Why Roy Hogdson is the right choice as England manager

2^nd May 2012

Alex Smith

Alex Smith

2 May 2012

Finally, an end to the England manager saga is in sight, and the FA has gone against the public’s favourite Harry Redknapp and instead, has decided to appoint the vastly experienced Roy Hodgson. 

There’s no doubt that in the next week the English media will pull Hodgson’s managerial record to pieces and there will only be focus on his shortcomings, but there is enough on his CV to suggest that he is indeed the right man for the role. 

Not only does he have the experience to take on this mammoth task, but he also has the attributes at present which is much more important.

Harry Redknapp was always the popular choice amongst both the general public and the footballing media and I’m sure at one stage that Redknapp himself thought that the role was his. 

He would have done a good job for England but ultimately his qualities suit a club side as opposed to an international one.  Harry is a great man manager and he seems very approachable; you could actually see him as being more of a father figure to his players rather than a boss. 

Having this trait as a person of authority would be more beneficial for people who see you on a daily basis, and this is why there has been a dramatic turnover in Tottenham’s fortunes since Harry first took over. 

As far as the England job goes, of course bringing this to the table wouldn’t have been a bad thing, but it wouldn’t have had as big of an effect on the dressing room as they wouldn’t have seen him on a regular basis.

Roy is understood to be an easy going gentleman but also a perfectionist when it comes to setting out his teams.  Typically a Roy Hodgson side will be tough to break down and will look to hit on the counter attack at any opportunity, I think the FA have taken this into consideration when appointing him. 

This kind of set-up will suit the international game as there is less room for error, you can make up for a few mistakes during a 38-game season, you can’t over a three game group stage in a major tournament.

Harry Redknapp’s sides are known for playing a more fluid, easy-on-the-eye game, but as much as that has delivered a successful period at Spurs, it has also exposed the North London outfit at times and Redknapp hasn’t demonstrated a plan B when this has been the case. 

If he deployed his troops in this style in a major international tournament then it could turn out to be a complete disaster and we could find ourselves going out at the group stages. 

Of course, it could have been a major success and Redknapp could have introduced a new brand of English football, but we don’t seem to have the players to execute this kind of game plan.

With all taken into account, the FA has gone with the right man.  Roy Hodgson has a great CV but more importantly has the attributes right now to lead this England team to success. 

If the players react in a professional manner and get on side early, then England could be a main contender this year in the European Championships, but if not, let’s just get behind Roy Hodgson and actually show our new England manager some support.

Alex Smith