Hodgson - I dont know why I'm here; smint?

[Shaggy]

Why's Henry Winter in there?

Presumably because he carries on like a paid Hodgson cheerleader.

[Cormack74]

Presumably because he carries on like a paid Hodgson cheerleader.

Never noticed that TBH.

That prat Barclay certainly and there have been other sycophants but (although I think Winter's standards have dipped a bit in recent years) I don't particularly see him as one of Woy's disciples.

[Shaggy]

You should see him on Twitter

[Shaggy]

Quick sample

Henry Winter @henrywinter
Stand up & be counted time: I'm backing Hodgson. He doesn't have Redknapp's popularity with players/fans but he knows international football

Henry Winter @henrywinter
Roy Hodgson is a broadsheet man in a tabloid world - #eng comment via @Telegraph http://soc.li/STrVe7Z

Henry Winter @henrywinter
Whatever happens at the Euros, I like the way Hodgson has calmed down much of the drama around #eng. He's the phlegmatic professor

Henry Winter @henrywinter
Thank you Roy Hodgson. Thank you for your warmth, your tactical thinking, your calm, unflappable nature. See you in Brazil.

Henry Winter @henrywinter
#Martin O'Neill & Roy Hodgson will be linked with #Liverpool. Good managers, warmer men than #Rafa Benitez. LFC dressing room needs warmth

Henry Winter @henrywinter
Jovanovic, on left of #Liverpool 4-2-3-1, bulldozes past Sagna twice. Determination, strength, touch..looks typical good business by Hodgson

Henry Winter @henrywinter 30 Jul 10
1 small step in Europe, a giant leap in proving #LFC in safe hands. Hodgson's 1st decision pays off: rests stars, shows faith in Ngog & wins

Henry Winter @henrywinter
Revitalised West Bromwich Albion manager Roy Hodgson proving there's no madness to his method

Henry Winter @henrywinter
Shows Hodgson's ingenuity in making players train on the autobahn hard shoulder. Shows how unfair Uefa is in not delaying games. Ask Barca

Henry Winter @henrywinter
Just done Beeb special on the season. Manager of year? big shouts for Hodgson, Pulis, Coyle, Moyes. surely it's Capello for reviving England

Henry Winter @henrywinter
#Liverpool under spotlight but credit to #Fulham. Tactical guru Hodgson to manage GB at 2012 Olympics and then..England? Capello leaves then

[Cormack74]

You should see him on Twitter

This was HW's offering after the Ukraine game: I think he's seen the light.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/10299369/Ukraine-0-England-0-match-report.html

This draw inches Roy Hodgson’s side closer towards the 2014 World Cup finals but if they intend playing as wretchedly as this in Brazil, they would be well-advised to keep their cars in short-stay at Heathrow and keep the engines running.

On this dispiriting evidence, England won’t get the ball off the kids on Copacabana beach let alone Spain or Brazil at Maracana.

This was one hideously ugly performance by England, highlighting many technical flaws, but this was also undeniably one sweet qualifying point at the home of their Group H rivals. With midfield a mess of lost possession and Rickie Lambert isolated in attack, England were totally indebted to Gary Cahill and Ashley Cole, masterful figures of defiance in defence, for this draw.

Cahill and Cole blocked and cleared, headed balls out and darted out to intercept, giving the type of disciplined, gutsy display they have given for Chelsea in Europe and Cole deserves particular credit for keeping Andriy Yarmolenko quiet. The left-back relishes such demanding occasions, dealing with a high-class opponent and at times there were echoes of past prowess against Cristiano Ronaldo.

On a night when experienced campaigners wilted, Cole was a real leader, one minute ushering Yarmolenko into traffic, the next having a few encouraging words with the nervy Kyle Walker, who struggled against the excellent Yevhen Konoplyanka.

Otherwise, midfield was almost indescribably poor, bereft of pace and composure. Such centurions as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard and the lionised youngster Jack Wilshere constantly gave the ball away.

Infuriatingly for those who admire them, the trio were shadows of their vibrant club selves. Wilshere was particularly disappointing. It did seem to be “Kick Jack Wilshere Day” again and England’s No 10 occasionally slumped at the buffeting, particularly from Oleg Gusev, occasionally Taras Stepanenko.

Hodgson’s claim that this was “a very good quality game” drew a few gasps at his post-match briefing in the Olympic Stadium. Outside, England fans were celebrating, chanting Hodgson’s name as stewards took souvenir snaps of them on their mobile-phones, but a wider audience was understandably underwhelmed.

Gary Lineker tweeted for many when he described the 90 minutes as “awful”, asking “what happens to some of these players when they pull on an England shirt”. For those familiar with his Liverpool days, Hodgson seemed as aggrieved at the general criticism as when he suffered a bad afternoon at Goodison Park.

Emotions are swiftly inflamed and expressed, particularly in the age of social media where everyone has a soap box. Hodgson doesn’t understand this judgmental culture.

He saw only the Group H table showing England top. He saw only a qualifying result to compare with the gutsy stalemate in Rome in 1997 or the draw in Istanbul in 2003. England now host Montenegro and Poland at Wembley next month when their attacking edge should be sharper than last night for all Lambert’s selfless movement.

Wayne Rooney will be available after his cut forehead, Daniel Sturridge fit after his thigh problem and Danny Welbeck free from suspension. England need to be more adventurous, more cultured in possession.

They have drawn with both sides in this campaign and cannot afford any dropped points now. As a keen student of footballing history, Hodgson will well remember Jan Tomaszewski and Poland at Wembley in 73.

Yet the looming possibility of England reaching the World Cup must not be allowed to silence the clamour for change off the field, for developing more well-paid, enlightened coaches to address the myriad flaws at schoolboy level, working on technique even before they enter the Academy system. Greg Dyke’s FA Commission still has urgent issues to discuss and solve such as England’s technical limitations and fear of the penalty.

England’s last visit to the Olympic Stadium had brought only heartache. England fans stepped back into the scene of the team’s Euro 2012 quarter-final exit to “Highway to Hell” and “Welcome to the Jungle”.

Ukraine had started at their anticipated high tempo, running to the rhythm set by their compatriots in the stands. They delivered their rousing National Anthem with typical fervour, powering out lyrics like “our enemies will die as the dew does in the sun’’ but England did not wilt during the first-half pressure, mainly thanks to Cahill and Cole, who were magnificent in anticipating Ukrainian threats on the ground and in the air.

Yet the half could have started darkly for England. Roman Zozulya, Ukraine’s lone striker, raced towards goal until stopped by Joe Hart. It looked a clear penalty but the Portuguese referee, Pedro Proenca, showed clemency to England and Hart, signalling only a corner. Hart looked more assured in dealing with Yevhen Konoplyanka’s corner, charging out to punch clear.

England had their chances in the first half. They gave the ball away too cheaply in midfield but still managed to create some hope in the final third. The concern had always been that Rickie Lambert might become isolated but he dropped off well after two minutes to flick on to Theo Walcott. The Arsenal attacker tore into the box, winning a corner as the Ukraine keeper, Andriy Pyatov, threw himself at Walcott’s feet.

Ukraine’s pressure was considerable but they lacked a really sharp cutting edge. Zozulya failed to exploit the good approach work of Konoplyanka in particular. Ukraine’s centre-forward could not escape Cahill, who intervened brilliantly to cut out one ball destined for Kozulya.

England’s own approach play lacked precision. Some of the passing was overhit such as Wilshere to Walcott and then Walcott to Lampard. England were indebted to the defence, to Jagielka and Cahill who both made hooked clearances just after the half-hour. England continued to absorb the pressure. Cahill cleared. Then Jagielka.

England fans gave their usual support, saluting Lampard, reminding Hart that he was “England’s No 1” yet the players most deserving of tributes were Cahill and Cole. Calmly, Cahill chested down a long ball and cleared.

Wilshere continued to be targeted. After another foul by Gusev, Lampard’s free-kick was deflected over. As the new half opened, Cole read Yarmolenko’s cross and sprinted across to head clear. Then Gerrard ended an attack sourced in the left-sided trickery of Yarmolenko.

Accused of reacting too tardily in bringing Ashley Young on in Podgorica, Hodgson sent the Manchester United winger on in the 66th minute, removing Wilshere and moving Milner inside.

Young promptly gave the ball away, catching the England disease quickly. Walker’s uncomfortable evening continued after 70 minutes when he was caught the wrong side of Zozulya and brought the striker down just outside the box. Much to England’s relief, Konoplyanka’s free-kick deflected for a corner.

It defied belief that Hodgson did not bring on Michael Carrick to keep possession.

Carrick sat there on the bench, England’s one real holding midfielder looking on as the team were desperately holding on. England still almost scored, Walker nicking the ball, sliding in Walcott but he shot wide and Lampard heading wide late on.

[Shaggy]

Haha maybe he is. It'd be about ****ing time ....he's spent about 4 years on Twitter practically rimming him.

[Shaggy]

[Cormack74]

Haha maybe he is. It'd be about ****ing time ....he's spent about 4 years on Twitter practically rimming him.

Reading the quotes in your post I think it's safe to say that if he had his time again I'm not sure HW would have been quite so effusive.

[Shaggy]

"tactical guru"

[Cormack74]

"tactical guru"

Clearly Henry had seen that picture of Woy's "tactics" on the flip chart at Anfield

[Frenchie]

The winner of "The Frozen Coley Fillet Cup" in the Finnish 2nd division.

[Shaggy]

What a ****ing joke

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/05/john-beck-fa-coaching

John Beck, long-ball guru, takes key FA coaching role

• Former Cambridge manager employed at St George's Park
• FA says John Beck's past 'no reflection' on his role now

Daniel Taylor
The Observer, Saturday 5 October 2013 22.01 BST


John Beck's methods were unpopular but successful at Cambridge United in the early 1990s. Photograph: Action Images

John Beck, one of the more infamous football managers of the past 30 years, has been taking a prominent role in the Football Association's programme to bring through the next generation of coaches.

Beck, known for his almost obsessive devotion to route-one tactics, is being employed by the FA to help licensed and unlicensed coaches qualify for their badges despite his notorious reliance on long-ball football during a career that once saw him offering cash bonuses for whichever of his players at Cambridge United kicked the ball the furthest.

The Observer has discovered that the man who was once dubbed Dracula in football circles, because his critics accused him of sucking the life out of football, has established himself with the domestic game's governing body and works on its Level 2 and Uefa B courses, with the responsibility to try to improve the standard of coaching throughout England and Wales. The FA Learning programme is based at St George's Park in Burton and Beck's next course begins in Norwich on 28 October.

The FA have confirmed his involvement and released a statement to defend the appointment. "John's philosophy around playing over 20 years ago bears no reflection on the competence of him as a coach educator at Level 2 and Uefa B," it said.

"The FA employ John because of his understanding of coach education and of the FA's playing and coaching philosophy, which he fully believes in."

Now 59, Beck almost took Cambridge from the Fourth Division into the top flight, from 1990 to 1992, with a style of football that was both successful and controversial. He also had spells at Preston North End and Lincoln City before drifting into non-league football with Histon and then Kettering Town.

At Cambridge, Beck ordered the grass to be left long in the corners so it would hold up the ball when it was kicked over the top. He was renowned for his cold-water bucket treatment, when players would be soaked before matches, and there were various stories of Cambridge embarking on underhand tactics to unsettle the opposition, from turning up the heating in the away dressing room to roughing up the pitch to make it as difficult as possible to play a passing game.

The FA added: "When we started to administer and deliver the Uefa B through the FA at the beginning of 2011 all the tutors went through a rigorous selection process and a comprehensive training programme. The FA constantly monitor the quality and delivery of all tutors."

[Rich]

Unsurprising The FA are a joke.

[Leyton388]

The more things change the more they stay the same.

[Red_Polo]

Some of these pics are phenomenal

Bawamawama