After months of press and tabloid speculation it seems that the Football Association are finally going to open talks over the England managerial vacancy, despite previously stating that there would be no approaches before the end of the current Premier League season. However, with concern mounting that the appointed manager would have little time to prepare and with the possibility that caretaker manager Stuart Pearce (already managing the Mens British Olympic team this summer) would have to select the Finals squad it appears the FA have hastened their decision. With Harry Redknapp continually in the spotlight being dubbed by most of the media and pundits the favourite and frontrunner for the England position it appears that the FA have gone for experience and assurance over recent success. Hodgson who has managed in a number of different countries and has international management experience with Finland, Switzerland and UAE managed to carry Switzerland to third in the FIFA rankings in 1995 after they successfully qualified both for the 1994 World Cup (their second ever appearance) and Euro 1996. What are your thoughts on these latest developments?
I think the FA are trying to save money. Harry Redknapp would cost them £10m in compensation for Tottenham if they get him now. Roy Hodgson is out of contract this summer - they will give Roy the job and watch him fail, then appoint Redknapp this time next year. Hodgson failed at Liverpool, so quite why the FA think he will succeed in an even bigger job is beyond me. I can only conclude that the FA are tight-fisted idiots who are more interested in saving a few quid than appointing the right man to lead England to success.
I think it is pretty harsh to say Hodgson failed at Liverpool, as he was never really given a chance, plus it looks like no one can save Liverpool at the moment. I don't think Daglish would have managed any better if he has not had a 100 million to spend and it is debatable how much they have improved. While I have grown to dislike the FA in recent times, it was stupid to remove Capello just before a tournament, I have to say I am quite content with Hodgson. He has international experience and while Harry may have a bit more of a rapport with the media maybe an unassuming fellow will do better. The problem is, whoever we now appoint will have hardly any time to prepare, England will do poorly as a result and then there will be heavy criticism of the manager and we will be back to square one!
I'm hearing talk that Hodgson might get the job for the Euros on a trial basis. Utter lunacy. The whole point of appointing Hodgson is surely for him to build us up for the next World Cup, and standing by him however the Euros go on the grounds that he didn't have enough time to dramatically change things. If we're looking for a short term appointment now and a longer term one later, we should give Harry or Pearce the job for Euro 2012, and say that Hodgson starts his new role on the 1st of August.
So he has got the job. However, he hasn't got as chance if John Terry and his chums don't agree with what he wants to do. JT created havoc when his chums weren't picked in the team in South Africa. (Remember Terry has managed to see off three Chelsea managers by leading backroom dissent.) Capello found this out to his cost in the World Cup and managed to jump ship when he was given the smallest excuse, making some very backhanded compliments to Terry as he walked. The England team will only progress once the manager - whoever it may be - picks a group of players that doesn't contain players who think that they know better and get a strop on if things aren't done the way they would do it. Hodgson will be lucky to survive.
The first thing Hodgson should do is kick the egos out and pick the team from scratch. Unfortunately for him there is too much baggage with the job and the Press are already sharpening their knives.
I think you're right, but the press would be out to get whoever has the job. Rednapp would probably be given a little more time though. Hodgson is a good candidate, and more experienced than Harry. He has mostly been successful in his roles (maybe with the exception of Liverpool), but his fate was written there before he started TBH.
