All we are saying is....give Roy a chance

New England boss, Roy Hodgson

The appointment of Roy Hodgson as the next England manager proves two things: firstly, the FA are clearly not swayed by popular opinion; and secondly, I know nothing about football, after I wrongly predicted on this blog that Stuart Pearce would be appointed to the role.

Hodgson’s appointment has not been met with the excitement that the FA might have hoped for. Many think he is a nice guy but not the sort of character that can manage the big egos of an England squad, some feel he is too defensive tactically and others just wanted Harry Redknapp. Whilst few are scathing about the appointment, people are not exactly dancing in the streets about it either.

I feel Hodgson has been judged a little unfairly. Most of those criticising him seem to be pointing to a disappointing spell in charge of Liverpool during 2010-2011, which would be fair enough, if ‘King’ Kenny Dalglish had fared any better in the role since then. Contrary to what some deluded Liverpool fans might tell you, he has not.

Clearly much of the criticism of the appointment is born out of the fact that Roy Hodgson is not Harry Redknapp. With his ‘cheeky chappie’ persona and penchant for attacking football, Redknapp was the clear fans’ favourite for the job. He did little to distance himself from the speculation, although interestingly, his Spurs team’s dramatic decline in form since that speculation started may well have played a crucial role in the FA’s decision to look elsewhere. Redknapp is also not exactly famous for his tactical nous either, something that won’t have escaped the FA’s attention. Whatever the reason not to appoint Harry Redknapp, I hardly think its fair for Roy Hodgson to take the blame.

I for one am pleased with the appointment. Hodgson is a man that has managed two of the biggest clubs in the world - Liverpool and Internazionale - and has also been in charge of three other national teams. He has coached in an international tournament environment, as well as taking clubs to European competition finals. For me, he certainly has the credentials you would expect of an England manager.

He has also proved during his recent spells in charge of both Fulham and West Brom, that he can get the very best out of fairly average playing squads. This sounds like exactly the type of man we need in charge of the current England team. 

Hodgson deserves both a chance and support from the fans and the media. Will he get it? Almost certainly not. As a nation, we seem to want to make it difficult for ourselves. Certainly in international footballing terms, we set ridiculous expectations for the team and its manager, and then will them both to fail. Despite the incredibly challenging circumstances Hodgson will be working under, I see no reason why this year will be any different. 

I do hope that for once, things will be different though. I hope people get behind the team and remember that the squad is in transition, and the manager will have little over a month to prepare them. I hope people appreciate the skills, knowledge and yes, politeness that Hodgson will bring to the role, and give him the support he needs. 

Getting out of the groups this year will be a great achievement in my eyes, but finally getting over our propensity for heading into tournaments with ridiculous expectations could be even more important.