Reply to: Roy Hodgson

[Doggy Styles]

That's my point - I don't have all the answers, but I bet you Wenger does.

I'll bet you he doesn't.

He works with his players every day, and rests them when he thinks they need it. Nobody in the England set-up would have a fraction of that power over England players under contract with their clubs.

What would Wenger say today at Arsenal if someone fom England dictated to him what Wilshire, Walcott and Oxlade Chamberlain should be doing day-by-day, let alone his academy players?

We've had loads of England managers since Alf Ramsey, including foreign ones, and they all end up seen as failures. They were all good managers with clubs. Today's Wenger, Benitez, etc are yesterday's Robson, Revie and Capello.

The best performance we've had since 1966 was the one semi-final, under Robson, who by then had been in the job longer than anyone else before or since. He'd gone through hell in his previous three tournaments, from press and public alike. Even in that tournament the pack of English journalists flying out to Italy stated they were "out to roast Robson". After eight years of that sh*te he'd had enough.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

What 'Job' is it you think they need to do? Manage the senior team or build for the next 15-20 years. What exactly do they need to do for us to be competative again in 20 years time?

That's my point - I don't have all the answers, but I bet you Wenger does.

[TheBigD]

The point is England need the best possible people to do the job - pay them what is needed and give them the necessary freedom. There are no English managers who are going to result in an improvement for the English team (harry is the best of the lot and he isn't anywhere near somebody like Wenger).

What 'Job' is it you think they need to do? Manage the senior team or build for the next 15-20 years. What exactly do they need to do for us to be competative again in 20 years time?

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

None of the above are English.

I know they don't have to be, but why would a foreign manager be interested in the quality of youth football in England over short term success.

The point is England need the best possible people to do the job - pay them what is needed and give them the necessary freedom. There are no English managers who are going to result in an improvement for the English team (harry is the best of the lot and he isn't anywhere near somebody like Wenger).

[TheBigD]

We have managers with proven track records of developing youth and building teams, people like:

- Arsene Wenger
- Benetez
- Martinez
- Rogers

Surely the FA should go to one of these kind of figures and have a long-term project where we aim to compete with the best in 15-20 years time. The FA gets involved too much in something it has no clue about. Use a manager who is going to gradually work on building the English team from the ground up. There is no other way forwards.

None of the above are English.

I know they don't have to be, but why would a foreign manager be interested in the quality of youth football in England over short term success.

[original PM]

the other thing to consider is that the manager only gets a very short time with the players.

my observations are that often it is the players who simply do not perform rather than any managerial issues.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

If you're going down that route, why not replace Hodgson with Ian Holloway. He's famous for his gung ho attacking teams, and I'm sure his salary expectations would be a lot less than Redknapp's.

See previous message - we need an established builder not a short-termist.

[TheBigD]

I'm surprised people actually think Hodgson is any good for England!

They should sack him and bring in Harry Redknapp. Hodgson will guarantee the typical long ball football that has plagued the England team for years. Put them up against any of the top 20 sides and see how qualified they are in launching it as far up field as possible.

England won't win with Harry Redknapp but I am sure he will get them passing the ball and actually playing football!

If you're going down that route, why not replace Hodgson with Ian Holloway. He's famous for his gung ho attacking teams, and I'm sure his salary expectations would be a lot less than Redknapp's.

[SimonMac]

Can the mods please update this to:

Woy Hodgson, should he be fiwed?

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

We have managers with proven track records of developing youth and building teams, people like:

- Arsene Wenger
- Benetez
- Martinez
- Rogers

Surely the FA should go to one of these kind of figures and have a long-term project where we aim to compete with the best in 15-20 years time. The FA gets involved too much in something it has no clue about. Use a manager who is going to gradually work on building the English team from the ground up. There is no other way forwards.

[Doggy Styles]

The dizzy heights of ambition.

Yes, well we've seen it all before. I did say why.

We've actually got some good players but everything in this country works against them. Especially the need to perform at their best at the end of our season.

I don't know whether you follow other sports, but in recent years we came from being average to the best in the world at times in test cricket and rugby, and in both cases this came after players became contracted to, and controlled by, the national organisation. That seems to be what it takes for England, but it will never happen in football.

[russell]

There are no grounds to fire him. He has achieved his targets.

England will never win the world cup again with the game structured as it is now. By next June the players will be knackered, they'll need re-introducing to each other, and the press will be doing what they can to feck it all up.

For England, par for the course is getting out of the group to the Round Of Eight. Winning that and losing a quarter final is an honorable exit, and losing a semi-final is a success.

I don't know anyone who is more capable than Roy of getting England to the quarters, penalty shoot-outs notwithstanding.

The dizzy heights of ambition.

[Doggy Styles]

Should he be fired?

There are no grounds to fire him. He has achieved his targets.

England will never win the world cup again with the game structured as it is now. By next June the players will be knackered, they'll need re-introducing to each other, and the press will be doing what they can to feck it all up.

For England, par for the course is getting out of the group to the Round Of Eight. Winning that and losing a quarter final is an honorable exit, and losing a semi-final is a success.

I don't know anyone who is more capable than Roy of getting England to the quarters, penalty shoot-outs notwithstanding.

[Bellona]

I get so angry over the constant and regular " sack the manager " attitude.

The players have no culpability ?

No-one makes a silk purse from a sows ear. If you have reasonable quality and a good team spirit you can try and improve it through good management.

If you have less than optimum material to work with / a group of individuals who can't work together, you are, ultimately, buggered.
IMHO !

[Dactylion]

so far I am yet to see anyone but stuck up middle class di<k wads get upset about his use of the N word

fooking coonts

<Ahem>