pressure on owner, Steve Lansdown, to get things right as the club look to progress following this disappointing campaign.