Hodgson choice as manager fails to fire up English
LONDON — The Football Association’s decision to hold talks with Roy Hodgson about the vacant England manager’s job has left soccer fans and players shocked, and the West Bromwich Albion coach keenly aware that he would have to win over a skeptical public should he take the role.
Despite winning 13 trophies on his travels through largely unfashionable clubs in Europe, the 64-year-old former Inter Milan and Liverpool boss has already been deemed “Mr. Average” by sections of the hard-toplease English media.
When Fabio Capello left the England job in February, Tottenham Hotspur’s manager Harry Redknapp seemed the only candidate, with former captain David Beckham heading a long, credible list calling for his appointment. Monday’s edition of The Sun, Britain’s biggest-selling newspaper, asked “Why didn’t Harry get it?” and claimed eight out of 10 fans in their poll said Hodgson was the wrong choice.
“With the greatest respect, there’s not going to be a great wave of excitement about the appointment of Roy,” the paper quoted Mark Perryman of the England Supporters Club as say- ing. While Perryman went on to praise Hodgson’s credentials, the overwhelming feeling remained that he is second choice to Redknapp.
The overwhelming support for Redknapp when Capello exited had led most to believe it was a foregone conclusion that the Spurs manager would get the job he wanted.
Credited with being a strong man-manager who would be able to get the best out of a side that had failed to reach the semifinals of a major tournament since Euro 96, Redknapp’s strengths appeared to outweigh the skeptics’ concerns that he had won only one major title in his 30-year career. The last obstacle had appeared to be hurdled in February when Redknapp was cleared of tax evasion.
Hodgson speaks numerous languages and is considered an astute tactician. Considered too defensive by Liverpool fans, his success at Fulham and now at West Brom have come by building from the back and counter-attacking.
His contract with West Brom, which sit 10th in the Premier League with two games remaining, is up at the end of the season and appointing him as England manager would be a much cheaper option than buying Redknapp out of his Spurs contract.