Roy Hodgson for England: A club of one

Roy Hodgson is currently manager of West Brom

To argue against Harry Redknapp for England is akin to arguing in favour of bankers bonuses. While somewhere in both arguments lies some complicated logic, the chances of being heard above the sonance of popular opinion are minimal. But here goes.

Redknapp is undoubtedly a strong candidate to replace Fabio Capello. It’s widely agreed that the new manager must be English (although, if Redknapp was from the Congo, we’d probably be hearing that any new manager should hail from Kinshasa) and Redknapp fits that bill. He’s also a very likable fella – the East End boy done good. So on the personality front – Redknapp is head and shoulders above any other candidate. But this is the England job, not a popularity content like the X Factor or running for Prime Minister – it should be about their credentials.

So let’s look at his record. His first major job was at Bournemouth. You’ll often hear the story that during his nine year spell on the south coast he plotted a victory over Manchester United. Well done indeed – but he’s hardly the first manager to claim an FA Cup scalp. He did see Bournemouth promoted, but he also saw them relegated before he left.

Redknapp’s next job was at West Ham, where he stayed for seven years. It was an unremarkable spell, in which he consolidated their top-flight status. Then there was Portsmouth. With the backing of Milan Mandaric’s millions, he took them up from the Championship and consolidated in the Premier League the following season.

Redknapp then took over at Southampton, in a move that for all intents and purposes appears to have been solely designed to infuriate his former employers. Taking over mid-season, Redknapp was relegated from the top-flight – something that at times has been conveniently forgotten when his name has been linked with the England job. Then he returned to Portsmouth, a second-spell that was graced with the 2008 FA Cup final victory over Cardiff City with a team that included Nico Kranjcar, Lassana Diarra and David James.

Then in 2008 Tottenham came calling and set him on the path to the England hot-seat. When he took over, they were bottom of the league. By the time he leaves, they just might be Champions of England. As astonishing as it sounds, Redknapp’s transformation of Spurs is not so remarkable. Tottenham may have been bottom with two points from eight games when he took charge – but they were never going to go down. They had great quality in the side and had simply had a bad start to the campaign – that doesn’t necessarily translate into a bad season. Since then, Tottenham have improved as a squad year-on-year. Redknapp has bought well and got his team playing fantastic football. But in creating such a team, Redknapp has spent vast amounts of money. Roman Paylyuchenko £14m, Rafael Van der Vaart £8m, Luka Modric £16m, Jermain Defoe £15m, Sebastien Bassong £8m. With the amount of money spent at White Hart Lane, the minimum that should be expected is European football.

A brief analysis of Redknapp’s record shows it has included two promotions, and two relegations. It has included an FA Cup. And in the last couple of years, some impressive football and Champions League qualification with Tottenham. Considering Fabio Capello arrived four years ago with 7 Serie A titles, 2 La Liga titles and a Champions League medal, it could be argued that England have lowered their expectations.

But there is another option – Roy Hodgson. For a start, he’s English. He also has a personality that endeared him to the English football public. When he took Fulham on one of the most unlikely European adventures before it was ended by a Diego Forlan extra-time winner in the Europa League final against Atletico Madrid, the calm and respect he exuded reminded football fans of a time when winning and losing could be done with dignity.

Following his successful spell with Fulham he took over at Liverpool. The few months he was in charge is widely considered disastrous – the Liverpool fans didn’t want him, results were poor and shortly after new owners took over, he was sacked. But the perception of his time at Anfield is damning in comparison to the reality. His win percentage is only just shy of Kenny Dalglish’s, which is quite remarkable considering the chaotic conditions he was working under at the end of the Tom Hicks and George Gillett regime. It should not be forgotten that Hodgson was working on a shoestring at the time, without the benefit of the millions of pounds the new owners of Liverpool, Fenway Sports Group, have put at the disposal of Dalglish.

Hodgson has managed all over the world, from Bristol City to Malmo, Inter Milan to the United Arab Emirates. He has won numerous league titles in different countries, has reached two European Cup finals and was the recipient of the LMA Manager of the Year in 2010.

However much (or little) credit one gives to titles won in Denmark and Sweden, in comparison to Redknapp, his record is certainly not unfavourable. Hodgson also boasts experience of managing international teams, having held the helm at Finland, Switzerland and United Arab Emirates. Under his wily gaze, Switzerland qualified for the 1994 World Cup, losing just one game during qualification from a group that included Italy and Portugal. At USA ‘94, they would eventually lose to Spain in the Round of 16.

With the groundswell of support for Redknapp, from both the public and current England players, it is impossible to look past the current Tottenham manager as the likely successor to Capello. But being the popular choice does not necessarily make him the right one. The last ‘people’s choice’ was Kevin Keegan, and we all know how that turned out.

A new England manager will be appointed, but before that decision is made, it is worthwhile to note that unlike supporters of Hodgson, the number of England candidates has more than a club of one.

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