Meet Roy Hodgson, is he the same as

the old boss?

As I’ve posted here before I wanted Roy Hodgson to be the England boss. I’ve wanted it for years, since Glenn Hoddle was sacked. You know when they say be careful what you wish for…

From the announcement of his squad and captain to watching this England side through this tournament to the changes he made and the utterances after each game, especially this last one against Italy. Enthusiasm is on the wane.

Roy’s come in for much praise because the squad seem a better group of tourists than at previous tournaments, especially the last World Cup debacle. But so much else that went on over this couple of weeks could have done by Capello. Yes Roy was hampered by injuries, players throwing strops and the fact those at his disposal aren’t that good never mind great but it still doesn’t mean he just had to mimic the previous failures of those that held the job.

It all culminated on the hour. What a predictable point of the game when managing by numbers.

Subs were coming on Carroll and Walcott. First name was right, needed someone who could at least try and hold the ball up from the aimless ‘ave it balls England fall into. The latter, well, Roy it’s only two games after his performance against Sweden, he’s got a lot longer to live off that goal and assist than just two games. Oxlade-Chamberlain should have been the one to come on instead. Walcott was back to standard fair with his first touch as he set off at pace and left the ball behind. Runner not footballer.

But then Roy got the players to be replaced wrong. It was all so predictable. Welbeck and Milner.

Yes Milner had run about, done a bit and was knackered but he still massively outperformed Young, who had been atrocious in each of England’s outings. Came through qualifying with goals and good performances but then Gerrard wasn’t about, he’s never had a good game with Gerrard in the side. Young should have been the first one for the hook and it should have come sooner than the hour.

Roy says he can’t blame those that missed the penalties. Well you can but he has to take the majority of the blame for Young being there in the first place. It makes you wonder if the players that stayed on only did so because Hodgson was looking at penalties.

Because joining Young as the other player that should have been replaced was Rooney.

He almost got through the previous game on the adrenalin of finally being involved. But he was poor and rusty. Here he was even worse and that adrenalin wasn’t there to carry him. Welbeck had at least put some pressure on the Italians when they had the ball, Carroll certainly did when he came on, the pair doing it would really have helped. Rooney chugging about didn’t.

So we have those ball humped up and Carroll nods on to a completely knackered Rooney. Everyone’s a winner. Welbeck would have at least had the place to run onto those balls, make an effort, put the defence under some kind of pressure.

So Roy did exactly what was expected because it was exactly what Fabio would have done, what Svennis would have done, what the McClown would have done.

Looking at the name and reputation of a player and not what they were actually contributing on the park.

Poor stuff from Hodgson followed up about his talk of this group of players going on, when so many of them should now be jettisoned. Consigned to the history bin of failures. But then most of them should have been binned before these Euros which should have been used to bring the kids through.

They just haven’t leaned any lessons from the last World Cup and what Germany did to turn themselves around leading to that 4-1 thumping in Bloemfontein and what could have been an even more embarrassing stuffing this Thursday in Warsaw, if Young and Cole hadn’t joined the ranks of Pearce, Waddle, Southgate, Beckham, Batty, Ince, Gerrard, Carragher, Lampard and Vassell in missing those penalties.

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