Hoddle for England?

 First I must say I am biased when it comes to Glen Hoddle. He was my boyhood hero, one of the finest players we have seen and in my opinion, the best England manager since Bobby Robson.

Glen Hoddle has recently expressed his interest in the England job and if for merely footballing reasons, would be a shoe-in.

There is a dividing line with Hoddle which cost him his job in the first place. His use of a faith healer in the past put him in a vulnerable position, as does any method which is seen as unconventional, had she been called a sport psychologist it would have been acceptable. As good as a coach and tactician he may have been, his handling of players and the media left him open to criticism.

In 1998 Glen Hoddle had a decision to make in choosing his World Cup squad. Unfortunately for Paul Gascoigne, his fitness was considered a risk and it was Gazza who didn’t make the squad. Perhaps Hoddle did not deliver the news in the way the player would have liked but perhaps it was the right decision, it is impossible to say.

As they say the rest is history. This England squad was certainly capable of winning the World Cup. Michael Owen had just appeared and the whole nation was pleading with Hoddle to start him, which Hoddle chose not to do immediately. England were impressive in the group stage and faced old foe, Argentina in the second round. Michael Owen announced himself to the world with an incisive break and scoring for England.

Unfortunately for England, David Beckham got himself sent off with a rather childish swipe at Simeone who did all he could to make sure the referee saw it. England eventually lost on penalties but not before putting in a fine resolute display which could have been rewarded had Sol Campbell’s goal been ruled out.

Hoddle tactically was spot on, he had got the best out of his players, and it seemed a good crack at the European Championships was on the cards. Unfortunately for Hoddle he let his own personal beliefs interfere with his public life and made that great faux pas, which i am sure to this day he regrets. Hoddle had said that the things that happen to you in this life could be a punishment for the bad things you do in a past life. The fact that this is a commonly held belief in some cultures was lost on the press and the general media and in fact the entire disabled community. Hoddle’s comments were considered inappropriate and insensitive and he was forced to resign.

It is unfortunate when a manager has to resign because of events off the pitch, and even more unfortunate for Hoddle who never really reached great heights as a club manager. He was however a good manager and had some success with Southampton before his return to Tottenham. Hoddle had managed to get Spurs playing attractive football again and it was the beginning of the rebirth of the club after many years in the doldrums, but for Hoddle it wasn’t to happen.  Player power forced him out combined with some poor results. I felt at the time and still do,  had Spurs had a young crop of players to mould, then Hoddle would have been the man to get the best out of them as his coaching abilities have been acclaimed by many a player. When he had a brief stint at Wolves as manager, the players there said he was the best footballer on the pitch, a great example for younger players.

This England team is clearly at the crossroads and it needs a manager who can get the best out of the squad. I would give Hoddle another chance because he has proved it with England in the past his abilities as a manager, I am sure he can be forgiven for his off field transgression.