Tag Archives: England

Taylor backs Redknapp as next England boss

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Fabio Capello has already confirmed he will retire in 2012 and there is a growing sentiment from both inside and outside the FA that the next England coach should be a local, as is increasingly the case in the top nations in international football.

Graham Taylor agrees with that notion and he sees Tottenham manager Redknapp as the best candidate of the English crop when it comes time to pick Capello’s successor.

“I have always believed that the job should go to an Englishman,” said Taylor, who led England for three years in the 1990s. “That’s not being disrespectful to Fabio or to Sven-Goran Eriksson. I just believe that the top countries in international football, players, staff, supporters pit their wits against other nations and the man in charge has to be from that country.”

Redknapp was touted as a possible successor to Capello this summer after he beat off competition from the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool to bring Champions League football to White Hart Lane for the first time in almost half a century.

The former Portsmouth boss, who has seen the likes of Gareth Bale, Tom Huddlestone and Michael Dawson flourish under his command, would be interested in the job while Liverpool’s Roy Hodgson and current Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce would stand a chance of getting the post if the FA decide to go English. Taylor, who was 46 when he took the England job, believes 63-year-old Redknapp has enough experience to make him the right man for the post.

“I’m sure if you asked everyone who should get it then they would go for Harry Redknapp right now,” Taylor said. “For me he is at the right age. If someone asked me to look back on my career I’d say I was too young to take that job. I think Harry would take it. He is an Englishman capable of doing the job.”

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Capello confirms he’ll quit football after England

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Fabio Capello, 64, qualified with ease for the 2010 World Cup but following England’s poor performances in South Africa is considered fortunate to still be in the job.

There were loud calls to sack the Italian, especially in some sections of the press that continue to attack him, but the Football Association opted to stick with the manager and he now is focused on his final task in football.

“At the moment I think of nothing else but Euro 2012 with England,” said Capello. “Unfortunately I am old, I no longer have the time; this will be my last experience on the bench.”

Capello, who is regarded as one of the greatest club managers in the game, has been coach of England since 2008 and extended his contract with the FA prior to the World Cup debacle.

The Italian guided AC Milan to four league titles and has won silverware at almost every club he has managed since. His last trophy came at Real Madrid in 2007 when he won the Spanish Primera Liga title.

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Are Liverpool the most boring club in England?

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Following Liverpool’s dire goalless draw with FC Utrecht last night, Sport.co.uk is asking whether we have witnessed Liverpool quickly become the county’s most boring club.

Particularly harsh you may shout. What about Blackburn Rovers? Or Stoke City? These teams don’t come close. Although many take issue with their often direct, no-nonsense style, they make no apologies for it, use it in the main to great effect, and regularly provide shock results. Is there a more entertaining sight than seeing Arsene Wenger flailing his arms in the air as Sam Allardyce plants his latest obstacle in the path of Manuel Almunia? You wouldn’t find one at Anfield.

With Fernando Torres continuing to perform a poor portrayal of an out of form Martin Dahlin, and Steven Gerrard struggling with a back infliction, Hodgson’s two world-class performers have been hindered thus far. Joe Cole has had somewhat of an eventful but by no means world-beating start to his career on Merseyside, while Paul Konchesky and Christian Poulsen aren’t going to add the touch of flair and guile they have been crying out for ever since the oppressive Benitez reign.

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Phelan: United inherited ”dishevelled” Rooney

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Wayne Rooney ended the longest barren streak of his career when he drove home the penalty that put United on their way to a 3-0 win over West Ham at OldTrafford.

It was the first time he had found the net since March 30, 13 matches previously, a run that started with an ankle injury that many felt affected his performances in those four desperate games for England as they crashed out atthe first knock-out phase in South Africa.  And Phelan believes it tired the striker out.

”Wayne came back to us a little bit dishevelled from his England exploits,”Phelan told BBC Radio Manchester. ”But as long as you keep your head up and keep persevering, things like this will happen.

”Strikers can’t score every week, much as they would like to. Hopefully now hecan relax, enjoy his football and carry on from where he left off.”

Fabio Capello recently claimed it took Rooney 600 minutes to reach his optimumat the start of every season. The 24-year-old has still only reached half that tally and Phelan accepts there is still a bit of work to do before Rooney is back to his best.

”He is not 100% fit yet,” he confirmed. ”He is still short on certain aspects of his game but that will come. Now he has got a couple of games with his national team and that willpossibly help him.”

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Can Andy Carroll spare Capello’s blushes?

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Posted by Sport.co.uk on: 26 August 2010 – 10:51
Author: Michael Weightmann

There’s a new name being sung on the terraces of St James’ Park, a new number 9 ready to usher the club into a new era. If Sunday’s performance and hat trick against Aston Villa are anything to go by, the Newcastle United fans have a lot to look forward to with Andy Carroll, and the Gateshead born striker has already stated that he sees his immediate future on Tyneside. But the man with the worst haircut in football also has a chance to be a star on the international scene too. Let’s not forget the last Number 9 from Tyneside to wear the England shirt and his strike record of 30 goals in 63 games They breed finishers in the North East; Shearer, Milburn, Clough and the Three Lions’ record scorer, Bobby Charlton was also born up there.

It’s early days in Carroll’s career to be mentioned with those greats and even though he has been overlooked by Capello for the qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Switzerland, he certainly has all the attributes that could see him go all the way to the top.

Capello’s Young Guns

The England boss has already stated that he wants to invest in youth, and that he sees them as an integral part of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. The Italian made a token gesture in the Hungary friendly, bringing in the likes of Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs, but why not go the full whack; get in players who can be the mainstay of the team for the next decade. Let’s be frank would Andy Carroll do a worse job than any of the forwards at the World Cup? As well, why start testing a 29 year old Zamora when there is a similar player eight years younger who could come in and be moulded into the finished article. With Rooney only three years older, the Three Lions could have a partnership for countless tournaments akin to some of the greatest; Shearer-Sheringham, Lineker – Beardsley – it may be short term pain, but has the potential to be very long term gain.

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