So, after today's match, how is everyone feeling about Hodgson?

[Burt]

I think Roy has done a great job in:
1. Managing media expectations.
2. Handling player expectations.
3. Making us realise that we will never play like Spain with the players we have.
4. Forging a disciplined unit from a team that really only has 2 or 3 world class players.

The problem he is creating of course is that now that we have qualified for the quarter finals, anything less than lifting the cup at the end of the tournament will be deemed a failure, whereas the reality is that we have already probably exceeded the expectations most people had only a couple of weeks ago.

Arise Sir Roy.

[The Equalizer]

It was great listening to the post match interviews yesterday. The players all seem to agree that Roy has brought a sense of unity to the side and that everyone is playing as a team instead of a bunch of individuals.

We still have a long way to go, but you can see the players are starting to get Roy's system and the more they play the better they will be at it. I'm still not entirely hopeful of winning the competition, but I think we've got the best man for the job in charge.

For the first time in years I'm starting to enjoy watching England play.

[aussierod]

I think Roy has done a great job in:
1. Managing media expectations.
2. Handling player expectations.
3. Making us realise that we will never play like Spain with the players we have.
4. Forging a disciplined unit from a team that really only has 2 or 3 world class players.

The problem he is creating of course is that now that we have qualified for the quarter finals, anything less than lifting the cup at the end of the tournament will be deemed a failure, whereas the reality is that we have already probably exceeded the expectations most people had only a couple of weeks ago.

Arise Sir Roy.

I can only agree with everyone here and say well done Roy on all facets which Burt mentions here and also AlFayedsChequebook in highlighting that France are a side bursting with quality players (for instance, who wouldn't take a Benzema, Ribery, Nasri in their side?) although France did obviously play poorly last night

My biggest gripe with the coverage and recognition of Roy's achievements in the Euros so far is: 1) less pressure/expectation on them due to his unfavoured appointment and shortness of time with the squad and 2) the linkage to Chelsea's CL win, almost suggesting that Roy has just copied this style of play from Chelsea due to their success. Yes, what Chelsea did was unbelievable (as they were clearly not the better side in a lot of their matches), but Roy has used this style for years now with great success, both domestically, internationally, for both clubs and countries. Simply, Roy has a knack for getting the best out of players by playing a disciplined, structured approach which makes his sides very hard to beat.

As an Aussie living in Scotland, I took great pleasure watching England fail so spectacularly at the WC after huge media hype, however with Roy and Ray in charge, I really wish for England to do well, the media haven't bigged them up, the players are behaving (so far) and they are getting results by playing their style, they aren't pretending to be something they are not.

Wishing Roy & Ray all the best!!!

[jarv]

Interesting that most coments on here are VERY accurate compared to the punters and press out there. It seems like we all know what you are going to get from Roy. Liverpool should have kept him, but what do they know?
Even being a Scot, I am following England because of RH but I do find it very difficult to support any team with Terry in it. I really want him to fail and be dropped for good. Where's my Scottish flag? 093.gif

[alfie]

I love listening to Roy when he gives interviews he states facts, does not try and come across a show off like a few we can all mention, but i just don't like his style of football i never have, it just seems to be all about the defence, not so much about winning but more about not getting beaten, which i guess is fine on some levels, but i just get a bit bored, seemed a bit strange last night, he takes of the completely ineffective Milner, brings on Walcott to perhaps have a go at them, and what happens from then on the ball is played down the left and Walcott is left scratching his head,

Roy's organisation skills are second to none, it just goes to show that at Liverpool he was not supported in any way, i guess Gerrard can now see what he was trying to do there, he is quite clearly making a bunch of i guess average players (not all of them) into a fully functioning team with the spirit to match.

Please don't have a go at me, i am not putting him down, I won't necessarily enjoy watching his style of football but by god he will get my support.

Take us home Roy.
000en.gif

[alfie]

Interesting that most coments on here are VERY accurate compared to the punters and press out there. It seems like we all know what you are going to get from Roy. Liverpool should have kept him, but what do they know?
Even being a Scot, I am following England because of RH but I do find it very difficult to support any team with Terry in it. I really want him to fail and be dropped for good. Where's my Scottish flag? 093.gif

I don't particularly like him or dislike him and i don't have a great problem with Terry unless he is found guilty, but when he puts on an England shirt he gives everything for the team, whilst he is on the pitch in an England shirt i see him as a footballer and not a human being.

[cmg]

when you have a team that's somewhat short on talent but very fit, you need a Roy to infuse them with discipline and spirit. That is what he did for us; that is what he is doing for England.

I can't wait until everyone starts moaning, "But the football is boring" and "We're no fun to watch." If you're England's manager, you need to get the best out of the football style your players are used to playing in England -- fast, physical, counter-attack oriented. Getting them to play "attractive, flowing football" sounds good on paper, but there are around 30 nations who do it better than England. There's very few who can match England for strength, pace, and discipline.

England's great days pretty much started to dry up in 1970, and died altogether when their top players stopped going to the Spanish, German, and Italian leagues. It's time to stop pretending that England is a major football power and start making the very best of what you have in abundance. ROY IS THAT MAN.

And if you think that this will never win England anything, remember that Greece won the European Nation's Cup with not nearly the amount of talent England have.

Spot on, mate.
We'd have saved ourselves a deal of pain if we had lost our delusions of adequecy some time back. A bit of realism and we might get the occasional nice surprise.

I get the feeling that the rest of Europe (and us clued-up Fulham fans) were not as surprised by the Hodgson appointment as the media-fed domestic audience.

I guess that such limited talent as we possess will not get us much further, but, meanwhile, I am looking forward to the Italy match.
This is an area me and Mr HD can disagree on. Whilst deploring the crookedness and hystrionics of Italian football (endemic criminality and prima donnas? - from Italy? - surely not!) I rather admire their passion and style.
England v Italy may be a bit painful to watch (and possibly play in) but it is sure to be compelling.
I wonder if Hodgson is cynical enough to try to wind up their all-nutcase front men, Balotelli and Cassano.
"Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here."

[Lighthouse]

The criticism of Roy, what there is of it, is very much 'big club syndrome'. We saw it with Liverpool. 'We are a great football nation (or club)who have great players. We should be playing better'

Sadly like Liverpool, England are not a great football side. The players just aren't about atm.  But like Fulham Roy can make England punch well above their weight. Not that  pretty or that entertaining. But we are watching England reach the quarter finals. So you gets what you pays for.

[Jack Fulham]

Interesting that most coments on here are VERY accurate compared to the punters and press out there. It seems like we all know what you are going to get from Roy. Liverpool should have kept him, but what do they know?
Even being a Scot, I am following England because of RH but I do find it very difficult to support any team with Terry in it. I really want him to fail and be dropped for good. Where's my Scottish flag? 093.gif

I don't particularly like him or dislike him and i don't have a great problem with Terry unless he is found guilty, but when he puts on an England shirt he gives everything for the team, whilst he is on the pitch in an England shirt i see him as a footballer and not a human being.

That is the good thing about teams, it is easier to overlook individuals. I've got no love for Terry but I've got huge appreciation for his footballing ability, quality player.

[MrFantastic]

Where do Czech get their players from, where do Greeks get their players from, French, Italians don't say England doesn't have anywhere to get their players from. EPL is the best league in the world and a lot of English players play there. So that is no excuse for such a poor football England showed against Ukraine. It was Ukraine not some world football power and England came out defending. When England attacked they passed Ukraine players easy because they were faster specially with Welbeck and Walcott playing together. I don't know why Walcott doesn't start the games. England has the players to play better football but I think they don't feel that. England should play football attack, defend and attack again, what happens when they get to play Germany or Spain teams that have control in midfield they will be in constant pressure and if England loses that luck they had so far could lose by a big score, because even against Ukraine there was some desperate defending, putting bodies on a shot and getting luckey deflections that was it.

[Chesh]

It's only a small thing, and has probably gone unnoticed by many, but I am really proud of the way ALL our players are now singing the words to the national anthem. What is the betting that Roy is responsible for insisting that happens, rather than the way some of them have stood stony faced in the past as it was played?

plus one Even Rooney made a token effort, and I agree, it exudes a togetherness and respect for their manager and country that has not been there in other recent times.

I wouldn't be surprised if Roy said to them '..look, no one is going to insist you do it but I'd prefer every one of you to join in' or words to that effect. In that way they are being treated like adults, and feel that they want to do what is asked of them.

[LordNelson]

JUST WIN, BABY!!! 000en.gif starsnstripes 000en.gif starsnstripes 000en.gif starsnstripes 000en.gif

[NogoodBoyo]

Life will never be the same: I keep on seeing Voltz's graphic description in his book of our perfect Fulham gentlemanager in the changing room at half-time:
"If we don't win more of these fuckin' 'eaders, we're goin' fuckin' down!" he said.
Nogood "Jekyll and Roy, isit" Boyo

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

It's only a small thing, and has probably gone unnoticed by many, but I am really proud of the way ALL our players are now singing the words to the national anthem. What is the betting that Roy is responsible for insisting that happens, rather than the way some of them have stood stony faced in the past as it was played?

plus one Even Rooney made a token effort, and I agree, it exudes a togetherness and respect for their manager and country that has not been there in other recent times.

I wouldn't be surprised if Roy said to them '..look, no one is going to insist you do it but I'd prefer every one of you to join in' or words to that effect. In that way they are being treated like adults, and feel that they want to do what is asked of them. 

I also thought that was excellent, now if he could only get the English fans to stop booing the oppositions national Anthem that would be really something ! 
What is the betting Roy gave them  a song sheet  .............fair play to Shriek he did manager to sing the 1st couple of lines 

[Shredhead]

As others have stated, its like watching us in the Europa League. Same formation. Same tactics. Even the same songs (the AJ chant). Perhaps we`ll make a great comeback against an Italian team. I hope England don't succumb to 2 goals in the Final to Spanish speaking players. For the 1st time in decades I'm watching England but its only because of Roy and Ray.

[Scrumpy]

I got into work this morning enthusing about the game. The first two people I spoke to both said that they hadn't enjoyed the match, the first half was boring, too defensive, blah, blah, blah. I can't believe how unrealistic some people are! Do they really think the present team could ping the ball around like Barcelona?!

As others have said, I'm actually enjoying watching the England team play. For the first time in ages, I am proud of them. They run their socks off, sing the National Anthem, they applaud the fans after the match, they don't dive (much) and they respect the referee.

I reckon we can sneak a 1-0 win against the Italians. What a bl00dy disgraceful performance that will be! More of the same please.

[alfie]

I got into work this morning enthusing about the game. The first two people I spoke to both said that they hadn't enjoyed the match, the first half was boring, too defensive, blah, blah, blah. I can't believe how unrealistic some people are! Do they really think the present team could ping the ball around like Barcelona?!

As others have said, I'm actually enjoying watching the England team play. For the first time in ages, I am proud of them. They run their socks off, sing the National Anthem, they applaud the fans after the match, they don't dive (much) and they respect the referee.

I reckon we can sneak a 1-0 win against the Italians. What a bl00dy disgraceful performance that will be! More of the same please.

for my point of view it is not about pinging the ball around like Barcelona, it is about having a bit more attacking options,
in an article i read,

quote
It was like England deliberatly gave the ball away so they could regroup into their defensive mode
unquote

as i said with Roy it is all about not loosing, but i guess if you don't get defeated then you don't loose the game.

If this is what it takes to win then i will give it my support (i don't have to like it)

[NewYorkYank]

Many of you will remember that when Roy first came to Fulham, the official board was bursting with posts moaning that Roy was too defensive ("when is he going to play a second striker?"). A run of draws had many impatient.  As the team's organization grew stronger, Roy loosened the reins and gave us some truly attractive football.  The times I saw West Brom play more recently, I was equally impressed with how well they moved the ball.  He is not a risk taker, but he is no Lawrie Sanchez. He plans for the long haul.  I suspect as England progresses, we will see the same evolution as we saw with Fulham.

[Jack Fulham]

once the players become more used to the system, the attacking play will get better. Getting the defence right is always first.

[RidgeRider]

once the players become more used to the system, the attacking play will get better. Getting the defence right is always first.

Agree with this.....Some of the matches in the Europa League run, Basel away being one, and home games when we were safe, showed that Hodgson would employ open play but as has been said, it won't likely occur till he knows the current national players know and have been drilled into keeping good shape on defense. I think we will so a slow migration towards more open play.