Hodgson

So the FA as I expected, have gone for the cheapest and safest option in selecting Roy Hodgson as the next England coach. On a pure football level harry would be my choice, and i expect would have been most peoples choice too, so I expect a bit of a backlash against the FA.

A couple of things that have made RH the FA's favourite:

1) The FA would have had to pay around £10m to the spuds in compensation, because Levi is a tough negotiator.

2) Harry would have demanded a huge salary

3) There would be more 'bung' issues coming out of the woodwork concerning Harry, and we know the FA sacked venables because of this.

4) Hodgson will embrace the new Burton academy and would be ever present with the kids, whereas harry would see his role as just being National manager of the senior team.

5) Hodgson has a good pedigree at national level, being in charge of 3 countries teams in the past. He's also got a good record at gaining qualification into big competitions, including World Cup and European championships, and his Swiss team were punching much higher then they should have done.

6) RH had a great record in Italy with Milan, although a bit of a failure at Liverpool, but was he given a chance in reality at Anfield. His record is still better than Dagliesh's and he didn't spend the money KD has this season.

I thought Woy should have been appointed when Eriksen stepped down. Instead we got the wally with the brolly and then capello. To be honest, I think the time is now right for Harry, but it looks like he will never get the opportunity... like Venables too much baggage.

In my view, Woy is a very solid appointment, but he is not going to have enough time to get the squad prepared for the Euros. Sadly we are going to have to write this tournament off. However, when summer comes and the media start to hype up our chances, like everyone else I will be expecting England to win every game.

I think the Euros will be a massive struggle but Im not writing them off. Spain are mainly Barcelona and they have quite a few chinks now, sides are working out ways to beat them and the high tempo game and long seasons have caught up with them.
If we get through the group, which is of course going to be tough, then we will have a chance of a decent run.

I was an ABH (Anyone but Harry) so I'm quite pleased with the news

Not really sure which way this one will pan out. Roy might surprise us all?

If he fails it will because he was tainted by a 4 month spell in charge at Bristol City.

I don't think it's such a bad appointment you know. I was surprised for sure but the more I think about it the more I actually think the FA might actually have put some thought into it and made a decent decision. I can't think of many reasons why Hodgson shouldn't be worth a go

FA announce press conference for 4pm today where it is expected Uncle Woy will be unveiled as the new manager

'Arry "Peoples' Choice" Redknapp was unavailable for comment

England football manager Roy Hodgson has today named his team for the opening Euro clash:

Wobinson, Wichards, Tewwy, Wio, Bwidge, Gewward, Cawwick, Wodwell, Bawwy, Cawwol & Wooney

With a team like that he's bound to improve his FIFA wanking!

MustPuttBetter wrote:I don't think it's such a bad appointment you know. I was surprised for sure but the more I think about it the more I actually think the FA might actually have put some thought into it and made a decent decision. I can't think of many reasons why Hodgson shouldn't be worth a go

Agreed. Im coming round to the idea, he also sets his teams up to play 4 4 2 or 4 4 1 1 which I think suits our players and plays to their strengths. Think it could mean Gerrard back as skipper, so maybe a team like this -

Hart
Walker Lescott Ferdinand Cole
Walcott Gerrard Parker Young
Rooney
Wellbeck

For the first two games Walcott up front with Wellbeck and Johnston into the side ? Might be a bit too lacking defensively though.

You think he'd go for Gerrard as captain after the Liverpool experience? By all accounts he didn't really get along with the senior players in training

This is tempting but I'm not getting sucked into the team selection debate! I'll save that for June!

ok...

Not sure Walcott will be fit, so prob place for Lennon.

What about the Chelsea old boys Digs? Terry, Lampard, Cahill... they've all shown some form at the business end of the season. That Champions League semi was great practice... a heroic rearguard defensive performance against technically superior opposition... isn't that how England's tournaments usually end?

From what Ive read Davie, and it just depends which paper you go for I guess, Gerrard and him had a good relationship at Liverpool though other players as you say didnt. Apparently he loves a good training drill.

raycastleunited wrote:This is tempting but I'm not getting sucked into the team selection debate! I'll save that for June!

ok...

Not sure Walcott will be fit, so prob place for Lennon.

What about the Chelsea old boys Digs? Terry, Lampard, Cahill... they've all shown some form at the business end of the season. That Champions League semi was great practice... a heroic rearguard defensive performance against technically superior opposition... isn't that how England's tournaments usually end?

I found a palce for Cole Ray..surely thats enough Chelski ? Lampard would make my bench and Id start him if Gerrad wasnt fit, Cahill in the squad too. Id only take one of Ferdinand or Terry and for me it would be Ferdinand.
Walcotts meant to be OK but I liek Lennon as well, he actually tracks back well for a winger which could be useful.

I would get rid of Terry completley, especially on present form, also his undermining of Capello in south Africa, and his off field behaviour and his plain stupidity last week. Cahill had a great time when he played for Capello in the qualifiers, and present form should mean he's in. Not sure abour Wio though, maybe Jones does deserve a trot out and Lescott too has done himself proud of late, even though he looks like a Freddy Kruger victim.

It'll be interesting to see just how many of our so called stars are ditched

Dump Rio, Terry and Gerrard. Cole stays. Lamps is borderline - maybe good to have on the bench

Lescott/Cahill could play centre-backs with Jones on the bench. No need for the old dead-weights anymore

Davie wrote:Dump Rio, Terry and Gerrard. Cole stays. Lamps is borderline - maybe good to have on the bench

Lescott/Cahill could play centre-backs with Jones on the bench. No need for the old dead-weights anymore

Who would you play as a creative/attacking midfielder apart from Gerrard Davie. He is past his best but with Wilshire crocked and Cleverly having had no season either and Scholes retired (where he should stay if last night is anything to go by) I really dont see an alternative to Gerrard.

Ashley Young?

Maybe persuade Arteta to take up his English citizenship?

Seriously, I've never been a fan of Gerrard in an England shirt. The debate raged for years over whether Lampard or Gerrard was a better player and while Gerrard may have edged it at club level he has never really transferred that form consistently to the international stage.

Having said I'd have Lamps on the bench and with Wilshire injured then that attacking midfielder place is certainly up for grabs.

Never personally been a fan of Milner either but he's has a good year at City. The Ox could be a good long term choice and many see his future as the creative midfield role, but he's just a little too raw yet.

I don't think Gerrard is the answer though

Fair enough Davie, I think the problem is the cupboard is really pretty bare, hopefully Wilshire comes back as good as he was. After that Josh Mceachran is maybe one for the future. I was personally supprised when Ox said he saw his future there, looks like a striker to me but we shall see.
I like Milner as a bloke, like Barry they are clearly examples that all footballers are not tools, but he isnt making the City side now and personally I think he is just a bit predictable. More perspiration that inspiration.

Both Milner and Adam Johstone are quality, but not regulars at City. Oxlade Chamberlain is someone I'd look at, and having either gerrard or lams as back up could work. Carrick not good enough, Barry should go, but we need to see if Lennon & Walcott are both fit as well and how's Joe Cole doing in France?

I think we have to be really careful with Chamberlain. Personally Id send him to the Olympics to get some experience. Far too much pressure if he goes to the Euros, he has only started 15 games for Arsenal after all.
Obviously I dont see every Arsenal game but the only time this season Ive seen him play centre midfield was against Wigan, maybe came on as a sub ?, and he didnt play great but then again the whole team didnt.
Dont get me wrong, looks like a brilliant prospect but I think the Euros are at least a year too soon.

Not a good decision IMO. Too much in the mould of Graham Taylor/Steve Mclaren. Think this time the press will replace his nose with a carrot & turn him into Wurzel Gummidge.

Not strong enough for me. Hopefully I will be proved wrong, but not confident.

I see him in the mould of Bobby Robson - someone who has been around the block a bit - managed abroad and even has the edge over Robson in that he's managed other international sides - I don't think even Robson had that did he?

We've tried foreigners, we've tried younger, perhaps more experienced "coaches" - we haven't really had anyone like Bobby since ... well since Bobby

I just hope that the England fans give the guy a chance, rather than immediately have a downer on him when England lose a match because he was not the people's popular choice.

I wonder if any of Her Majesty's Press Corps have any dirt on 'Arry which they have been holding in reserve, in the hope that they could do a big expose of the new England manager?

Mary_S wrote:I wonder if any of Her Majesty's Press Corps have any dirt on 'Arry which they have been holding in reserve, in the hope that they could do a big expose of the new England manager?

Mary - I reckon that's pretty much a certainty - and just one reason why I didn't want 'Arry anywhere near the job. They would have ripped him to shreds

I think if he was left alone and given enough time he might actually do quite well...unfortunately he's just been given the one job in football where the prospect of any of those 2 things happening are somewhere south of Zilch!!

Trying to do a job successfully with Dalgish lurking in the wings is one thing. Trying to do better than that with what I would regard as the worst sporting Press in the world with outrageously unrealistic expectations stalking your every move like snipers???...Aye good luck Woy

If previous form is anything to go by the poor man will be hounded out, humiliated by some cartoon caricature character assassination on the front page of the Sun in the days/weeks following Brazil 2014 or possibly the 2016 Euros.

I think the FA should have gone out on a limb and appointed the smart ar5e chief football writers of the Sun, Mirror, Times, Telegraph, Express & Mail as a management committee to run the national side. Given them 4 years and if they don't win a "major" then their papers should never be allowed to write about the National side ever again.

So the press have already started their fun. The Sun headlines take the piss out Woy's speach impediment. Don't think this is clever, even if theytry and make it tongue in cheek within the story. The main banner says it all about the Sun, and on a day when Murdoch gets busted up by MP's they show their true colours.

It's a fair point Doc - some might call me hypocritical as I've jokingly refered to Uncle Woy here a few times already but I'd say the front page of the Sun is disgraceful.
It's one thing for me to do it in a joking way on a small golf forum but entirely another thing to splash it all over a top selling daily newspaper.

I'm not sure i agree with that chaps. There is no real difference between taking the mick on this forum or taking the mick in a national tabloid. If anyone thinks the Sun is some official record of the true and full events then you're taking it too seriously. It's simply a larger version of what we have here and people will buy it if they like it, just as they would post here, and leave it if they don't.

I have to chuckle at the outrage of what is written in the Sun by people weffewing to him as Woy in the same sentence. Nice one

Im with MPB on this one, you cant have it both ways. Is a racist dig OK between a few mates but not in a paper ?
To be honest though footbal managers have thick skins, they often have 40000 people screaming abuse directly at them so they have to have.
From what I gather of Hodgson he is a well rounded man who prefers reading highbrow literature to the Sun and listening to opera rather than Talksport. Im sure he'll be fine.
On a broader note though it seems the press are getting all the stick here re England managers.....what about the population ? Everyone knows better and we all jump on the bandwagon when England are playing badly.

Digs/MPB - I'm not really trying to have it both ways. I held my hands up and admitted I'd called him Uncle Woy more than once, but I don't really see it as comparable to a front page on a national newspaper - especially as I'm basically hugely in favour of Hodgson's appointment which is more than can be said of The Sun

You are correct in saying it's not just the press though. However, popular opinion does seem to be swaying a little TOWARDS Hodgson. It seems to me that the press and (to a lesser extent, some of the) public are being very petulant about the appointment, crying over the fact that "their choice" was overlooked.

I was never convinced though before the appointment that "everyone" wanted Harry - maybe a majority, and a very vocal one at that, but it's just not true to say that he was everyone's choice. I know I wasn't alone in not wanting 'Arry

For me the FA missed a trick. I would have kept Pearce as an interim manager until after the Euro's. Nobody is more passionate & this might have rubbed off on some of these overpaid prima dona's.

Appointing a safe pair of hands so close to Euro 2012 who wasn't the no 1 choice of the players, for me, will not achieve anything. In fact the players may become confused & unmotivated.

The more & more I think about Hodgson the more I am convinced it is the wrong decision. It would be interesting to know who else they had in mind apart for arry. I personally would have hoped that David Moyes would have been on that list. I know that he would probably not have taken it ( waiting lord ferguson to step down at Old Trafford), but he is relatively young,ambitious, good man manager, shrewd & well respected. I think he would have got the best out of the team.

Just hope I'm wrong.

Has anyone heard anything yet about the future of Stuart Pearce? Is he going to be Hodgson's number 2 or is he back to just being U21 manager? Will Hodgson bring in his own team or will he work with Pearce?

Im not sure but Pearce should be looking for a club job now to fill out his CV. Then maybe he can fit the bill as full time England boss in the future.

Leaving Pearce in charge would have been such a weak move! He is in no way qualified to do that job and the fact he is passionate is irrelevant. Why not get Darren Gough in? He's passionate too

Faldo, what is it about Hodgson that makes you think it's a bad appointment?

MPB

Just feel that he is not strong enough to cope with the pressures of the job, the characters within the team & not convinced he is that brilliant a coach in the first place. I accept he has experience & has done well at some lower level international & club level sides, but for me he hasn't proved himself enough at top level.

I had the same opinion when Graham Taylor & Mclaren took over. I really hope I am wrong this time.

Far from a weak move in my opinion to keep Pearce in. Give Pearce some credit he has played football at international level.I don't think Gough has. I totally disagree that passion is irrelevant. You have to have a passion to do a job in any walk of life.Cannot agree with you there.

Hodgson has managed Inter a couple of times so I dont think the pressure will be that much of an issue.
But basically if he wins a few games he is the Messiah, if he loses a few he is the anti christ, that would apply to anyone who got the job.
I think Hodgson is a better option than Pearce, though I could have handled a Pearce appointment for the summer only if they had not decided on a permanent manager. I think its harsh to say Pearce brings just passion to the table, he has the coaching badges and good experience with the Under 21's and I think he would command respect. But I think he needs to go out and be a good club manager.

faldono1fan wrote:I accept he has experience & has done well at some lower level international & club level sides, but for me he hasn't proved himself enough at top level.

Didn't he take Switzerland to #3 in the FIFA world rankings?

Switzerland may be considered traditionally a "lower level" international side, but #3 isn't to be sniffed at!

Davie,

There was/is no expectations of the swiss national side. I know he has got a decent record of improving sides like Switzerland,Fulham,WBA to name a few. He did an OK job at Inter, but it wasn't great. Then there was Liverpool....

I just feel he works well when the pressure is off & the only way is up. I think there are limits to what he can do. It's just my opinion. I sincerely hope I am wrong.

Davie wrote:

faldono1fan wrote:I accept he has experience & has done well at some lower level international & club level sides, but for me he hasn't proved himself enough at top level.

Didn't he take Switzerland to #3 in the FIFA world rankings?

Switzerland may be considered traditionally a "lower level" international side, but #3 isn't to be sniffed at!

I guess the irony here is that England are pretty much always around 4-7 in the world rankings, which is pretty fair going really, but this just gets laughed at.

Faldo, those are fair points.

I'll start with the Pearce bit. I don't mean to say passion is irrelevant. What i meant was it's irrelevant that he is passionate at the complete absence of any other qualification for the job. Beckham has played international football and is passionate. Maybe he should have it?
You're questioning Hodgson because he might not be up to the pressures and characters and yet are promoting a guy who hasn't made a success of a single managerial job. In fact who has only had a single managerial job! I don't get it. I've not ever understood those who want Pearce in. Based on what?!

As for whether Hodgson is up to it all. Who knows. Maybe not, but i can't think of anyone else who is more likely to be. Harry would have been a good choice IMO but he's no more guaranteed to have been able to handle it?

MPB

Moyes had a few years with Preston & has been with Everton for around 10 years in a pressurised role. Manager a club in that city is far from easy. The board must think alot of him as a manager to stick with him. He has done really well considering the budget he works to compared with other big clubs. I am convinced he would be a better choice, but just my view.

My theory with Pearce is that he has experience from a players perspective of what works during a world cup/euro's. He has served under possibly the best manager in history & has the passion. It could have been a mini whirlwind that swept us beyond the q finals.

Just feel that it's difficult for anyone new coming in so close to the tournament starting. So much to learn from the players,tactics,strengths,weaknesses. The players need to be on board with him. Any problems need addressing really quickly now.

I hope he does well & I am wrong. It's only my opinion.

I see the FA have formally complained to the Sun for the headlines today as being "poor taste and disrespectful"

(Thanks to Mary for tweeting that snippet - that's where I picked it up from)

I've said before on here that i'm not sure re Moyes. He has done ok at Everton but nothing amazing in my view. Most of the praise he gets is for staying there so long rather than achieving anything, and if they were not the least ambitious club in the world i suspect he wouldn't have lasted so long.
I'm not sure he's been tested enough to be ready for the England job. Certinaly he's not more qualified than Hodgson.

Plenty of people have played international football and been passionate. That's my point. There's more to it than that otherwise it would be easy and i can't see in any way how Pearce would be likely to do better than Hodgson.

Fingers crossed!
Oh and no problem with your opinion at all. Interesting discussion

Longevity at a club like Everton is not to be sniffed at especially in a city that lives & breathes football. The supporters & the board would demand a high standard. He has done incredibly well considering the budget he has & has had success in terms of bringing champions league football a few years ago. How many jobs has Hodgson been sacked from in the same amount of time? Does that make him more experienced?

The job he has is very pressurised & he handles it very well.

Just to clarify I am not advocating Pearce to continue long term. Sometimes in sport there is a moment in time & I just feel the FA have missed a trick. Bringing anyone in before the start of a major competition is bound to be problematical.

Can't agree re Everton Faldo. I don't think a job with less pressure or lower standards exists. Certainly not in the Premier League. Everton are a fairly big club with good players. What more is expected from him than keeping them up? Nothing.
Longevity in those coasting circumstances is to be sniffed at in my view

diggers wrote:
On a broader note though it seems the press are getting all the stick here re England managers.....what about the population ? Everyone knows better and we all jump on the bandwagon when England are playing badly.

Yep and they deserve it Digs...they have destabilized every England Manager I can remember. Yes the population can lurch from "we're gonna win the World Cup!!" to " We're Doomed!!" in the space of 90 minutes and to be frank the Press play on that to sell papers!!

I can also look at the whole thing objectively as I'm not English.

I wish we had many of your players but if we also had to inherit the English press/media with them.....then I think I'd rather not.

With regard to Pearce, he's got the GB olympic squad to sort and manage. he's also part of the national set-up and will carry on with the u-21's. he is in fact the obvious candidate to follow Hodgson and both will be involved in Burton with the kids development. Pearce now would cause too many problems because 1) Olympics clashes with Euro's and 2) Not yet experienced enough to be top dog.

I think the present set up looks to the future, for the 1st time and I also think that beckham would be brilliant at being a part time member of the Burton thing with the kids.