Slightly depressing though this prospect is, I predict that he will do better than either the Swedish lothario, Sven Goran Eriksson, or his successor Fabio Cappello, the Italian Sergeant Major. Eriksson and Cappello had impeccable records at the top level in European football, managing big clubs successfully. They were therefore utterly unsuited to getting the best out of Englands rag tag and bobtail.
In my lifetime England have seldom had more than two or three world-class players - perhaps now only Rooney (although Hart is mighty fine goalkeeper). What England need is a manager expert at getting indifferent players to overachieve. Hodgson, with his record of failure at Liverpool but success at Fulham and West Brom, and his experience at international level with Switzerland, might do pretty well. I suspect Harry Redknapp might have done even better.
Redknapp now joins Martin O'Neill and Brian Clough in the ranks of the obvious candidates who were passed over by the FA. God save us from the men in blazers.
