Could Hodgson be set to bring JT back?

Since retiring from international football in September, pundits and fans alike have called for England boss Roy Hodgson to pick up the phone and see if he can tempt Chelsea star John Terry out of international retirement ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

But will Hodgson try and tempt the 78 time capped defender out of retirement? All signs at the moment suggest not. Hodgson only yesterday said there would be no surprises in his selection for the World Cup in Brazil.

Hodgson defended the current centre-back pairing of Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill. The pair started the crucial final games together in the qualifying period after Terry's retirement, however they did endure some fierce criticism from fans despite England going onto qualify by finishing top of a difficult group.

Against Poland, despite winning 2-0, England's back line were caught all too often on the break. If Robert Lewandoski was in his usual form then there is no doubt that the game wouldn't have finished so comfortably for the Three Lions.

Hodgson has said he has no intention on picking up the phone and calling Terry. He has faith in his current centre-backs and that must be applauded. He believes in them and he urges the fans to believe in them as well. Hodgson knows that going back to England's old boys at each tournament could only see a return to their usual failings.

It wouldn't be the first time England have turned to a retired international for the tournament should Hodgson make the call. In 2010, former England Manager Fabio Capello called upon Jamie Carragher to join the squad despite not playing a single minute during the qualifiers. Carragher found himself thrust into the major tournament and he suffered, England suffered and another miserable campaign come and went.

There are two sides to every argument and these two arguments are very good. Firstly, it wouldn't be fair on Cahill and Jagielka if they missed out on the World Cup because Terry was recalled just for the tournament. The centre-backs have been reliable if nothing more, and Hodgson should remember that when it comes to naming his 23 man squad.

Of course there is a flip side to this, Jagielka and Cahill have been caught out in the qualifiers a few times, thankfully not causing any real disasters, however against the likes of Spain, Brazil, Germany and Holland you have to wonder if they are competent enough to do a solid job.

Calling on Terry would mean experience, it would mean a leader, it would mean a commanding centre-back who has proven against the worlds best he can do a fine job. The Chelsea man though has been troubled of late with injury problems which are likely to do his cause no good.

I think it is time England left behind some of the old guard that they rely on time and time again and fail with. This is the chance of Jagielka and Cahill, they need time to grow and blossom into England's centre back pairing for the next four years.

'No surprises' insists Hodgson

After back to back defeats at Wembley for the first time in 36 years, many England fans wouldn't have been filled with too much confidence ahead of the World Cup in Brazil next summer, however England boss Roy Hodgson today insisted 'what you saw is what you will get'.

Hodgson effectively used two different sides against Chile and Germany last week, however a lack of attacking prowess and still some defensive frailties were again highlighted as the Three Lions laboured to two very disappointing defeats.

The 2-0 defeat against Chile last Friday was harsh, England dominated, they played some neat football, however a lack of striking instinct cost them. Germany was a different story, the visitors dominated and outclassed Hodgson's men. Thankfully Hodgson had Joe Hart in goal who was ready to show the world and his Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini just how good he really was.

Despite those defeats, Hodgson has said today he will stick by the players that got England to the finals in Brazil. It will be music to the ears of both Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka who have come under scrutiny of late, with several pundits and supporters calling for the recall of Chelsea defender John Terry who retired from International football last year.

It will also be music to the ears of Southampton trio Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez who Hodgson admitted had forced their way into his plans after impressing in the friendlies.

The news will not have been so pleasing for the likes of Andy Carroll who has not played for England for almost a year after struggling with injury problems. The West Ham striker will have limited time to impress Hodgson and prove he is worthy of a spot on the plane.

Roberto Martinez shared his wisdom this week when he told Everton midfielder Ross Barkley to forget about playing at the World Cup but rather spend his time on concentrating on his club form which has been impressive so far, helping him earn his three England caps.

Martinez warned: "We all know in football a week can be an eternity so next summer is a long way to worry about." The Everton boss is right and the emergence of Barkley and Townsend are proof of it. Needing to win their final two group games, Hodgson turned to Barkley and Tottenham winger Andros Townsend and it worked a treat despite having very little Premier League experience.

With just 26% of players in the Premier League being English, the England job is tough. Hodgson says he wont surprise and we shouldn't be expecting to see another young starlet propelled into the England limelight for Brazil, but you just never know.

It seems Hodgson will go with the tried and tested in Brazil, however, we want to know if you could pick one player to go as part of the England squad next summer who hasn't featured as of yet then who would it be?

Why the second coming of the 'Special one' may not be so special

Jose Mourinho today returned to Stamford Bridge having signed a four year deal with Chelsea FC.

Mourinho's final game in charge of Real Madrid on Saturday evening, despite six goals being scored, was a sideshow as all focus was on the man that once pronounced himself as the 'special one'.

Of course all signs seem to have pointed towards Stamford Bridge for the last few weeks as Chelsea fans licked their lips in excitement at the second coming of their former boss. Today we look at whether a return to the English capital is the right move for Mourinho. 

There is no doubt that the 50 year old is Chelsea's most successful manager in recent history and those fans still love him. But could that all change? 

They say in football you should never return, we never expected Mourinho to listen to that advice, why would he? Here is a man that has won most things in most countries. 

This time though things could potentially be very different from when the eccentric Portuguese manager took over at the Bridge in 2003. Back then Mourinho had a team that had achieved very little and he had John Terry and Frank Lampard in their prime. This time he set to inherit a side that has won the Europa League and qualified automatically for next seasons Champions League.

The aim will be simple for Mourinho this time around, win the Premier League and the Champions League. Of Course he never had to deal with the threat of Manchester City during his last tenure, while Manchester United and Arsenal will also be out to upset his return to Englands top flight.

While it is argued that now is the perfect time for Mourinho to walk back into Stamford Bridge like a knight in shining armour, you can't but help but think while he has lots to win, Mourinho has so much more to lose this time around. 

The fact he has the same love of Chelsea as their supporters will give him an extra boost in the challenge to complete his 'unfinished' business at the Bridge. The boss also enjoys a strong relationship with the British press, not something every manager can boast. 

The one relationship though that seems fractured is that of Mourinho and the Chelsea owner Roman Abromovich. In 2007 Mourinho left the Bridge blaming a breakdown in relationship with the influential Russian. While it appears that the relationship is now fixed, you have to wonder how long it will be before that all changes. 

Is a return to Chelsea right for both Mourinho and the Blues?

The FA must 'shake-up' the pre-match routine to save respect

Having read lots of articles and blogs on the subject of whether the FA should abolish the pre-match hand-shake after the refusal of Luis Suarez to shake the hand of Patrice Evra (the man he was found guilty of racially abusing) in the Liverpool-United clash at Old Trafford last weekend I thought I would share my thoughts.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said after the game that Suarez could have caused a riot, slightly over the top; however, Fergie continued that Suarez was “A disgrace to Liverpool and English football”. This I completely agree with. Suarez had the opportunity to put the whole thing to bed by a simple shake of the hand, but could the FA have done more by abolishing the pre-match handshake before the game?

I personally see the handshake as nothing more than a pre-match marketing tool where sponsors on shirts get extra coverage meanwhile TV broadcasters use the hand-shake to go to advert breaks. Rightly the FA will argue that the hand-shake shows respect between the two sides, however I argue that if the players genuinely respected each other we wouldn’t see some of the awful challenges that we see on the field and we certainly wouldn’t see scenes such as Evra’s pathetic celebration after the game in the face of Suarez which in Ferguson’s own words ‘Could have caused a riot’ in itself.

The FA already undermined their ‘respect’ campaign weeks ago when they decided to abandon the pre-match hand-shake between QPR and Chelsea players in the wake of the John Terry and Anton Ferdinand racial abuse accusations. The removal of that hand-shake appeared to have removed the tension between the two sides and a clean game was played between the two.

Where to go from here? In all honesty the FA must abandon the pre match hand-shake as soon as possible. The players don’t need to prove their respect for the other players before a game, their actions on the field should show that. It is nothing more than a PR stunt from the FA and must be scrapped. If they insist on keeping it then it should be moved to the end of the game after the players have finished. By moving it to after the game not only are the players showing respect to their opponents they are also teaching younger players to lose and win graciously as well as putting an end to the childish behaviour we saw from Evra and his team-mates after Manchester United’s win against Liverpool.

What do you think? Should the hand-shake be scrapped or does it promote respect?

As always let me know. 

FA must 'arry up and appoint Redknapp to forget latest mess.

Fabio Capello sensationally resigned as England manager this evening leaving England without a manager and a captain just four months before Euro 2012.

The Italian decided to step down this evening after talks with FA chairman David Bernstein and secretary Alex Horne over comments made to Italian TV over the decision to strip the captaincy armband from John Terry after allegations of the Chelsea defender racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

On Sunday evening Capello was quoted as saying he 'absolutely disagreed' with the decision to take the armband away from Terry as he was still under suspicion and had not actually been found guilty as of yet. The comments from Capello were badly timed and were frowned upon fiercely by the FA who would have wanted to avoid this type of controversy just months before a major tournament.

With Capello appearing to be undermined by the FA as they made the decision without the managers opinion, Capello made the decision tonight that he could no longer manage the national side and resigned with immediate effect. Reports this evening from Italy say that Capello has said that the FA "really insulted me and damaged my authority". Regardless of people's opinion on the Italian, he is England's most successful manager based on win percentage with a 66.7% rate.

Capello's decision to resign has come as a huge shock to many fans although the feeling from the majority fans was 'Bring on Harry Redknapp', however it is clear that Capello did have his supporters with retired groundsman Ray Baker saying "The FA have insulted Capello's intelligence, he did a good job with the England team".

Harry Redknapp, cleared today of tax evasion is the favorite to take over the job on what could only be explained as a dream day for the current Tottenham manager. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said on Redknapp: "He started the day facing prison, he ends it in heaven." Despite Redknapp seeming to be the only candidate there are other names that are already being mentioned. Stuart Pearce, Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Gareth Southgate and Gary Lineker have all been linked with the post.

England have done what they do best and shot themselves in the foot just months before a major tournament, however, this self implosion seems to be repairable should England have a successful European Championships.

What do you think? Who will England turn to next?

Capello comment's couldn't have come at a worse time.

“I absolutely disagree with the decision to remove John Terry as the captain”. These were the comments made by England manager Fabio Capello yesterday on Italian TV which has caused fury at the FA headquarters this morning.

Last week the decision was made by the FA committee at their Wembley headquarters to remove the prestigious armband from the Chelsea defender after his trial for allegations of racial abuse against Anton Ferdinand was delayed until the 9^th July 2012, one week after the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine.

With the hearing delayed, FA bosses believed they couldn’t allow a player who is up against such allegations lead the country in a major competition, however, strangely it emerged afterwards that England manager Fabio Capello was not involved in discussions whether to remove the armband from Terry. After the announcement, it was made clear that Capello supported the FA’s decision and would begin the search for his new captain who would hopefully lift the European Championship trophy on July 1^st; however, comments on Italian TV from Capello have since indicated he is not supportive of the decision.

Capello could have landed himself in huge trouble after the remarks with former FA chairman David Davies saying he might have ‘breached his contract’, the punishment for that obviously being dismissal. It is unlikely the FA will dismiss Capello, in fact they should be moving heaven and earth to avoid that situation as a calm build up to a competition would be what the Association hope for. Capello’s argument is that Terry as not yet been found guilty and until he is so then he should remain as captain.

One argument that continues to show its face against the boss is that Capello is undermining whoever is asked to take over the role. While it is true Capello stripped the armband from Terry before over the incident of the player sleeping with team mate Wayne Bridge girlfriend, Capello clearly supports his skipper in this bitter row which could cause dressing room unrest, particularly as Terry’s central defender partner at the Euros could be Anton Ferdinand’s brother Rio.

While it is highly unlikely Capello will get the sack over his comments, it is something the FA bosses will take extremely seriously as again it shows a lack of unity in the run up to another major tournament and Capello can expect some punishment, however nothing more than a quiet word from David Bernstein along the lines of ‘Just focus on winning Euro 2012’ is expected.

Was Capello right to say what he did? Should the Italian be sacked?

As always let me know your thoughts?

FA decision is Terry-ble news for John

‘Innocent until proven guilty’ is the way the Football Association normally react to situations that don’t sit easy at the headquarters, however, today the FA went against their own policy as they stripped John Terry of the England captaincy over allegations that the Chelsea defender racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand when two sides met in October at Loftus Road.

On Tuesday, John Terry’s legal team pleaded not guilty on behalf of the Chelsea defender, while the club itself threw their own support behind their player as they insisted Terry could ‘Have as much time off as necessary to clear his name.’ The court hearing was adjourned until July 9^th, eight days after the final of the European Championships which England and Terry will be hoping to be involved in.

The 31 year old defender was informed this morning by the Football Association chairman David Bernstein that he would no longer be captain until the situation was ‘resolved’ meaning that Fabio Capello will have to find a new leader to captain the side out in England’s opening game against France on 11^th June.

Oddly, Capello was not involved in the decision to remove the armband from Terry with many at the Association fearing the decision not to allow Capello his opinion could backfire on the FA, however, it has appeared since the announcement that Capello has respected the decision not to include him in the decision process.

So the question that remains is who next? A various amount of candidates are in the running with Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard currently odds on favourite at 4/5, while Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker is second favourite at 9/2. One man that seems to have a lot of backing is Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. Starting the day at 20/1, odds have considerably shortened to 6-1 as support for the 24 year old increases. The need for a long term captain seems to be the main reason for many supporters tipping the Shrewsbury born keeper with 19 year old student Luke Stone saying “If it was up to me JT would still have it. The FA should stick behind their captain until proven innocent.  But Joe Hart would be my choice for the next captain as he is likely to be in the side for years to come and we need a long-term captain”.

Support continued from Southampton Solent University student Ollie Eden who said that Joe Hart would help England ‘form a new generation’. Support has also been thrown behind Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard from 21 year old Glenn Noble who stated: “Gerrard for the Euros, let’s see how he goes and what the new manager will have planned”.

Odds of England captain at Euro 2012 (Odds from Skybet)

Steven Gerrard 4/5
Scott Parker 9/2
Joe Hart 6/1
Gareth Barry 7/1
Frank Lampard 9/1
Rio Ferdinand 25/1
Ashley Cole 25/1
Phil Jones 25/1

One man that is no longer in the running is Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand after he tweeted this afternoon "I just want to concentrate on playing for Manchester United." That will come as a blow to some supporters who would have hoped the experience of Ferdinand would have helped the younger players along in the pressure cooker of a major championship.

Of course there are those supporters who support the Chelsea skipper, his club manager Andres Villas Boas who after the announcement humoured with the gathering press that “I have nothing to say on the matter- except I think it was the wrong decision”. 21 year Old Sam Copson from Watford said the whole situation was a sorry mess: “The whole situation is a mess; it should have been dealt with by now. Think it’s all been overhyped and Terry can feel hard done by”.

Capello would have wanted to avoid these scenes heading into his final major competition as England manager. It is expected that Capello will go with what he knows meaning that he will choose Gerrard to lead his side in Poland and Ukraine and then leave the manager following in his footsteps to choose the next permanent captain of English football after the Euros are completed. 

Has racism been shown the red card yet?

‘Let’s kick racism out of football’ was set up in 1993 to do exactly that, but in this blog I pose the question, has racism been kicked out of English football?

The Premier League is currently investigating two cases of racism after Manchester United defender Patrice Evra accused Liverpool striker Luis Suarez of abusing him in their 1-1 clash at Anfield two weeks ago. Last week saw Chelsea defender John Terry also accused of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.

It would be wrong for me to suggest that either of the two alleged players are racists until the full reports are published, but quite frankly I find the fact that allegations like this are even being made in 2011 is sickening.  The Premier League currently has its highest percentage of foreign and black players in its 10 year history and it brands itself as the world’s biggest league, if that’s the case then any proof of racism should be met with the heaviest sanctions.

But are we right to assume that eradicating racism from football is possible? Bearing in mind we live in a society where people are quick to judge and mindless thugs continue to wander the streets of our ‘Great Britain’. John Barnes, racially abused while playing for England in the 80’s said recently that we were silly to believe that racism had been kicked out of football and he himself questioned whether it ever would be.

Contradicting that view though was manager of Manchester United now for 25 years, Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex said he was ‘surprised’ that there were two cases being investigated, and ‘hoped’ there would never be a third.

It is clear that some western European countries still struggle at large with racism in football. Spain and Russia have received heavy sanctions from FIFA in years gone by as ‘punishment’ for their part in racist taunts, but is England in danger of slipping back to the dark days of the 80’s when black England players were abused by their own fans?

Thankfully I think we are not set to slip back to them ways. We are a nation that has currently possess some great black footballers, as well as having the most entertaining league in the world that involves some of the greatest foreign players of the modern era, and losing that over racism would be ridiculous, suicidal and damn right pathetic.

I hope that in both cases being investigated that both alleged offenders are found not guilty for the sake of the image of English football. It is true that England leads the way in the fight against racism; however, I fear that if Terry or Suarez are found guilty then our image as a nation is tarnished.

Do you agree? Is racism still happening in our game today or do you think we have ‘kicked it out’? If found guilty, how should Terry or Suarez be dealt with?

As always let me know.