You cannot afford to rely on history, you have to make it.
Martin O'Neill
Showing posts with label Roy Hodgson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roy Hodgson. Show all posts
Monday, 10 September 2018
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Neville Back into England Squad Room
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| Getty Images |
Gary Neville will help select England’s final squad before Euro 2016 via a conference call from Spain before the Valencia head coach links up with the national team next week.
Neville gave up his media commitments after being appointed manager of Valencia in December, but continued in his role as England coach.
The former England and Manchester United right-back has endured a difficult time at Valencia but will still be joining Roy Hodgson’s squad during the international break as planned.
Neville is currently preparing for an important Europa League last-16 match with Athletic Bilbao, but will spend some of Wednesday afternoon finalising the England squad for the upcoming friendlies in Germany and at home to Holland.
The conference call with Hodgson and coach Ray Lewington will decide the squad that will be announced at Wembley on Thursday, just hours before Valencia look to overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit and reach the Europa League quarter-finals.
Neville will also lead Valencia in Sunday’s Primera Division match against Celta Vigo, before travelling to the UK along with England’s performance analysis manager Andy Scoulding, who is working at Valencia as technical coach.
The pair’s commitments in Spain meant they missed last month’s England squad meeting at St George’s Park, where around 40 of the 47 players called up by Hodgson since the World Cup got together.
Danny Welbeck was among those in attendance despite having not played for the national team since last March, but the Arsenal forward’s return to action, and form, means he is set to be included in the squad for this month’s friendlies.
Jack Wilshere attended the get-together but remains sidelined with a long-term leg injury, while his Arsenal team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also absent.
A knee injury means the England captain Wayne Rooney is the biggest name ruled out of this month’s matches, joining his Manchester United team-mates Phil Jones and Luke Shaw on the sidelines.
The United teenager Marcus Rashford is not expected to be included despite his remarkable emergence, but the Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge and Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster look likely to be involved after recovering from injury.
Few new faces are expected to make their way into Hodgson’s squad, but the West Ham captain Mark Noble and Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater have been pushing for call-ups.
Hodgson recently said both players were “knocking on the door” and Marc Albrighton, who downplayed his own England chances, believes his team-mate Drinkwater should be included.
“I don’t see why not,” the winger said. “He has been fantastic for us. He has really come into his own. If people are going to be picked on form, then he should be one of the first names on the squad list.”
Hodgson will not be able to call upon Fabian Delph, Danny Ings and Charlie Austin due to injury, but the Newcastle winger Andros Townsend will be hoping to be involved after a hamstring strain.
Everton’s Leighton Baines and John Stones are edging their way back to full fitness, while Ryan Mason is injury-free but struggling to get into the Tottenham line-up on a regular basis.
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Don Howe 1935 - 2015
Former Arsenal and West Brom manager and long-serving England coach Don Howe has died at the age of 80.
Howe played for and managed both Arsenal and West Brom, also winning 23 England caps, and went on to become one of English football's most-respected coaches.
That reputation was built in-part on the Gunners' 1971 League and FA Cup Double success, when he was right-hand man to manager Bertie Mee.
Howe left Highbury to become boss at West Brom, where he had made 379 appearances as a full-back, but later returned as coach before taking the manager's job in 1983.
He was part of the England coaching team during the managerial reigns of Ron Greenwood, Bobby Robson and Terry Venables and also helped mastermind Wimbledon's 1988 FA Cup triumph before short spells in charge of QPR and Coventry.
Howe was Arsenal manager when Paul Merson joined as a youngster, and the Sky Sports pundit said: "He was so far ahead of his time it was scary.
"He was probably the best coach in the world of football, not just England. He was a phenomenal, phenomenal coach."
Arsenal chairman Sir Chips Keswick said: "Don possessed a marvellous ability to get the very best out of players with his coaching techniques and provide them with the perfect preparation for matches. He was the very best at what he did - and he did it with us, at Arsenal, for decade after decade.
"He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him and his name will live on in the history books as one of the most influential footballing figures in the history of the club."
FA Chairman Greg Dyke said: "It is terribly sad news and our thoughts are with Don's family at this time.
"He is widely regarded as being in the vanguard of coaching in England, and I know that his loss will be keenly felt amongst the coaching fraternity in particular and not least by Roy Hodgson, who was close to Don."
#RIP
Friday, 13 November 2015
Preview - Spain v England
England begin their preparations for Euro 2016 with a trip to Spain to face Vicente Del Bosque's in-form defending champions.
Spain, victorious in Vienna at Euro 2012, have won their last six matches, a run that stretches back to mid-June, and have kept clean sheets in four consecutive games against Slovakia, Macedonia, Luxembourg and Ukraine.
England beat Spain 1-0 in their last encounter thanks to Frank Lampard's second-half strike in a Wembley friendly, and Roy Hodgson's men head into Friday's game full of confidence after a perfect 10 wins from 10 in their European qualification campaign.
Originally scheduled for the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Friday's friendly will instead take place at the 30,000 capacity Estadio Jose Rico Perez in Alicante.
Jamie Vardy is Hodgson's only injury concern - the Leicester striker picked up a knock in the Foxes' victory over Watford and is doubtful.
Wayne Rooney will be rested, which opens the door for Harry Kane to lead the attack. Hodgson confirmed the England captain will be available against France on Tuesday. Spurs duo Dele Alli and Eric Dier are in line for first international starts after Liverpool's James Milner pulled out of the squad with a hamstring injury earlier in the week.
Diego Costa could start for the hosts, but Del Bosque will be without David Silva (ankle), Sergio Ramos (shoulder) and Isco (muscle). The Real Madrid playmaker left Spain's training camp with an undisclosed muscular injury, and his absence could allow a rare start for Manchester United's Juan Mata or Celta Vigo's Nolito.
Spain have won three of the last four internationals with England, losing the last meeting in November 2011 at Wembley.
The last time England won away in Spain was in February 1987 - Gary Lineker scored all four goals in a 4-2 win for Sir Bobby Robson's side. In fact, England haven't scored in their last three matches in Spain under three different managers (Graham Taylor, Sven Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello).
Spain have won 10 of their last 11 on home soil, losing only to Germany in November 2014. But England haven't conceded in their last four games - they last went five without conceding in October 2014.
The last team to play an international against Spain in Alicante were Scotland in 2011 (lost 3-1). In seven internationals, Spain have won six and drawn one (against Hungary in 1977).
Roy Hodgson is unbeaten in his last eight friendlies as England manager (W4 D4), last losing to Germany in November 2013.
Friday, 9 October 2015
Liverpool Confirm New Manager
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| Getty Images |
Klopp flew into the city's John Lennon airport on Thursday afternoon and will be unveiled by the Premier League club at a news conference scheduled for 10am on Friday.
The 48-year-old waved goodbye to Borussia Dortmund in May after leading the club to two Bundesliga titles in a seven-year spell at the club.
Klopp replaces Brendan Rodgers after the Northern Irishman was sacked following the Merseyside derby draw on Sunday.
Rodgers paid the price for a poor start to the season which has seen the Anfield giants win just three of their eight matches in the league this season.
Former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who left Real Madrid in May, was also linked with the vacancy but the Italian ruled himself out on Tuesday while talks progressed quickly with first-choice candidate Klopp.
In a short statement on Twitter the club said: "Liverpool Football Club are delighted to announce Jurgen Klopp has been appointed as the club's new manager.
"The German coach has signed a deal to take the helm at the Reds and will be presented at a press conference at Anfield on Friday morning."
Regarded as one of the top coaches in Europe, the fact he has taken on the challenge at Liverpool - who apart from one thrilling title near-miss in 2014 have slid well down the Premier League pecking order - is already being viewed by fans as a significant turning point in their fortunes.
Klopp's appointment immediately injects a feelgood factor into a club in need of it after they were humbled 3-0 at home by West Ham and only just scraped past League Two Carlisle on penalties in the Capital One Cup.
But the German will also be expected to bring success back to Anfield, and with the club just three points off the top four and only six behind leaders Manchester City there is great optimism he will be able to have a considerable impact this season.
Klopp is expected to bring with him Bosnian Zeljko Buvac, his assistant both at Dortmund and Mainz before that, and coach Peter Krawietz.
Liverpool paved the way for their arrival with a clear-out of Rodgers' backroom staff earlier in the day with first-team coach Gary McAllister, assistant manager Sean O'Driscoll - who were only brought in over the summer in an overhaul of coaching personnel - removed from their posts.
Head of performance Glen Driscoll and head of opposition analysis Chris Davies, who followed Rodgers to Anfield from Swansea in 2012, have also lost their jobs.
However, former Reds midfielder McAllister has accepted an ambassadorial role and the former Scotland international's classy act in taking training on Thursday - even though he knew it was his last - reflects well on him and the what influence he can have behind the scenes.
McAllister took the session with one member of staff - Pep Lijnders, promoted in the summer from the club's academy as a player development coach - who has kept his job.
It appears the position of head of fitness and conditioning Ryland Morgans, another Rodgers recruit from Swansea, is also safe for now.
Former Liverpool manager and now England boss Roy Hodgson offered Klopp his best wishes in his new job.
"Certainly we wish him well. I mean, it is like everything else - everybody who comes into the job has taken somebody else's job," said Hodgson.
"It is club business when they decide to change managers. It has got nothing to do with international managers like myself.
"All I can do is welcome Jurgen to England and wish him the very best of luck with his job of making Liverpool the top team that the owners would like them to be."
Hodgson also expressed the hope he and the German would enjoy a good working relationship in the coming years.
"I've been very fortunate since taking over as the England manager that I had a very good relationship, and received a lot of help and backing from Brendan Rodgers," he added.
"I am hoping that Jurgen Klopp will give me the same support and backing as we've had."
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
SVG Writes Off England 2014
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| Getty Images |
Sven-Goran Eriksson has written off England's chances of winning the World Cup next summer.
The 65-year-old Swede, now coach of Chinese Super League team Guangzhou R&F, led England to the quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006.
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "I don't believe they can win the World Cup in Brazil. Maybe in Russia in 2018. There are a lot of young players coming in.
"I think it's easier to win it there than in Brazil."
Roy Hodgson's side secured qualification for Brazil by winning their group but only find themselves in the second pot of seeds for the 6 December draw for next summer's tournament.
They will have to make history if they are to repeat their solitary World Cup win of 1966, as no European side have won the competition in South America.
FA chairman Greg Dyke has also played down England's hopes next year and targeted success in the 2022 World Cup.
Eriksson believes another run to the last eight, matching his own best with England, would not represent failure for Hodgson, whose predecessor Fabio Capello saw his team beaten by Germany in the second round in 2010.
He added: "Expectation does not seem to be what it was in the past and I think that's very good for the team.
"The quarter-finals would be very good. It is time for a semi-final or final."
However, Eriksson believes a winter break in English football is needed for success.
"It's not that difficult. Take one week in January and give the players a week off, then take them in and prepare for the game after," he said.
"I think everyone agrees if you take a break it will be very good for England.
"Is that the main thing holding England back? For sure, it's one thing, maybe the easiest thing. I know players would love it and they would feel better for the rest of the season."
Meanwhile, Eriksson has defended his former England captain David Beckham's professionalism following recent criticism from ex-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson over the player's celebrity lifestyle.
Writing in his latest autobiography, the Scot remarked that Beckham was the "only player I managed who chose to be famous".
Eriksson added: "David Beckham, for me, every time he came to England camps he was an extremely professional football player. You asked yourself 'how could he handle it?' Wherever we went it was chaos.
"I think players were very much all right with that; it took the pressure off them. He was very professional then and he has been all his life.
"He was very good all the time he was captain."
Thursday, 12 September 2013
Hodgson Surprised by Lineker
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| Getty Images |
England manager Roy Hodgson says he is "surprised" by Gary Lineker's criticism of his side's performance in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Ukraine.
Match of the Day presenter and former England skipper Lineker was frustrated by the goalless draw in Kiev.
But Hodgson has defended his tactics and questioned Lineker's observations.
"I am surprised that anyone who has played for England, captained England and played in games of this nature can be that critical," Hodgson said.
The point in Ukraine keeps England top of World Cup qualifying Group H.
Victories in their two remaining matches at Wembley, against Montenegro on 11 October and Poland four days later, will secure automatic qualification for next year's finals in Brazil.
Hodgson said he told his players to bypass midfield in the early stages of the game in Kiev.
England's second highest goalscorer behind Sir Bobby Charlton, Lineker - who netted 48 times in 80 caps between 1984 and 1992 - said in a Tweet on Tuesday that he later deleted that Hodgson's side were "awful" and added: "What happens to some of these players when they pull on an England shirt?"
The Ex-Tottenham, Everton and Barcelona striker, who said England's tactics were "a step back to the dark ages" against the Republic of Ireland in May, subsequently insisted he was fully behind Hodgson as he moved to clarify his comments.
He said: "I'd like to make it clear I'm fully supportive of Roy and think he's doing a good job."
But Hodgson added: "He has done it for the second time.
"I remember Gary Lineker playing, I remember him captaining the team and playing some great games for England.
"But I am pretty sure he also played in some games where it wasn't that easy. I don't think every game he played for the England side was a total success."
Asked about his tactics in Ukraine, Hodgson said: "Did we play longer balls forward early? Yes, we did.
"We didn't want to play out from the back and invite pressure."
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