I'm relaxed as well. I didn't expect Bernstein to be any different to the other rubbish selectors we have had from the FA over the last 20 years and I think I will be right. Hodgson is not up to the job but they won't want Redknapp because of his tarnished past with Manderic, so go with the safe option rather than look for the best (not Redknap in my view either) No surprises the FA screw up again. In the club v country debate i doubt that few people will get worked up over the FA making the same old mistakes.
Hodgson is the man for me. If not Woy, then Curbs. But as much I as would like to see England do well, I can only see Germany winning the tournament. The German starting eleven is packed full of class.
Hodgson is such a poor choice, he is a good manager yes, but he isn't a great one. Plus he has the personality of a walnut with a speech impediment. Personally if 'Arry doesn't get the job i wont be happy, he has deserved the call for years. I would give it to Stuart Pearce if not 'Arry as he is passionate and has been in the England set-up long enough to have a crack at it
I'd rather Hodgson then that crooked back hand dealing Redknapp, I wanted Pearce all along though, I wanted Stuart Pearce to do the euros and give him the job, if he has worked with the u21s then surely they should be coming into the first team now, and lets face it, we've got to finals and semi finals with the u21s if they are now the first team surely he can do the same...
TBH, England will continue to be shyte as long as Terry,Lampard and Gerrard are allowed to throw their toys out of the pram whenever something doent go according to their plan. Woy is the man to clear it all out and start with the yoof.
I really admire Hodgson for the job he did at Fulham and the job he is doing at WBA. However, his experience at Liverpool perhaps showed that he is best suited to clubs who aren't in the limelight as much, where the press will not scrutinise his every move. For his own sake, I don't think he should take the England job. The problem is, I don't much care for 'Arry either.
I never thought for one moment it would be anyone else. Whether or not he is the best candidate is irrelevant. He is the only candidate. You cannot have your nation represented by some shifty barrow-boy. Every time the team travelled they would have to appoint another official to keep an eye on the petty cash. And I think his self-promotion for the job and being prepared to ditch Spurs when they were on the brink of the Champions League (for the first time?) has left a dirty taste at the FA and at White Hart Lane. As FHB says, Hodgson can read and write, he has managed two national sides, he has managed one of the great continental clubs. He has done well at Fulham and West Bromwich. He failed at Liverpool, but so has Kenny Dalglish despite a tidal wave of emotional support, similar to what CP has enjoyed at Charlton, and with a lot of money to spend. I think expectations for the England team have sunk lower than at any time since WWII (or before it for that matter) so that makes his job easier. It buys him a little time to rebuild. The National Front tendency and the gutter press would make a foreign manager's job impossible, so who else is left? Curbs would have been a strong contender but has kept himself out of the game for far too long. The perception, rightly or wrongly, is that he doesn't have the stomach for the nasty stuff any longer. And managing England can get very nasty. Stuart Pearce is all "up and at 'em" but lacks coaching ability at the highest level. His teams have been out-footballed by many smaller nations with few players to pick from. You can only make rousing "Henry V" type speeches so many times before the effect wears off. He needs to manage a big club successfully to prove he has got it at the highest level, then maybe he could take over from Hodgson in five years time.
I'd prefer to see Chris Houghton but I guess Hodgson is a cheap option and remember that Wembley has still to be paid for. The FA want a 'yes man' as manager because they want to make ALL the decisions when it comes to English football! Have Southampton received their warning yet? I see that the Stewards were taking pictures for the supporters on the pitch.... makes you wonder if the FA gave Southampton a warning about the obvious pitch invasion? Jeez do I hate Sir Trevor Brooking!!
As a dispassionate Scotsman (yeah right!), albeit one who has lived in England for 26 years, I can't see that there is any other choice at the moment. If it has to be an Englishman, then there are few candidates. Enough has been said about Harry already, Pearce by his own admission isn't up to it, Pardew - hahahahahahahahahaha, Hoddle - loony, Wilkins - oh my word, Curbs - been hiding under the stairs for too long and then there's well, no-none really. Roy is sensible, tactically aware, has a decent CV and would appear to be (though our gutter press guys are bound to be on the case already) a skeleton short of a cupboardfull. He is the only sensible choice. My worry is that sense doesn't come into this. The press will be very hurt having led the campaign for Harry and Roy won't even get a chance. His looks and speech impediment are manna from heaven for those who would attack him. Poor guy now has to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and he will be vilified. If I was him I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. My real worry from all of this is that WBA might look for a young, ambitious, affordable manager on the up - remind you of anyone!!!!!!!!!!
As I said, I don't think Hodgson is the man for the job since he wont have the stomach to stand up to Terry, Gerrard, Lampard and Cole who beleive they are better than the manager. Harry would at least have been able to bend his own nephews ear but is still the wrong man for the job. It needs a manager who can build a team that plays for each other rather than self promulgation and it is irrelevant whether he or she is English or foriegn. Pearce does have that ability but is lacking n some of the other skills, Curbs has that ability but is to long out the game, Pardew is showing as a candidate but one swallow doesn't make a summer in my mind and he has to many failures behind and would also not bear up under the public exposure the role carries, super injunctions or not. If as all hell says that leaves Chris Hughton as a front runner I would say you have to add in Big Sam and Nigel A to the mix as well as Martin O'Neill. The job does need somebody who is willing to build a talented team rather than a team assembled from disparate talents. If Woy can overcome the obvious problems and leave a few star names on the bench in favour of a balanced team he might surprise us, but I fear that will not be the case
I realise that my previous post does leave me looking a little undecided and unwilling to recommend. Who would be the best person for the job? Well the 70 year old Scot won't take it so I would go with somebody who has been in the english game at the top level for 15 years; has been awarded an OBE for his experience, is capable of reading and writing in at least two languages if not more; has no problem in managing egos; is more than a little eccentric and if he has skeletons in his closet is more likely to take them out and ask the journalists to dance with them. Step forward Arsene Wenger.
As long as it isn't Stuart Pearce, then I'm happy. Hodgson will have a battle to win the players over though, many of them spoke in support of 'arry back when ''Mr Cappelo'' left. And we know what petulant little idiots some of them are.
its simple then, he can just leave out/not pick the arrogant ones. stevie G can kiss goodbye to his england career if he was one of the ones who got him the sack at liverpool. i think he's a good choice. he'd have done well at liverpool too if he got given a chance
Redknapp would have cost £10 million in compensation, and i don't think he's worth it. Who cares what Rooney thinks? The man hasn't performed at a major tournament since Euro 2004. Too soon for Pearce, let him crack on with the Olympics. I like Hodgson but I fear he is being set up for a fall like he was at Liverpool. The upcoming Euro's are going to be a disaster, we'll be lucky to get out of the group. I just hope the blame can be transferred on to the outgoing Ferdinand, Terry, Lampard and Gerrard.
I don't know about that, SVC. Bexhill in the summer of 1998 still sends a shiver down my spine... I will leave it there, methinks. Back to the England job: I think Woy can easily organise a squad for the tournament and assemble a half-decent side with what he has at his disposal. If the old crocks are booted out - Lampard, Gerrard, Ferdinand, Terry and Barry - we can make the quarter finals, possibly the semis. I'm surprised no one has mentioned Guardiola for the job.
