SIDCFCProf Hodgson is stumbling on
SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON claims England boss Roy Hodgson is the subject of a smear campaign.
And that he finds all the discussion about Rio Ferdinand being omitted from the Three Lions squad to be “quite silly”.
Not half as silly as taking Theo Walcott to the 2006 World Cup without seeing him play.
That aside, if there is any smear campaign it’s against the FA for their remarkable naivety in believing Ferdinand could be left out TWICE on “footballing grounds” without it arousing any curiosity.
Hodgson has got off lightly and continues to be treated with kid gloves.
But it could have been different. As it certainly was with the publication of a newspaper article in ex-England chief Eriksson’s native Sweden last week.
The story begins with Hodgson’s appointment as England boss and the glowing tributes from the FA for a man with unrivalled contacts within UEFA and an encyclopaedic knowledge of European football.
We now move to Wembley last week and a conversation between Hodgson and a Swedish reporter.
Hodgson enquired as to whether Sweden had played the previous day only to be told it had been on Wednesday.
He then asked about the result — it had been Sweden 3 Iceland 2.
He then wanted to know who had scored, how Sweden had played, how they looked, etc, etc.
When it was then put to Hodgson that he might have watched a recording of the game, he said: “I’ve quite enough on my plate with my own team.”
With all the injuries he has had to cope with in an already truncated period of preparation for the Euros, you understand where Hodgson was coming from.
Yet, at other times, a lot could have been made of the England manager not knowing the latest result of a team that is in England’s own European Championship group and one he will be facing in two weeks’ time.
In fact not even knowing on what day the game was played.
You also might have thought England would have had an observer at the game.
If they did, he clearly did not pass anything on to Hodgson.
What surprised people in Sweden was Hodgson’s apparent lack of research and detail, something for which he was acclaimed during his time at Malmo where he won five successive league titles.
Normally he approaches the opposition with all the forensic intensity of Las Vegas CSI.
Written in a certain way, this could have held Hodgson up in a poor light.
But no great deal has been made of it.
Just as no great deal has been made of the injuries suffered by Chelsea thirty-somethings John Terry (hamstring)and Frank Lampard (thigh) after Hodgson gave them an extra week off following the Blues’ Champions League final triumph over Bayern Munich.
Whereas players of that age might require to be kept ticking over.
Or is it just a coincidence?
Hodgson has also escaped relatively unscathed for the manner of England’s two dour friendly wins over Norway and Belgium — a 1-0 triumph in Oslo followed by a 1-0 victory at Wembley.
His reaction has been along the lines of ‘You don’t honestly think I sent them out to play like that?’
There are a number of other examples of how Hodgson has been treated far more kindly than his predecessors.
But we had better not go into them here.
We could be accused of mounting a smear campaign. And that would never do.
ოჰ, რა სტანოკი გვაქვს ამისთვის გამზადებული?! აქამდე ჯერ არ ნახული
რა შარში გაყო თავი ამ ბუმ ჯერ ვერ ხვდება ალბათ
* * *
ANDRES INIESTA is backing Les Bleus to see off England on Monday night.
The Spanish midfield star, scorer of the goal which won the 2010 World Cup, declared: “I have watched France on television several times and I think they are going to make England suffer.
“The French have improved under Laurent Blanc and the connection between Yohan Cabaye, Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema is a very dangerous one.
“A few months ago I had my doubts. But now I believe France are better than England.
“England have changed their coach and system. They’ve also suffered some important blows off the pitch and that’s a pity, as this is such a key game for them.
“Wayne Rooney will be missed for both his goals and his workrate.
“In normal circumstances, England and France would pass through to the quarter-finals. But the first match can change the course of the group.”
The majority of Premier League managers cannot see much hope for England either.
In a survey of top-flight bosses, 73 per cent said Roy Hodgson’s team would fall in the quarter-finals and that Spain would go on to win the tournament.
The rest are backing Germany for the title.
Yet at least Hodgson can draw comfort from the fact that no one who responded to a Barclays/League Managers’ Association questionnaire thought England would fail to make it out of Group D.
The Prem chiefs clearly expect England’s defence to be given a real test, with 60 per cent going for keeper Joe Hart to be the team’s standout star.
· 
ინგლისური ფეხბურთის ფანკლუბი, The Three Lions on UEFA Euro 2012
