Ever since it was announced by the FA that WBA manager Roy Hodgson was going for an interview for the England job on Monday morning I’ve heard a lot of negative feedback from the fans and media. Personally, I think Roy Hodgson would be a good choice for England manager. Here’s why:
Roy Hodgson gets the best out of average players
Okay so it may hurt to say that, and it may be quite unfair on the players involved, but England aren’t a team of world stars – the sooner the fans and the media realise this, the better England will perform. Player for player we simply can’t compete with the likes of Spain (who can?) and okay we have 1 or 2 stars like Rooney but we can’t pin all of our hopes on just a handful of players.
When Roy Hodgson has done well at clubs in the past its because he’s got the best out of the players at his disposal. Look at the job he did at Fulham, and now at West Brom. Okay so you’ll say look at how badly he did at Liverpool – and I agree, but I think he was never given a fair chance at the club, and I think if your face doesn’t fit at a place like Anfield then you’re never going to get far.
Hodgson is able to get players to perform well as a team, doing the best with what he has available. This is what England needs. Harry Redknapp has done so well before because he wheels and deals in the transfer market – he makes some sensational buys, as well as some awful ones, but because he is so active in the transfer market he’s bound to uncover some gems – and he’s spent huge sums since at Spurs. He can’t do this as England manager – he has to do the best with what he’s given, which is what Roy Hodgson can do.
Roy Hodgson is available for free – Redknapp would cost millions
Moving away from footballing reasons for a minute here with this bit but bare with me. Roy Hodgson is available for free, or little next to nothing, as his contract will soon be up with West Brom. If England were to go for Harry Redknapp, it would potentially cost the FA maybe £10 million, money that the FA would be loathe to spend – we’re in a recession (still/again), and the FA has been in trouble before for paying managers far too much money, or sacking a manager and having to pay out huge sums of money (Sven). Hodgson may be seen as a poor man’s Redknapp, but still the fact that he is available on the cheap and easily, with WBA’s chairman allowing the FA to talk to their man, this is just another tick in the box on the FA’s shortlist.
Harry Redknapp isn’t the Messiah, unfortunately
England fans seem to be obsessed with getting Harry Redknapp installed as the next manager of England. Well, apart from those from either Portsmouth or Southampton whom collectively despise the guy. Redknapp is undoubtedly the number 1 choice from the fans, but I don’t agree. I’m not doubting his ability or the job that he has done at Tottenham Hotspur, but I just feel that perhaps he’s got things pretty sweet at White Hart Lane. He has spent a lot of money building the Spurs team, signing perhaps as many flops as he has brilliant players, but flops are easily forgotten and sold on on the cheap. He also has a great setup with his coaching staff – although his name is definitely above the shop, there are definitely 2 other guys running the show collectively in Joe Jordan and Kevin Bond. Spurs in effect have 3 managers, but of course Harry is the top guy. It remains to be seen whether he could have a similar setup with England.
Roy Hodgson has more experience
Okay so Harry Redknapp may have been around the English leagues for a lot longer than Roy, but surely with international football you will have need to have travelled a little – and the most Redknapp’s done is with Spurs in Europe this season. Roy has managed in Sweden, Italy, Switzerland (international team), Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Finland (international team), and of course England. Hodgson has the international experience, he knows how it works, and to me it seems as if he’ll suit the FA more than Redknapp ever would – Roy seems more formal, more happy to bend to meet the demands of the FA, whereas I couldn’t imagine Harry would.
I feel that the one problem with England is the fans and the media. Don’t get me wrong; i’m a fan too, and I love seeing England playing well and excited about their future – I can’t wait to see the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wellbeck, Walker, Wilshere and Hart playing for the next decade, but I think if England are to become serious contenders then we need to drop our expectations and get realistic, and get behind Hodgson or whoever becomes manager, instead of slagging him off in the media wherever possible.
