Roy to be the new whipping boy. Who saw that coming?

With minds on other matters, chiefly Sunday night TV judging by my twitter feed, news started to filter through on said media that West Bromwich Albion manager Roy Hodgson is to be interviewed for the poisoned chalice that is the England manager’s job.


My wife asked me if he’s any good. My answer was that when he’s good he’s very very good but when he’s not, well, Liverpool, to quote a recent example but there are other failures.

It strikes me that Hodgson could be another Graham Taylor and you can just imagine the headlines not to mention the photographs in the papers the first time England are put in their place by some minnow nation.

Presumably Harry Redknapp either knocked England back or the realisation that very substantial compensation was going to have to be paid ruled him out. Is it a coincidence that Spurs actually managed a win on Sunday?

One does wonder if Harry’s heart really was in the job once the euphoria of being linked with it wore off. Those plaudits from his peers must have sounded gratifying but in the cold light of dawn the thought of all those grubby news hounds camped on his palatial lawns the moment things turned a bit negative is enough to put off the most committed patriot.

If it is to be Roy Hodgson then good luck to him. His CV is extensive and no one can accuse him of lack of experience and it’s experience over a wide spectrum not just here in England. I still can’t get that image out of my mind of a bemused manager hanging off the edge of the bench, hands clasped on his knees though.