A Football Report

By Max Grieve

With apparently false obstinacy, both red and blue repeated the tired lines. “We’ll pick a team that will do this club justice,” said Dalglish. His captain nodded in approval: “We’ve got the game against Fulham, and then we can get ready for Chelsea”. This sentiment was echoed in London. “I have not rested players in the past,” Di Matteo declared ahead of his side’s vital league clash with Newcastle. “All the games are important – we obviously tried to stay in all the competitions. We don’t want to just throw anything away.”

Their respective home losses to Fulham and Newcastle were symptomatic of their contradictory seasons. That Liverpool and Chelsea should be defeated, despite such resolute opposition to the suggestion that they might field weakened sides, reflected a common lapse in focus for this afternoon’s FA Cup finalists. Everybody insisted that their efforts were concentrated solely on the midweek league matches, though as Wembley loomed, it was obvious that minds were wandering. The alternate opinion – that both were actually too focussed – is a similar argument: neither appeared to recognise the importance of the immediate challenge, and had their attentions turned towards the shimmering prize ahead.

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By Oliver Sparrow, writing from London

So, the FA have finally got their man. The man they have been so patiently waiting for. The man everyone loves. The man doing so well in the Premier League. The man so obviously the right choice for the England job – Roy Hodgson.

“What!?” – I hear you cry. That’s right, Roy Hodgson. The FA have refused to be harangued by old ‘Arry’s chums in the media. They’ve even ignored the unbounded tweeting wisdom of Messrs Ferdinand and Rooney. Instead of the knee-jerk appointment of Harry Redknapp which so many expected, and perhaps desired, they have taken a measured approach, thought carefully, and hired the man who they believe fits the bill.

It’s not the big statement, marquee managerial appointment that was widely expected. Then again, where has that got England in the past? Keegan was brought in in 1999 to inject some passion and vibrancy. Misguided passion translated into poor results and bad tactics. Sven was brought in to replace Keegan. A calm Scandinavian head to steady the ship. Eventually the press along with the FA grew tired of poor old Sven, despite fairly decent results, and appointed his English understudy Steve McClaren. This short-sighted appointment resulted in the Wally with the brolly failing to even qualify for Euro 2008. By then it really was time for a change. Bring on Fabio Capello – the man whose mantelpiece isn’t long enough to hold all of his winners’ medals. Surely if he can’t guide England to success, no-one can… Turned out the players didn’t much care for his regimented approach. Not having a firm grasp of the English language probably didn’t help, either.

Using the same reactionary logic, the next manager should be an Englishman who the press and the players get on with – Harry Redknapp. He seemed nailed-on. The man who all the players seem to adore. The man to bring back some passion and enthusiasm to the dressing room. Not the entirely more reserved Hodgson, whose star had dramatically faded after a torrid tenure at the helm of an ailing Liverpool side. Hodgson is the logical choice, though…

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