Roy Hodgson

Despite being a huge outsider to take the position as England manager, the FA surprisingly overlooked all the competition in favour of 64 year old former West Brom manager Roy Hodgson. More surprising is the fact that fans favourite Harry Redknapp wasn't even given an interview, to the dismay of the English public. However, Hodgson's CV proves that he is no mug, and he has numerous winners medals to his name, most notably in Sweden with Malmo FF. However, despite his vast amount of managerial experience, he has not managed to lead a team with a good reputation to glory, most notable in his failure with Liverpool when he was sacked after only 6 months of employment. But that’s in the past, and now only two big questions remain. How will Hodgson fair in possibly the biggest job on earth? And will he lead England to European glory in the summer?

Roy Hodgson will be looking to lead England to glory this
 summer

In my opinion, I don't believe Hodgson has what it takes to lead England to glory for two main reasons. Firstly, he has no time to learn the capabilities of his squad and initiate a winning formula, and he simply does not have the time in which to implement a winning strategy. Secondly, I believe that he hasn't got the players at his disposal in order to win a major tournament. It's as simple as that. In addition, his reputation with 'big' clubs have not been favourable, with failures at Liverpool and Inter Milan suggesting that he may not be able to do well at an International stage. In contrast to Hodgson, Redknapp has managed a big club to high success, taking Tottenham from the brink of relegation to the Champions League. He also managed to lead Tottenham to the last 8 of the Champions League, disposing of European heavyweights such as Inter and AC Milan, displaying his pedigree as manager.

Then why did the FA not appoint Redknapp I hear you say? There are some favourable traits that Hodgson possesses that counts to his advantage. Firstly, he has International experience to his name that Redknapp does not. He has previously managed Switzerland and Finland, both to great success. He led Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup finals for the first time since the 60's, getting to the last 16. He also led Finland to their highest ever world ranking at 33rd, proving that he has been a success story at a national stage. These successes couldn't have gone unnoticed by the English FA, who would undoubtedly be hoping that he can replicate this past success in the European Championships in June.

Belgium maestro Eden Hazard

However, worryingly he has not previously taken the reigns at a top national team. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how he fairs in the upcoming games leading up to the Championships, against Norway tonight and Belgium next week. Although they aren't the European powers that are likely to trouble England too much, they are still tough opponents and would definitely prove to be a challenge in which Hodgson and his players will have to overcome. Belgium in particular have some dangerous players, with the exciting England bound winger, Eden Hazard, definitely possessing the ability to worry the England back line. With world class players such as Hazard as opponents, they will undoubtedly provide a big test for England and it will be interesting to see if Hodgson and his team can rise to the challenge.

Even though most of the public, including myself, initially wanted Redknapp to be leading England out tonight in Norway, I believe we have a fairly good alternative in Roy Hodgson. In comparison to Redknapp, he has the ability to get the best out of a group of players, something that his predecessors have not managed to do during their reigns in charge. With the European Championships fast approaching, Hodgson has got little time to prepare his squad, and tonight’s test against Norway would be a clear indicator of how we may line up for the Euro's. Regardless of how we perform, a new era begins tonight led by Hodgson, and we should all unite behind the newly appointed manager if we stand any chance of winning the European Championships in a months time.