Roy Hodgson and the Mountain to climb

Roy Hodgson’s biggest battle will be with the English media.

There is no doubt the number one job in football carries a public health warning for anyone taking up the reins. Hodgson is, on paper, by far the most qualified applicant for the position of England coach. He has managed in multiple countries and at club and international level. He raised expectations while in charge of Switzerland and Finland and is known by the players under his charge for being an intelligent gentleman with a hands on approach. He has also coached at clubs such as Inter Milan and in doing so has dealt with players claiming superstar status.

But why will his job be so challenging?

The English Media - Bullies?
The Media, lead by the Sun Newspaper (although ‘rag’ may be a more accurate term) has and will relentlessly assess and criticize every decision he makes - and results he produces. The Sun has already sparked a controversy by printing that front page above.

Another stupid headline

There was a public backlash and the FA responded by complaining to The Sun. It was, according to that newspaper, meant to be a joke and they even went as far as to involve Jonathon Ross in a ‘what’s all the fuss about’ style follow up. How far should the media go? We had a poster in our school in Essex saying this - ‘it’s only funny if everyone is laughing’. If not, it’s bullying.

Paid money to come up with this.

The media? They will be expecting Hodgson to pick a squad they themselves approve and also get the results they expect. At the upcoming Euro 2012, a notoriously tough competition, a spot in the final will be the expectation. Unfortunately, Europe represents a disproportionate number of the world’s best teams. Let’s face it, Who else would you include outside Europe in order to cover the best? I would add Brazil, Argentina and possibly Uruguay. 16 teams in Euro 2012 and not a muppet in sight.


The Fans - armchair idiots? (sorry, I include myself though)
Fans will expect:
England to win
England to beat everyone with style scoring 3+ goals a game
The squad selection to match their own personal views

Firstly, as an Englishman it is a painful reminder every two years that the country has only ever one the World Cup once. 1966. That is it. Only the late Sir Bobby Robson took us to a point we thought we could win it again in Italy 1990. We all carry that baggage and no amount of therapy, alcohol or pub bar ranting will overcome the pain until we win something else.

Secondly, intelligent, thoughtful coaches are not the choice of the masses. We love the ‘heart on the sleeve’ motivational half time coach who is 2 seconds away from punching the 4th official and giving the finger to the opposition’s coach. Kevin Keegan was that kind of leader. Eriksson, Capello and now Hodgson are not that person. They are, clever, reflective students of the game who may lack passion on the touchline but provide a depth of experience someone like Harry Rednapp cannot bring to the job.

Thirdly, the passionate ‘Richard the Lionheart’ style coach is also the expectation of our players too. It wouldn’t surprise me if many ‘supporters’ had Beckham, Gascoigne and Pearce in their starting eleven. Players the masses demand do so because they have that gritty ‘would fight you outside the pub’ kind of approach to football. Terry, Gerrard and Rooney all give people what they want. Players with a quiet effectiveness are less desirable. If you pick players who make a difference at the clubs they play, one stands out: Scott Parker. Without him, Spurs are still good but not battling for a Champions League spot. 

There are talented players coming through the ranks. Post South Africa, discussion turned to the players who are 17 and younger. We do have some great young players on the edge of the team, but the Wilshire’s of the world will have to battle for a place with Gerrard and Lampard for a spot on the team. Does Hodgson simply bi-pass a generation and build for Russia 2018? It’s a dangerous game - Gary Lineker was subbed of against Sweden never to return for England under Taylor. He was one goal shy of Bobby Charlton’s record.

The Players themselves    The National Psyche?
Of course, everyone and their dog can predict how England will depart in the competition - on penalties in the quarter final - and that is the best we should expect. The glass really is ‘half empty’ in this country. We love the ‘underdog’ status and are uncomfortable leading from the front. In world standings, we are currently ranked 7th. But, with Italy at 12 and France at 16 you might be forgiven for questioning FIFA’s ranking system. You could picture this in a smoke filled room in Zurich......

(Sepp) damit - gotta knock out an update for the website - rankings table
(Mini-Sepp) - oh hell, you’re kidding? I’m due at the club in 20, booked in for a turkish and a massage with that Ukraine chick.
(Sepp) - come on, we can knock this out - top 10....aaaah let’s see...
(MS) - Spain 1, come on they win everything and Messi plays for Barca, 
(S) - done, better stick Germany in at 2, if Spain don’t win they will.
(MS) - hold on, Brazil? They have Pele...right?
(S) - bollocks, you’re right and those Rio girls are steaming...
(MS) - whoa.... Seppster, Holland?
(S) - screw ‘em. Cruyff’s injured and that bald bloke is always complaining...
(MS) - Robben? oh, total muppet - falls down every 15 seconds too.
(S) - yep - what about the Argies? Come to think of it, Portugal?
(MS) - are we getting that free ride on the Algarve?
(S)- yep - sweet deal.
(MS) - stick the Porties in at 5.
(S) - nice, like it. Let’s bang the Argies in below England. That’ll make them want to invade the Falklands again.
(MS) - haha...OK, nice move. How about slipping Uruguay in above Brazil and the Argies.... that’ll start WW3 down there.
(S) - done. Italy?
(MS) - I hate pasta.
(S) - me too, 12 then below Denmark. That’ll kill ‘em.
(MS) - France?
(S) - Jeeeesssssusss. How many are there?
(MS) - 205.
- sod it. delegate the lot to the cute girl in accounting.


and so on....

Back to psyche. The English must grapple with their dark inner lack of faith. Songs like ‘3 Lions’ may be part of national heritage, but they remind us what we are - underachievers in a game we provided the framework for. It’s hard to overcome deep seated expectation - even telling the time is cautious. In German, the time 8:30 is described as ‘half to nine’. In England we say ‘half past eight’. There you go. Says it all.

Roy Hodgson? I think it is the smart and right choice. He would, in any other profession, be the strongest candidate and subject to references and a strong performance in the interview - get the job. Only in soccer do we vote with our hearts and entirely switch our brains off. I suspect we will be average in Poland & Ukraine this summer. The benefit may be this - a poor showing with existing players provides Hodgson with the fuel to start over and develop the upcoming talent. That’s what I am hoping for.

But, wouldn't it be nice if he did win this summer? Wouldn't it be loverly...