Who do you want as the next manager? New poll option.

[Risso]

Me too.

[Dave]

He's also managed three different National teams before England, good choice I reckon.

Getting Switzerland to third best team in the world* along the way. A pretty spectacular achievement.

*caveat, according to the silly FIFA rankings.

[Toronto Villa]

I'm with Mazrim on this one, as I said in the other football thread, I see Hodgson being a repeat of the Mclaren era. He's an average manager in my view and the press are already gunning for him, the tone of questioning at his introduction said it all. The old guard of Terry, Gerrard and Lampard have already shown how disruptive they can be when they don't get their way and they've already said - in so many words - he's not their choice. I hope I'm wrong but thats how I see it.

In which case, well done the FA.

Rather than pandering to dimwits they've made the right decision rather than the popular one. They've employed the most experienced and best qualified manager rather than the one The Sun says they should have appointed.

They don't get much praise, but they can have it for this.

The proof will be when he picks his first squad. If the entire set up have any balls they will use the European Championships as a platform to really have a go at the World Cup. They won't take the old has been, disuptive wasters, and will invest in blooding younger players to mentally and technically prepare them for international competition. I have zero faith, whoever the manager is that they will do that, or indeed set in place structural changes to the game as Spain and Germany have. As long as the PL is king in England, the national team will be an afterthought. English football has its head firmly stuck up its arse and until that changes from the grass roots up, Hodgson or whoever will be on a hiding to nothing.

[Clampy]

The way the press treat our England managers is one of the reason's why i don't really care that much about the national side anymore. He'll get a rough ride once he dares to lose a couple of games on the trot and no doubt they're already thinking up deogratory names for him. It really is journalism of the lowest form as Sir Graham found out.

[brian green]

The job is not the management of the team it is the management of the media.   It is no coincidence that the only England manager who won anything treated them with the contempt they richly deserve.


In the same way that the media have given us flaccid populist government it has given us flaccid populist national football team management.   Our national team has fallen so far behind the rest of the world that it has become a long term job to rebuild it.   The one thing the media will not let any manager have is time

[mr woo]

I'm with Mazrim on this one, as I said in the other football thread, I see Hodgson being a repeat of the Mclaren era. He's an average manager in my view and the press are already gunning for him, the tone of questioning at his introduction said it all. The old guard of Terry, Gerrard and Lampard have already shown how disruptive they can be when they don't get their way and they've already said - in so many words - he's not their choice. I hope I'm wrong but thats how I see it.

In which case, well done the FA.

Rather than pandering to dimwits they've made the right decision rather than the popular one. They've employed the most experienced and best qualified manager
rather than the one The Sun says they should have appointed.

They don't get much praise, but they can have it for this.

Well that's the thing isn't it. I don't think Hodgson is the best choice. For once, and believe me this doesn't occur often, I actually agree with the London press. And I'm surprised to be in the apparent minority by saying so, but I guess it's opinions that make all this so much fun.

On a footnote, as these tournaments come around , I'm always intrigued to hear accusations of this perceived raising of expectations of Englands chances. Now i know the tabloids tend to tub-thump a bit but who or where are these mythical fans that actually believe we can win a major tournament? Honestly, I've never met one. If anything, at England games I've been to its always been very much the other way. We all know where we are in world football, a quarter final side with anything else being a bonus.


Anyway, isn't this a Villa manager thread?

[rob_bridge]

Wish him the best - a really decent bloke and huge experience and speaks 5 languages. Better than the larf a minute Cockney Crook. Both have their strengths and weaknesses to be fair.
Hopefully he will kick out some of the disruptive self appointed golden gernration of arseholes like Terry, Gerrard, Lampard, Rio et al. Time to look to the future.
Offer captaincy to Hart, play Rooney a  little deeper with Bent/Welbeck/Crouch up top etc..

[eamonn]

He's also managed three different National teams before England, good choice I reckon.

Getting Switzerland to third best team in the world* along the way. A pretty spectacular achievement.

*caveat, according to the silly FIFA rankings.

I saw that on SkySportsNews. When the fuck was that exactly?!

[Dave]

1994

[danlanza]

1994

Is that a real stat or a made up one?

[hawkeye]

I'm with Mazrim on this one, as I said in the other football thread, I see Hodgson being a repeat of the Mclaren era. He's an average manager in my view and the press are already gunning for him, the tone of questioning at his introduction said it all. The old guard of Terry, Gerrard and Lampard have already shown how disruptive they can be when they don't get their way and they've already said - in so many words - he's not their choice. I hope I'm wrong but thats how I see it.

In which case, well done the FA.

Rather than pandering to dimwits they've made the right decision rather than the popular one. They've employed the most experienced and best qualified manager rather than the one The Sun says they should have appointed.

They don't get much praise, but they can have it for this.

The proof will be when he picks his first squad. If the entire set up have any balls they will use the European Championships as a platform to really have a go at the World Cup. They won't take the old has been, disuptive wasters, and will invest in blooding younger players to mentally and technically prepare them for international competition. I have zero faith, whoever the manager is that they will do that, or indeed set in place structural changes to the game as Spain and Germany have. As long as the PL is king in England, the national team will be an afterthought. English football has its head firmly stuck up its arse and until that changes from the grass roots up, Hodgson or whoever will be on a hiding to nothing.

How right you are TV, The elephant in the room is what he does about the Ferdinand Terry situation, get this wrong and his tenure is doomed from day one.

[JUAN PABLO]

The press wanted Del boy , they got Prince charles .

[hawkeye]

The job is not the management of the team it is the management of the media.   It is no coincidence that the only England manager who won anything treated them with the contempt they richly deserve.


In the same way that the media have given us flaccid populist government it has given us flaccid populist national football team management.   Our national team has fallen so far behind the rest of the world that it has become a long term job to rebuild it.   The one thing the media will not let any manager have is time

Agree and this reflects a sad indictement of our society, I would love to know how many people really believe the shit the media produces. Most people I meet can have a decent conversation regarding most issues that are rarely reflected by the media. Maybe I am out of touch, people are just stupid or the media live in a different place to the rest of us.

[JUAN PABLO]

It pisses me off that the press all they wanted was Harry and because it is not , they are starting on Hodgson already.    Harry ass lickers the lot of them.

[tomd2103]

I hope he has the backbone to go in there and make the changes that the set up has needed for a few years now.  For too long, England have tried to find a system to suit certain players and it hasn't worked.  Hopefully Hodgson will do the opposite and implement a system and fit players around it, no matter who they are or who they play for.  The nature and timing of his appointment means he's basically got a free shot at these Euros and I hope he uses it to bring in some new faces and move on some of the old guard.