Roy Keane was a team-mate and captain to Gary Neville for many years at Manchester United – at the same time that Ferguson brought Keane to Old Trafford, the young crop of players that included Gary Neville were making their mark in the youth team.

So when Keane was asked to comment on Neville’s appointment to the England backroom staff, you would expect an informed opinion. And Roy Keane, being Keane, duly delivered. In fact, he may even have paid his successor as United captain a compliment (see if you can spot it).

Roy Keane on Neville’s influence behind the scenes:

“It’s important you are yourself. Listen, Gary can talk but don’t think for one minute he was as influential in the dressing room as people might think he was. Gary would say his piece but he wasn’t running the show. Far from it.

So don’t think for one minute he will be going into England and calling the shots. He will be learning his trade and being a link between the manager and the players, and I think he will be good at that.”

On Neville continuing with his media commitments as Sky’s lead pundit for Champions League and Premier League matches, or his column in the Mail on Sunday:

“I’m surprised he has kept his role with doing TV. That can be difficult. You can get your way around criticising players by saying: ‘I’d expect the player to do better.’ He probably won’t be as critical as me and speak in the terms I do. I know Gareth [Southgate] does it, but he’s not in the dressing room, he’s not on the training pitch, he’s not working with the players.”

On Neville’s potential impact on England’s fortunes:

“There’s a lot of thumbs-up, everyone says it is a good appointment, but I’d say let’s wait and see. We’ve got to give him a chance. He’s not done any coaching before. I know he has done his coaching qualifications but sitting in a studio talking about teams is very different.

What he has got is he’ll be working under Roy Hodgson. It is not as if he will be calling the shots. He can learn his trade. I’m pretty sure if they have a decent tournament, or a decent couple of years, Roy Hodgson and his staff will get praise. If they don’t, the manager will get criticism and people will start criticising Gary. Gary’s a decent guy and he’s played at a decent level, but that doesn’t guarantee you success.”

On Neville entering management:

“You have to look at these opportunities when they come. You can’t be too clever when you are outside of football and not involved in a team, and if an opportunity comes up.

He is going to be working with top players and a top manager so there is no surprise Gary jumped straight into it. There is only one way to find out if you can do it or not – let’s get into it. It’s no good just talking about it. It’s not a week-to-week job. He will still have a bit of time off and will be learning from a top manager.”

It may not sound like it, but this is high praise from Roy Keane. I imagine his kids must be very jealous.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There are always plenty of ‘if’s, but’s and maybe’s’ when It comes to England at a major tournament; Euro 2012, though, will take that to a whole new level.

It says a lot about the upheaval surrounding the Three Lions that star man Wayne Rooney’s suspension for the first two matches of the competition is almost seen as the least of their worries. Since that ban by UEFA in December, England had also lost their captain and manager.

The disruptions to their preparations for this summer’s tournament, combined with a poor showing at the 2010 World Cup, have left even the usually impatient English tabloid press almost willing to write of Euro 2012 as a learning experience for the younger players.

However the recent appointment of Roy Hodgson as head coach, despite Tottenham’s Harry Redknapp being the out-right favourite, has seen the same approach as usual taken towards the competition, at least in terms of team selection.

The selected 23 players travelling to Ukraine contain many of the squad that featured at the last World Cup. With the tournament set to be the last international hurrah for the likes of Ashley Cole, John Terry and the newly-appointed captain, Steven Gerrard, can Englands ‘golden generation’ go out with a bang?

With Rooney missing until the Ukraine match; the forward line has required a huge overhaul. The attack is likely to be led by Manchester United youngster Danny Welbeck and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll. With just 7 caps between, it’s clear to see England lack a recognised international goal scorer in the absence of Rooney. I was slightly disappointed to see Crouch missing from the list of 23 players last Wednesday – his goal scoring record for his country speaks for itself (22 goals in 42 games.)

With a technically gifted player like Wilshere unavailable through injury, England are unlikely to compete with the likes of Spain when it comes to the short passing game. But what they do possess is a wealth of athletic and technically gifted wide players in Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ashleu Young. Getting the ball forward quickly may be England’s best chance of creating openings, and until Rooney returns they’ll need to do that as often as possible.

However, the three lions do have a squad full of players with Champions League experience. Even the Nation’s promising young talen t – the likes of Welbeck and Phil Jones – have already featured in Europe’s elite club competition.

There is also greater balance in midfield, with England finally having found a replacement for the Injury prone Owen Hargreaves, albeit most likely only a short term one, In Scott Parker. The Spurs enforcer, 31, having one only 3 senior caps before his 30^th birthday. But the composure, intelligence and maturity in his performances have seen him quickly become one of the first names on the England’s starting eleven. It’s just a shame that the injured Jack Wilshere cannot play alongside him.

Parker even captained England during Stuart Pearce’s short time in charge, leading the team to a 2-2 draw versus Holland. Personally, he would have been my choice as captain.

While in previous tournaments England have had a settled back four, there is now a degree of uncertainty regarding the starting players. With little time to bed in a unit, selection headaches at the back could prove particularly unwelcome.

It’s unlikely that Terry and Ashley Cole would miss out on a place in the first eleven, especially given their vast experience at international and European level. I think Ashley Cole will be very important for England if they wish to stand a chance against the best teams in the tournament. This season, for Chelsea he has proven his quality once again. Particularly in the Champions League fixtures, as he’s come up against the World’s best players including Lionel Messi and Frank Ribery.

The remaining defensive positions will keep us guessing until England’s warm up games. Having seen Ferdinand dropped and Kyle Walker side-lined, expect to see the likes of Lescott, Cahill and Glen Johnson making an appearance.

In goal, Joe Hart looks likely to make the position his own for the next decade. The Manchester City stopper is a steadier presence than some of the goalkeepers England have used in the past, such as David James and Robert Green. This is Hart’s first major finals as first-choice keeper, so it will be the biggest test of his character yet.

For me, Andy Carroll could prove to be England’s ‘secret weapon’ and the biggest surprise of the tournament if he’s given playing time and the chance to shine. I have a good feeling that with his growing confidence after a strong finish to the season, he could create huge problems for the opposition, particularly Ukraine and Sweden in the group stages. Against Chelsea, in the FA cup final, he showed just how much of a threat he can is, after coming off the bench and scoring Liverpool’s only goal. His areal ability provides the potential to completely change the momentum of a match. Hopefully Hodgson will realise this and will give the ex-Newcastle striker a good run-out.

England have benefited from finally learning that 4-4-2 isn’t the only option. Their warm up matches against Belgium and Norway will give an indication as to whether they will stick with the 4-2-3-1 system that served, the since-departed, Fabio Capello so well in their undefeated qualifying campaign.

There’s no denying Hodgson’s ability as a manager when in charge of a team failing to meet expectations. England certainly fit this category. Despite having a flurry of top European footballers during the past decade, the team have always struggled to perform. At both Fulham and West Brom, Hodgson achieved great success with a lack of real quality at his disposal, most namely, reaching the Europa League final with Fulham.

Above all else, for England to succeed in Poland and Ukraine they’ll need to be well drilled tactically and defensively sound. Hodgson may not have been the fans first choice manager, but with his incredible experience, anything is possible for his team.

Personally, I believe this competition will make or break England for the next decade or so. If the players meet expectations, support from the English fans and press will improve, giving the players confidence going into future competitions. At this stage, England will be very optimistic, a new manager and a few fresh young players could be exactly what the nation needs to be successful in Poland and Ukraine. Considering the number of quality teams in this year’s European finals, I think England can probably consider reaching the Quarter-finals a success, but don’t get me wrong, I would love to see them go further.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

England manager Roy Hodgson (he with a 0% England win record) announced the Euro 2012 23-man squad today. His selections (and explanations) were largely pragmatic and determined in some cases by injuries, although the team is strikingly similar to what the previous England manager, Fabio Capello, would have picked, and England are not part of the top Betfair Euro 2012 tips to be in the Euro 2012 final.

With news surrounding the England Euro 2012 squad leaked last night, there were no surprises in the selection, although the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards, Michael Carrick and Peter Crouch would have been very dissappointed to be overlooked.

England squad for Euro 2012:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Rob Green (West Ham), John Ruddy (Norwich)

Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Man United), John Terry (Chelsea), Joleon Lescott (Man City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton)

Midfielders: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Ashley Young (Man United), James Milner (Man City)

Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Man United), Danny Welbeck (Man United), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham)

Standby players: Jack Butland (Birmingham City), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea).

Roy Hodsgon on England’s Euro 2012 Preparations

Roy Hodgson summing up England’s preparations ahead of Euro 2012: “We have to be careful with what we do with the players in preparation. You can end up taking more out of them on the training field particularly after a long season without a winter break. I’d like to think we have enough players to deal with any injury situations. He (Wayne Rooney) got suspended and I’m not suggesting the suspension is wrong. But it’s not very nice going into the first two games without a player who is world class.”

England boss Roy Hodgson on John Terry, who was selected for Euro 2012 despite a July court case awaiting him regarding allegations that he racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, which Terry denies: “If we take the court case first of all, that’s obviously very unfortunate for him but we must emphasise he is an innocent man until such time as he is proven guilty.

“My decision with John Terry was based purely on footballing matters, I was given a free hand as to the squad I picked. I realised that when I selected him there would be people who would raise eyebrows but that’s the decision that I’ve made, that’s the decision I shall live with.”

Roy Hodgson on John Ruddy’s forthcoming marriage and the absence of Micah Richards from the squad: “He still is I hope (getting married). He offered to postpone the wedding but personally I think it’s dangerous to postpone a wedding. I was considering Kyle Walker before he dropped out. In Phil Jones I have a player who is capable of playing right-back and centre-back. It was going to be one of Phil Jones or Micah Richards and I chose Jones.”

England manager Roy Hodgson on Rio Ferdinand’s omission from the Euro 2012 squad: “It’s a football decision. He’s only played for England once in the last year. It was a hard phone call to make, but it’s based on football – nothing else.”

England manager Roy Hodgson on his Euro 2012 squad: “It’s not been an easy squad to put together but I’m pleased with the squad I’ve put together and I think it’s a well balanced squad.”

Steven Gerrard will captain England at Euro 2012. England manager Roy Hodgson: “I know him as a player and a person and how committed he is to the England cause. He will help me build the team unity and environment we need to thrive in a tournament.”

England Euro 2012 Squad Review

As expected, new boss Roy Hodgson omitted Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards and Peter Crouch but found places in his 23 for former skipper John Terry, uncapped Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Liverpool’s Andy Carroll.

But it was the inclusion of Carroll’s Anfield team-mate Stewart Downing – seemingly at the expense of QPR striker Bobby Zamora – that was the real surprise of Hodgson’s first selection decision.

With Wayne Rooney suspended for the opening two games against France and Sweden, Hodgson did indeed name just seven defenders, with Glen Johnson the only out and out right-back although Phil Jones has played there more than his preferred central role for Manchester United.

Hodgson, though, named just four strikers, Rooney and Carroll joined by Jermain Defoe and Danny Welbeck.

That decision hints that Hodgson plans playing with just one up, in either a 4-2-3-1 formation or flanked by Theo Walcott and Ashley Young in a 4-3-3.

Even so, the selection of the 27-year-old Downing was unexpected given his horrible first season since his £20million move from Aston Villa.

Downing, who was a member of Sven Goran Eriksson’s 2006 World Cupo squad, did not contribute a single goal or assist to Liverpool’s Premier League campaign, despite 34 appearances.

Zamora, who played under Hodgson for Fulham, was thought likely to get the nod but the England medical team were concerned about the state of his fitness.

The 18-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlain is not the only uncapped member of the squad, with Norwich’s John Ruddy picked as the third goalkeeper behind Joe Hart and Robert Green.

Hodgson also named a standby-squad of five players: Birmingham’s under-21 keeper Jack Butland, Phil Jagielka of Everton, Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson, Adam Johnson of Manchester City and Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Roy Hodgson unveils his Euro 2012 squad tomorrow, and official data released today by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index reveals that Norwich City stars, John Ruddy and Grant Holt plus Swansea striker Danny Graham should ALL be boarding the plane to the Ukraine.

The research has been conducted to celebrate the release of EA SPORTS’ Euro 2012, out now on PlayStation 3 and Xbox, via download only. Euro 2012 is the official video game of the tournament, allowing fans to pick their starting eleven, and lead them to Euros glory.

The 23-man squad has been chosen using the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index (PPI), the only official player-rating index of the Barclays Premier League. The index measures a player’s all round contribution to the success of his team. Those scores over the course of the season have been used to identify the 23 players who should be representing England this summer.

The Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Ben Foster (West Brom), John Ruddy (Norwich)

Defenders: Danny Simpson (Newcastle), Kyle Walker (Spurs), Leighton Baines (Everton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Joleon Lescott (Man City), John Terry (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), Shawcross (Stoke)

Midfielders: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Matt Jarvis (Wolves), Matthew Etherington (Stoke), Ashley Young (Man Utd), Danny Murphy (Fulham), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Gareth Barry (Man City), Michael Carrick (Man Utd)

Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Danny Wellbeck (Man Utd), Grant Holt (Norwich), Danny Graham (Swansea)

Goalkeepers:

Norwich fans have been chanting ‘Ruddy for England’ at John Ruddy all season, and hopefully Roy Hodgson has heard them, as the stopper has made the second highest number of saves in the league this season with 216. That’s behind just one other keeper, Wolves’ Wayne Hennessey who made 223 saves. Ruddy has conceded just 65 goals, meaning for every goal he concedes he makes 3.3 saves. A rate comparable with established number one Joe Hart, who has made 143 saves this season, conceding 29 goals at a rate of 4.93 saves per goal.

Ben Foster’s chances of boarding the plane will have received a massive boost from the news that his West Brom manager Roy Hodgson will be managing England. Foster has made 200 saves this season, conceding 49 goals at a rate of 4.08 saves per goal.

Defenders:

Danny Simpson is another inclusion that may raise eyebrows, but he is the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index’s highest ranking English full back, securing his place in our 23 man team. Simpson’s won an impressive 79% of tackles this season and made 43 clearances including several match saving goal line clearances that could make all the difference in Poland and the Ukraine.

Simpson is joined by PFA Young Player of the Year Kyle Walker and Ashley Cole, both of whom are firm favourites, while the often over looked Leighton Baines is also in the squad. Baines has had another phenomenal season for Everton, winning 72% of tackles, delivering 96 crosses, more than any other full back in the Barclays Premier League.

The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index favours experience over youth in the centre back position, with John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Joleon Lescott all chosen. The most surprising choice at centre back is Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross, who is preferred to Chelsea’s Gary Cahill and Manchester United’s Phil Jones. Shawcross has made 323 defensive duties across clearances, interceptions, blocks and tackles this season compared to Cahill’s 266 and Jones’ 102.

Midfielders:

Matt Jarvis and Matthew Etherington are the surprise choices on the wing, coming in 2nd and 11th respectively for crosses delivered this season (1st and 5th among English players), while Etherington is the 4th highest Englishman in the league for assists with 8 this season.

Compare that to more established choices Theo Walcott and Ashley Young, who have delivered 59 and 81 crosses respectively with 11 assists each this season.

In the middle of the park Danny Murphy earns a surprise call up in place of Scott Parker. Hodgson is a fan of Murphy’s from their time at Fulham, and the stats show why. Murphy has won 76% of tackles this season, and completed 215 defensive duties, compared to Parker’s 73% and 192. Murphy has also contributed 7 assists.

The age old England problem of whether Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard can play together has also been solved by the Index, with Lampard included and Gerrard left behind. Lampard has had a sensational season for Chelsea, scoring 11 goals from 55 shots with 73% on target and exactly 1 in 5 chances converted to goals. Meanwhile Gerrard has five goals from 30 shots at goal giving him an inferior hit rate to Lampard of one goal from every six shots.

Manchester based duo Michael Carrick and Gareth Barry are also included, after completing 1026 passes and 917 passes respectively in the opponent’s half. Both are also famously hard workers, covering 207 miles and 173.5 miles respectively this season.

Strikers:

Norwich striker Grant Holt is the third of the three Norwich players that should be joining the England squad, and the second highest scoring Englishman in the Premier League after Wayne Rooney with 15 goals from 69 shots on goal. 61% of his shots have been on target and he’s needed just 4.6 shots per goal scored, showing a lethal chance conversion rate that’s a must for tournament play.

Danny Graham is also chosen above more high profile strike options, having hit 12 goals in 36 appearances for Swansea this season. Graham has needed just 5.75 shots per goal, making him and Holt the perfect impact strikers for the Euros.

Compare those to the stats of England regulars Wayne Rooney and Danny Wellbeck, and you can see why Holt and Graham should be awarded a seat on the plane. Rooney has 27 goals from 141 shots, with 66% on target and 5.22 shots per goal, while Wellbeck has 9 goals from 73 shots with 73% on target and 8.11 shots per goal.

FIFA Euro 2012:

EA SPORTS UEFA EURO 2012 recreates all the drama and excitement of the official tournament with all 53 UEFA member national teams, all eight official stadiums in the tournament, and all the pageantry and atmosphere of one of the largest and most-watched sporting events on the planet.

Fans will be able to compete online for national pride and glory as their favourite European country in the UEFA EURO 2012™ tournament against rival nations in the group stage, progress through the sudden victory knockout rounds, and ultimately compete for the chance to be crowned UEFA EURO 2012™ champion.

Plus, a live service will drive real-life story lines from the UEFA EURO 2012™ qualifying campaign and during the tournament into the game, enabling fans to relive dramatic moments with challenges based on real-life matches.

Challenges will enable fans to earn experience points and level up their EA SPORTS Football Club profile.

End credit: Choose your England squad and lead your country to glory in EA SPORTS UEFA EURO 2012, available to download now on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Visit www.EA.com/UK/Football/euro12 for more information.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

New England coach Roy Hodgson has sprung a major surprise by appointing Gary Neville to his coaching team.

The former Manchester United defender has signed a four-year contract, which allows him to continue as a pundit for Sky Sports.

After his retirement as a player, Neville was viewed as likely management material but instead took a pundits’ role, for which he has received widespread praise.

Neville will join Hodgson’s team immediately and will be with the England squad next week as they begin preparations for Euro 2012.

In my opinion, this is an extremely positive move as far as England Euro hopes are concerned. Neville knows exactly what he’s talking about and has the potential to have a huge influence over Hodgson.

It’s very likely that he’ll urge Hodgson to pick a youthful side. Following Roy’s appointment as the new England boss, Neville spoke his mind regarding the direction he felt England should take.

“Wipe the slate clean and start again, like the England rugby team. Accept that Euro 2012 will be a learning experience. Bring in talented young players like Daniel Sturridge, Daniel Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joe Hart, Wayne Rooney, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Kieran Gibbs and, hopefully, Jack Wilshere, for the summer.”

Many fans have been calling for this move. Copying the likes of Germany could dramatically improve our chances in international competitions as next generation of English players will receive the opportunity to experience the highest standard of world football. Obviously, some of the players mentioned above are unavailable through injury, but you get the overall idea.

The decision regarding the next England captain is also highly important; Neville could have a big influence on this. Considering Scott Parker is a doubt for the June’s tournament, expect a more experienced player to receive the role, for example, Steven Gerrard.

In addition, the fact he has been a team-mate of so many senior players, including the likes of Rooney, Gerrard & Ashley Cole, makes him the perfect bridge between squad and coach. That should help avoid the kind of tensions in South Africa two years ago when England’s players gather on Monday for the start of their build-up to Euro 2012.

It will be fascinating to discover whether he has been able to exert any influence in the potential selection of Paul Scholes, either on player or manager.

Having reversed his retirement decision in January, it was always felt Scholes would consider returning to the international stage as well, having previously admitted his regret at snubbing a request from Fabio Capello to end his six-year international exile at the last World Cup.

This theory has now been strengthened, although it is not known whether Hodgson actually wants the midfield player in his 23-man squad.

On top of this, expect the likes of Terry and Lampard to have a less prominent role in the team. Neville has made it clear in the past, that these players no longer have the energy to perform at the highest standard two times a week.

In conclusion, I believe this move will prove to be a masterstroke. Neville’s forceful personality is unlikely to leave any England player unaware of their responsibilities. Hodgson is due to announce the 23 man squad this Wednesday; it’ll be very interesting to see how much of an influence Neville has on this selection.

Please comment with your opinions.

Follow my twitter @chrisslinnell for more football updates:

https://twitter.com/#!/Chrisslinnell

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The arrival of a new manager should bring fear and anxiety to players – but for all the right reasons.  Out with the old and in with the new, this is the time for players to impress the new manager.

This, though, was not the case in the wake of Roy Hodgson’s unveiling as England manager on Tuesday – and it’s safe to say its virtually the other way around. Instead of pressure being put on England’s current internationals, the pressure was aimed elsewhere – more accurately at the feet of Hodgson. The impression felt by many is that Hodgson is the one who must prove his worth to the players he will choose for selection for Euro 2012. This should not be the case.

Hodgson has the power. He holds all the cards and control over the situation and it will be his decision come the end of the season in respect to which names he feels will work best under his provision and ideals. There might be some shock inclusions as well as there might be some shock exclusions but its Hodgson’s right to shape the squad how he seems fit.

There was a strong belief that if Harry Redknapp was to become England’s next manager, he would have brought back the more friendly relationship between player and coach. This, ironically, is what most managers try to avoid. Further, it was also believed that Redknapp would have had a strong attachment to the likes of Frank Lampard, who was ousted as one of the men England should leave out in it’s rebuilding of the national side.  So after England’s hugely disappointing show in South Africa in 2010 – which the nation blamed on senior players – it would be hypocritical of fans to back Redknapp and those players who have constantly failed in the past.

England’s current internationals, who believe to be worthy of inclusion for Euro 2012, and featured regularly under Fabio Capello, should not rest on their laurels and should expect a fight to keep hold of their place. As has already been mentioned, a new manager brings with it new ideas and, most importantly, different opinions. Personal preference in terms of formations, shape and tactics dictate team selection also.

Hodgson has a mixed reputation in his time as manager in terms of his tactics and style of play. The reason why there was so much negativity surrounding his appointment was because of the way he sets his teams out – supposedly defensively. There were jokes made in the press about his players in training at previous clubs lining up in two banks of four tied to a rope to represent stability and sound positioning.

In an interview with the Independent in 2010, Fulham’s Simon Davies provided an insight into Hodgson’s methods. ‘I don’t want to give any secrets away, but he gets the 11 that he wants on a match day and he drills everything in that he wants. It’s certain drills defensive, certain drills attacking, and we work very hard at it. There are no diagrams. It’s all on the pitch with the ball, nothing unopposed.’ Players, like his former Blackburn and Switzerland defender, Stefan Henchoz, complain that these drills can be ‘at little bit boring’ but, as Hodgson’s managerial record shows, he gets results.

Well, maybe not at Liverpool but yet again, high maintenance players unwilling and unable to adapt to his methods was always going to be tough work. But in Hodgson’s first season at Fulham he led them to 7^th place earning a spot in next season’s then newly established Europa League – which they reached the final of. Fulham also conceded a mere 34 goals, which is a defensive record more accustomed to a title winning side. But it had to be. Fulham scored just 39 goals in 38 matches, which show why some are fearful over his defensive minded sides. But you can only work with what you have got and there is no shame in applying the most realistic, suitable style for a team with limited attacking options.

So remarks made that Hodgson can only get the best out of average players is highly relevant here. After all, are England’s current lot really world class? In the press this week, the current England side was labelled as the ‘worst yet’ which is incredibly harsh due to the fact that we are witnessing the best group of youngsters stepping up into the England fold for some time. And with the growing feeling that England’s more senior internationals are simply unmanageable, surely it would be best for Hodgson to take a youthful side, hungry for success.

This should not rule out untested experience players, though. Scott Parker, who has bided his time and waited for the likes of Lampard to decline has emerged as one of England’s key players in the last year – also captaining the side against Holland. Michael Carrick too, who has often been overlooked by previous managers because of the apparent superiority of Gerrard and Lampard in the central midfield should now have a great chance of starting at Euro 2012. Leighton Baines might also challenge Ashley Cole for his left back spot but Cole is still England’s standout performer.

There are also chances for England’s uncapped and few capped players who have enjoyed a successful season in the top flight this season.  Kyle Walker with just two international appearances is likely to be England’s first choice right back to the annoyance of Michah Richards who must surely be feeling that his time will never come. Grant Holt of Norwich who is second to only Wayne Rooney in terms of English goalscorers in the Premier League would surely feel begrudged for at least inclusion in to the preliminary squad.

The European Championships also will be for many their first experience at this level: Joe Hart, Gary Cahill, Parker, Danny Welbeck all of which are new to this standard – that’s if they’re picked obviously.

It’s safe to say that Hodgson has options whereas other years the 23-man squad has virtually picked itself. So the likes of Gerrard, whose form has been largely disappointing for Liverpool this season, should feel nervous ahead of Hodgson’s announcement next week. The tension between Rio Ferdinand and Terry could mean that one might miss out also. Hodgson will know, however, the importance of having some experience at these tournaments and will look to keep the best of England’s troubled bunch.  As has already been mentioned, this is their last chance to shine and will want to wipe away their torrid performances for England at major tournaments. England’s senior internationals, though, seem to be keener than ever which can only be a positive for Hodgson.

You can follow the author on Twitter: @tacklebymoore.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Roy Hodgson emerged as a surprise candidate for the vacant England manager’s role, and was announced earlier today as England manager with the countdown to Euro 2012 well under way. The FA have taken a considered and patient approach in finding the next Three Lions boss, but with Tottenham’s Harry Redknapp also thought to be keen on leading the nation, have the governing body made the right choice?

The expectancy of England to perform wonders in Ukraine and Poland is not as high as in the lead-up to previous international tournaments (regardless of what the Euro 2012 odds say), and Hodgson’s appointment will not inspire any additional confidence in the travelling supporters. With nations such as Spain, Germany and Netherlands expected to lead the way this summer, the West Brom boss will need to get the best out of his squad to stand a chance of making the final stages of the tournament.

Even before Capello walked away from the role with the home nation, Redknapp has been the frontrunner and favourite to lead the nation despite his lack of an international record. It seemed like a matter of when rather than if the Spurs boss would assume the role, with the media brewing up a storm in a teacup in backing the north London manager.

However, given careful consideration, maybe there is rational thought behind the selection of Hodgson. Despite a terrible and brief stint at Liverpool, he has transformed West Brom’s fortunes and taken a mediocre squad away from relegation against the odds and into the safe-haven of mid-table.

The Hawthorns supremo has been praised for his man-management skills and careful approach, whilst he also has experience of international football. Redknapp is perceived as more of a club manager, who enjoys the wheeling-dealing of the transfer market and daily interaction with players.

Hodgson will not be the first surprise, unlikely or second-choice man to fill the national void, after the likes of Steve McClaren and Terry Venables got the top job unexpectedly. The fortunes of the latter certainly outweighed that of the former, but for England to excel this summer Hodgson must dispel any rumblings over his worth and selection.

With the competition kicking off in just over five weeks and the selection of the squad in around a fortnight, Hodgson has work to do, and will not necessarily thank the FA for the short timescales to get organised and comfortable in the role. Fixtures against France, Sweden and Ukraine in Group D will test England’s ability and resolve, and the FA will hope that their choice of boss will be vindicated come the final on July 1^st.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Sunday night saw the news that Harry Redknapp must have been dreading since that fateful February day when he was acquitted of not paying his taxes and Fabio Capello resigned in a huff over John Terry and god knows what else. Harry, the darling of the press was passed over for the job he dearly longed for. The cultured, multilingual, opera loving Roy Hodgson was approached by the FA and is on the verge of becoming England manager.

Reading the press you’d think this was a huge miscarriage of justice. ‘Arry, the ‘fans favourite’ has been cast in the tabloids as some Brian Clough figure who’s the best man for the job and been passed over for some fuddy duddy politically correct useless schmuck of a manager. Well Clough won two European Cups and two league titles with clubs he’d taken from the second division. Hodgson took Fulham to the Europa League final and has coached sides around the world. Redknapp’s barely managed a match in Europe and has gone as close to a league title as Eric Pickles has got to a Weightwatchers meeting.

It’s been quite disgraceful how people who are paid for their knowledge of football and ability to write eloquently have been so critical and insulting of Hodgson while praising Redknapp, a complete neophyte at international level and someone who almost boasts of his inability to do tactics or talk about the technicalities of the game. I take issue with newspapers saying Harry was the fans favourite for the job. I don’t believe this to be the case at all. Hodgson’s appointment has been received quite warmly on social media sites. Only in the press has the appointment been given a vitriolic trashing and cast as an awful decision that will be a disaster for the England team.

Whether it’s ‘kop flop Roy’, ‘oh why oh why oh woy’, comparing pictures of Hodgson to owls, or saying he can’t talk properly (because Harry Redknapp also speaks five languages and is a cultured, well read intellectual) he has been given ludicrously rough treatment. Tony Evans of The Times said of Hodgson his ‘bathroom cabinet is bigger than his trophy cabinet’. Given Hodgson’s bevy of league titles in Sweden and Denmark and Harry Redknapp’s one FA Cup and one Third Division title with Bournemouth to have a pop at Hodgson for not winning enough trophies is laughable.

Hodgson is more experienced than Redknapp through his stints managing Switzerland and Finland, has managed in five different countries, took Fulham to stunning victories over Roma, Hamburg, Juventus in the Europa League, and has done well talking medicore sides and elevating them which is useful for an England side missing two world class players in Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney for the first two games and which hasn’t reached a major championship semi-final in 22 years.

I think Hodgson is the right appointment for England and good luck to him. He’ll need it with the press angry that their man ‘Arry hasn’t got the job he and the press craved and England a struggling side unlikely to do much at the Euros. But for Harry, what now? The job he has said any Englishman would be proud to have, that surely he must have dearly wanted, has now gone.

What makes it difficult is that at Spurs, certainly amongst the fans and I would guess amongst the players, coaching staff and senior management was a general assumption that Harry was leaving. It may have been spoken only in hushed whispers in the corners of the training ground and in boardrooms, but it was quietly expected that Harry was to leave, a replacement to arrive and with Spurs set to have another summer struggle to keep the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale a summer of change was to take place at Spurs.

Now Harry won’t be leaving to manage England, it’s very likely he’ll remain at Spurs. He has no reason to resign that the public know of, he is under contract so sacking him would be very expensive, and if Spurs finish the season strongly and hang on to 4^th place there is little or no chance Harry being thrown out the Tottenham door. His popularity with the press and the kicking in the press Spurs would receive if Harry was to be forced out also makes it unlikely he’ll be forced out barring a catastrophic end to the season and a 5^th or 6^th place finish in the League from being 10 points clear of 4^th in late February.

Harry staying at Spurs does bring about some difficulties. The effect ‘Harry for England’ has had on Spurs is debatable. I said in an article recently that I felt the mental fatigue caused by his court case and simultaneously managing Spurs had more of an effect than the talk in the press that he was leaving. I still believe that to be true. Nonetheless it must have had some effect. Danny Baker said that Spurs recently have been playing ‘like The Police when they found out Sting was leaving’. Man United struggled when Alex Ferguson announced his retirement and improved when he unretired and decided to stay on.

Whether people want him to stay at Spurs is another matter. I wrote last week he deserved the sack and should we finish the season poorly and finish outside the top four I will not change my view. Players were rumoured to have fallen out with Harry though in the easy win against a diabolical Blackburn any discontent that was rumoured to exist was not on show. The relationship between Redknapp and Daniel Levy hasn’t been a warm one for a long time now.

There are also a group of young, upcoming managers in the likes of Roberto Martinez, Paul Lambert, Brendan Rodgers, even David Moyes who have done superb jobs. It may not be much longer before those managers are plucked by bigger clubs, and if Tottenham want one of these bright young talented coaches, this summer could be the last where they would be at a smaller club and willing to manage a club of Tottenham’s stature. But will Harry leave or be forced to leave? I strongly doubt it.

My guess would be that Harry will remain at Spurs and be in charge at the start of the 2012-2013 season. Fans may not be especially happy with him and his management style but they’re hardly marching down Tottenham High Road calling for his sacking either. Sacking him would be an expensive, ballsy but risky move which would receive in the press the sort of criticism and abuse reserved for lame duck politicians. A resignation or a move to another club is very unlikely.

Expect to see him in the Spurs dugout at the start of next season.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There are many, especially those who don’t have very much of an interest in sport, who think that top athletes are overpaid to do nothing more than ‘play a game’. However, there are many like Lionel Messi, Tom Brady, Derrick Rose, and others who are the best or among the best in their respective sports that look like they at least somewhat deserve the high salaries that they receive.

On the other hand, there are others who, well, don’t.

In some cases, the talent is there, but the production isn’t whether due to injury, lack of effort or confidence, or personal distractions, or other reasons, and in others, the talent may not be what it was or seemed to be at one time.

Here’s a look at ten footballers who top the list of well-paid disappointments. Not long ago, this list would have included Fernando Torres, but it’s hard to criticize the man after the week he had, and the likes of Diego, who’s been a vital part of Atletico Madrid’s run to the Europa League final, and Wesley Sneijder, whose form has picked up under new Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni, also get a pass.

David Bentley, Tottenham

At one point, it looked like David Bentley was set for a big future with club and country. Unfortunately, his career has tailed off dramatically since his move to White Hart Lane.

Two excellent seasons at Blackburn Rovers saw Tottenham splash out £17m for the former Arsenal prospect in the summer of 2008. Has he repaid the investment? Not even close. An argument could be made that he’s never really been Harry Redknapp’s cup of tea, but he also hasn’t been fantastic, minus a few flashes.

After an unimpressive loan spell at Birmingham City in the second half of last season, he went on loan to Championship side West Ham early this season. However, that stint would last only two starts and three substitute appearances before he was ruled out for several months due to knee surgery.

At 27, there’s still some time to get his career back on the right path and maybe even get back into the England picture, but the last few years don’t offer much encouragement for the future.

Wayne Bridge, Sunderland

Bridge was one of the first new faces of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea and was a regular starter early on. But for much of the last several seasons, he’s rarely been a regular starter, first at Chelsea, then at Manchester City, where he moved for £10m in January 2009.

After a loan stint at West Ham in the second half of last season, it seemed a given that he’d leave City last summer. However, he remained there, making only a solitary Carling Cup appearance before a January loan move to Sunderland. The perfect move, right? Not quite. Instead of establishing himself as a regular for the Black Cats, he’s made only three starts in almost three months.

He’s still carved out a respectable career, which includes 36 caps for England, and he’s set for life if he’s managed his money well. Still, one can’t help but look at his career and wonder if it‘s been what it could or should be.

Andy Carroll, Liverpool

At some point in the future, Andy Carroll could be worth £35m and high wages.

At present, however, he is not. The promise is certainly there, as shown by his back-to-back late winners against Everton and Blackburn this month. But the investment was too much, too soon for someone who hadn’t quite matured enough as a player or a person. And a return of only eight goals from more than 40 appearances this season wouldn’t quite cut it, even if his price tag was £15-20m smaller.

He turned 23 only in January, so he has time on his side, along with great talent and potential. But right now his paycheck is 75% potential and 25% production, at best.

Stewart Downing, Liverpool

If you were to cast a vote for the worst summer 2011 Premier League transfer, Downing would almost certainly top the list.

Downing is a quality player, but it’d have taken a lot for him to justify the £20m that Liverpool paid Aston Villa for him last summer. And thus far, it’d be a stretch to say he’s paid even a tenth of that investment. With only three league games left, Downing has yet to record a single league goal or assist. Zero, zilch, nada, nil. He has delivered two goals and an assist in Liverpool’s run to the FA Cup Final, but no matter how you shake it, he has been a tremendous, tremendous disappointment.

Edin Dzeko, Manchester City

Over the last few years, City have spent quite lavishly, to say the least. Some of their investments have panned out, and some haven’t.

Thus far, their £27m investment on Dzeko hasn‘t panned out as perhaps expected. After only six goals in 21 appearances last season after joining from VfL Wolfsburg in January 2011, he had a torrid start to this season, matching that total in his first three matches. But he hasn’t been able to keep it up, scoring only three goals in his last 19 league appearances after notching 10 in his first nine. Dzeko is no doubt a fine striker, but the presence of Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, and Carlos Tevez certainly don‘t give one much margin for error, and there’s a high chance he leaves the club in the summer.

Andre-Pierre Gignac, Marseille

Where, oh where, to start with Monsieur Gignac? His long-term weight issues? The disrespectfulness to his manager that earned him a few days with the reserves earlier this season? Or his lack of goals?

To be frank, Andre-Pierre Gignac has had all of one great season, the 2008/09 campaign in which he scored 24 league goals for Toulouse. So it could be said that the £13m Marseille paid for him in the summer of 2010 was a bit much, especially when you consider PSG were able to land Kevin Gameiro this past summer for just a little more than £9m.

Gignac was a Marseille supporter since childhood, so this was supposed to be a dream move. But to this point, he‘s been a colossal nightmare. Last season, he netted 12 goals in all competitions, but he never found any consistent form. This season, he’s been downright atrocious. In more than 20 appearances – most of which have been from the bench – he’s scored only once, in a Coupe de la Ligue win over Lens in October.

Along with a failed last-minute move to Fulham in the summer, Gignac reportedly turned down a January move to Everton, saying he’d only leave Marseille for a club like Manchester United. However, he needs to do far better to have a chance at such a club. If he doesn’t step it up soon, he’ll end up low on salary and high on regret.

Yoann Gourcuff, Lyon

When Lyon forked out £18m for Gourcuff in August 2010, they were likely expecting more seasons like the two impressive campaigns he had for Bordeaux. To date, he’s fallen well short.

Last season, Gourcuff scored only four goals and notched five assists in 36 appearances for Lyon. This season, injuries prevented him from debuting until October, and an adductor injury in February against APOEL sidelined him until recently. When he has been on the pitch, he hasn’t delivered, producing only one goal and one assists in all competitions.

With all of the high fees that Lyon have received for star players over the last several years, their finances won’t be hurting if they have to take a sizable hit on Gourcuff. Still, Jean-Michel Aulas will be hoping that the former AC Milan starlet can at least somewhat show why he commanded such a high fee two summers ago.

Stephen Ireland, Aston Villa

Three seasons ago, Stephen Ireland looked like one of the English Premier League’s rising stars, as he was in stellar play-making form for Manchester City.

But City’s lavish spending, a dip in form, and the arrival of Roberto Mancini the next season brought his ascension to a screeching halt. He moved to Aston Villa as part of City’s move for James Milner in the summer of 2010, but he was dropped a few months into the season, and then-manager Gerard Houllier publicly called him out for a lack of all-around effort.

Ireland moved to Newcastle United on loan in January 2011, but he didn’t debut until mid-April and made only two sub appearances before a season-ending ankle injury. He’s returned to the Villa fold this season under Alex McLeish and has shone in spots, but he’s also had his bad moments, like telling McLeish to ‘fuck off’ during a February defeat at Newcastle.

He has the talent to be a difference-maker in Villa’s push to avoid the drop and delivered a quality performance against Sunderland a week ago. But if they fail to stay up, his high wages make it highly likely that he’ll be on his way out in the summer.

Jermaine Jenas, Tottenham

You never like to kick a man when he’s down, but Jenas has not been what he could be.

Jenas used to be a fairly regular scorer and provider, but since the start of the 2009/10 season, he has all of one goal and notched only a few assists. Spurs loaned him out to Aston Villa at the end of last August, and he didn’t make his debut until November due to thigh and Achilles issues. After two substitute appearances, he made his first Villa start at home to Manchester United in early December… and lasted a little more than an hour before being stretched off with what proved to be a season-ending Achilles rupture.

Worse yet for Villa, they’ve reportedly been stuck paying his wages, which are £45k per week, for the duration of the season. That means that they’ll fork out more than £1m in wages for someone who played less than 120 minutes of football for them. Ouch.

Luca Toni, Al Nasr

For several years, Toni was known as one of Europe’s deadliest strikers, banging in more than 150 goals for Palermo, Fiorentina, and Bayern Munich in a six-season stretch. But as his career winds down, he’s been getting paid a lot to do very little.

Last season, he joined Genoa on a free transfer from Bayern, and he scored only three league goals in 16 appearances before moving to Juventus for free in January 2011. That move didn’t pan out so well, as he scored only twice in 14 league appearances in the second half of last season. This season, he didn’t feature at all for Juve in the first several months of the season, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him depart in January. But he hasn’t been as much of a hit for UAE side Al Nasr thus far as they might have hoped for, with only four goals from his first 10 appearances.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With Fifa Financial Fair Play coming into effect and extortionate transfer fees blighting some clubs’ efforts to reinforce, the tried-and-tested loan system is an option can make or break a team’s season.

One only has to look at the track record of young players evolving into top-class athletes whilst on loan deals, or a club being boosted by a temporary signing. It’s seemingly good for the player and parent club, as first-team football leads to development, and the smaller team gets the benefit of having a player they most likely couldn’t buy outright.

However, the loan system is not perfect, seems only to work when there is a match between the player and both his clubs and has a number of negative countering factors.

Pros

There is no doubt that loaning a player can make his career, as he returns to the parent club revitalised and improved after a run of regular football. The list of players to have undergone this process is startling, with three recent cases catching the eye:

• Jack Wilshere – A promising youngster when he left the Emirates Stadium to join Bolton in 2009-10, he returned to the north London club ready to play an important role for club and country. Would he be the player he is now without the six-month spell of regular Premier League football at the Reebok Stadium?
• Kyle Walker – Bought by Tottenham back in 2009, the young full back was not immediately considered by Harry Redknapp, and spent short spells at QPR and Aston Villa before becoming an ever-present at White Hart Lane this season.
• Daniel Sturridge – Signed by Chelsea from Manchester City, youthful Sturridge could not get a game under Carlo Ancelotti and was loaned, again to Bolton. Eight goals in twelve games showed that the attacker was ready for regular Premier League inclusion, and he is now a key player at Stamford Bridge.

The list continues; Danny Welbeck and Jonny Evans at Manchester United, Jermian Defoe at West Ham, Aaron Ramsey at Arsenal, Joe Hart at Manchester City – plenty of young players have cut their teeth elsewhere and gone on to become international players.

In fact, looking at the England squad for the international fixture against Sweden in November 2011, 16 of the 25-man squad have been subject to loan deals. This spans back years and decades, with David Beckham’s successful stint at Preston North End in 1995 proving this is no recent phenomenon.

The case of Emmanuel Adebayor at Tottenham shows that bringing in an experienced head on loan also works. Robbie Keane has looked sharper than ever since joining Aston Villa and inspired Celtic fans by scoring 12 goals in 16 games back in 2010.

The player’s wages are generally taken on fully or partly by the loaning club, so everyone’s happy. Right?

Cons

Despite the advantages of the loan system, sometimes for one reason or another it just doesn’t work. There are also a number of negative factors that must be considered when sending/taking a player on a temporary basis.

Arsene Wenger has strong opinions on the loan system, and despite taking advantage of it in the cases of Ramsey and Wilshere, he has seen the other side of the coin with a number of other players.

Brazilian youngster Pedro Botelho was bought by The Gunners in 2007, but since has been loaned out to five different Spanish teams with little or no benefit to Arsenal. Samuel Galindo is a Bolivian defender signed by Arsenal, but was not granted a work permit. He is in his second loan spell in Spain, and struggles to get any regular football, the same is the case with Wellington Silva, who is now at Alcoyano.

It’s not all roses for the club getting the player on loan either.

• Overdependence – An overdependence on temporary players is seemingly occurring in the lower leagues, as a team can bring in up to five loan players at any one time, almost half a team. Add to that the fact that the parent club can generally recall the player at any point, and it makes for a shaky alliance.
• Is he ‘our player’? – The fans at times struggle to feel any real loyalty or bond with players who will be leaving in six months, and depart the club after showing any semblance of form or ability. The loanee’s motivations will always be questioned also, as he naturally will be more interested in putting himself in the shop window and progressing with the parent club than aiding his temporary team’s plight.
• Youth systems – A loan deal may well benefit the parent club’s youth system, but what of the lesser of the two clubs? Wilshere’s loan to Bolton or Walker’s to Aston Villa, although successful for the duo, is stopping another home-grown young prospect from progressing at the Reebok Stadium or Villa Park.
• Knock on effect – With the sheer number of players on loan, it is only natural that a team’s season can be decided by the actions of a temporary player. This also applies not only to the team the player goes from or to, but others in the division.

  Arsene Wenger’s main gripe with the loan system is typified by the example of Adebayor, who helped Spurs challenge for the Champions League spots, but wasn’t available to potentially derail Manchester City’s title charge.

The case for the loan system sparks a debate that will never get a conclusion, as each individual deal will be looked at differently due to the potential player’s success. As the FA look to review the loan system, the current formula may be changing – but what’s your view on its current form?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News