At the FA's unveiling of Hodgson the press pack were already sharpening their knives, they had to really, after clearly backing their buddy, Redknapp, and now seeing this intruder they'd all written off in the big chair in front of their camera's, pen's and professional reputation. They've subsequently slaughtered him. The English press are a wonderful bunch really, fickle, one minded and over-reactionary. They think that just because they helped get a manager fired (Capello) they have the right to hire his successor. Of course the dismally run FA had different ideas and in their true 'up yours' to the press, and general public they didn't even interview the man the bookies had stop taking bets on 8 games ago! It was also cheaper for the FA with Hodgson out of contract this Summer and Redknapp with an expensive buy out clause with Tottenham, and after the money pissed away on Capello, the FA could probably do with balancing the books a little.
Is Woy the right man for the job? Sure, why not? He fits the bill. For starters he's English, so that's good, second he's experienced in International football with Switzerland and Finland and did relatively well with both (getting Switzerland to the 1994 US World Cup - something Graham 'Turnip' Taylor failed horrifically to do with England) and has won a plethora of trophies during his time in Sweden, Denmark, Italy and the UAE. He's managed two truly 'BIG' clubs in Inter Milan and Liverpool and had mixed success in Italy (losing the 1997 UEFA cup final on penalty's) and had a well documented failure at Liverpool. Redknapp's 'BIG' clubs, a emerging Tottenham side and West Ham?! Not quite on the same level some might argue. A look at their CV's shows Hodgson has more experience and a better win percentage to boot
Roy Hodgson
Halmstad
Allsvenskan (2): 1976, 1979
Malmö FF
Swedish football champions (2): 1986, 1988
Allsvenskan (5): 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
Svenska Cupen (2): 1985–86, 1988–89
Inter Milan
UEFA Cup Runner Up (1): 1997
Copenhagen
Danish Superliga (1): 2000–01
Danish Super Cup (1): 2001
Fulham
UEFA Europa League Runner Up (1): 2010
Individual
LMA Manager of the Year (1): 2010
Harry Redknapp
Bournemouth
Football League Division Three: 1986–87
Football League Trophy: 1983–84
West Ham United
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
Portsmouth
Football League Division One: 2002–03
FA Cup: 2007-08
Tottenham Hotspur
Football League Cup runners up: 2009
Premier League Manager of the Year: 2009-10
But, it's what these lists don't mention that is the real problem here. Harry isn't a great coach, and in fact famously does very little on the training ground other than having a natter on his blower and a bit of a giggle with Kevin Bond before disappearing into his office to get a copy of the Racing Post out and ave a flutter. Redknapp wouldn't show any interest in the new National Football Center at Burton and would just do the job in front of him without any long term planning or thought. He is a man of the moment, famously excellent at motivating players and keeping them as happy as any modern manager can keep an over-paid and uneducated footballer 'happy'. He's charismatic, funny and a little bit cheeky. Whereas Hodgson will be trying rope around players to get them in a strict bank of 4 on the training ground, 'Arry is more likely to put the players in touch with his slippery accountant from the East End! The other main problem with international football and Harry Redknapp? Transfers- you can't do them, there's no selling, wheeler dealing or any of that, you've got what you've got and have to make the most of it...
I like Harry, and I'd have liked him more as England manager as he would have bought some of the fun of international football back to the national side, something we haven't seen since Venables in the mid 1990's. Instead we will have a dignified and almost apologetic failure at this summers fast approaching Euro's with a man at the helm with all the qualifications, but none of the verve or joie de vivre of football that Harry may well have seen in. Spurs fans are happy as the curse of the England job is lifted (they had a horrible run with no away goals in 4, and only a small amount of points after Redknapp was linked with the job by the press) and WBA fans will be pleased to say that their manager went on to the England job. If Woy can do what he did at West Brom with England we'll be in fine shape. We're the equivalent of a West Brom or Fulham on the national stage, and maybe that makes England the perfect job for Woy, formerly of the (Blackburn) Rovers, and now top of the pile in English football.
Look at the state of Hodgson at this press conference. He looks like an elderly GP who's been accused of manslaughter.
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