http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8915481.stm

OK, the UK media/press just created a strop and a non-story over Beckham and the basic fact he was getting older, so God knows what we can expect from this...

A basic English language test?

The problem is that while we may have great players individually they are crap as a team. Too many egos. Maybe we should look at first division in future?

They've actually stated this at several points in the past. This is in fact why the employed Fabio Capello in the first place - he agreed to do the job until 2012 because he is planning to retire at that point anyway (might as well given the FA will have paid him north of £20million by then). They've always said his successor would be English.

Dunno why this has come up and the point about language is bollocks anyway. Carlo Ancellotti is Italian, speaks barely better English than Capello does and his team that won the double last season includes (in theory) three of England's most vital players.

Me, I think it's just because the English players aren't half as good as they or the media think they are and hounding the manager will do about as much good as hitting yourself in the nuts with a cricket bat. Which is something I'd much rather your average sports journalist spent his time doing, to be honest.

Jon

The footballists I've spoken with at work have no problem understanding this foreign chappy.
But then again, he's got to take into consideration the language abilities of his players - I hear Rooney may require illustrations for anything more meaningful than brushing his teeth.

(Disclaimer - I know nothing about football outside the scuttlebutt at work.)

You kicka da ball into da net. Okay dokey> See me speak da english a good no?

Is it me, but:

It doesnt matter what nationality the manager is, the players dont play as a team and underperform (or just aren't good enough) but the manager always carries the can. This is why the FA end up paying stupidly large amounts of money because no self respecting manager will take it unless the renumeration package ensures they dont have to work ever again.

Well we were tactically inept and playing players in the wrong positions. That wouldn't be a problem if we had players good enough to play in several positions but we don't.

It was the whole team.

Put psycho in charge, he got the U21s to the finals and he's, well, psycho. I can't see anyone arguing with him.

England's under-21s have traditionally done very well, it rarely translates through to the 'full' side. And IIRC Stuart Pearce's ventures into club management have been less than stellar. IIRC the first team he picked as a manager he showed to his wife who said 'Stuart, you've forgotten to pick a goalie' .

As to him being psycho, doesn't the last world cup show that trying to intimidate a bunch of sulky brats with more money than sense into performing well doesn't really work?

Jon

We don't need a club manager, we need a manager for the National side.

Roy Hodgson has experience, he did well with what he had in Finland. Perhaps if he does well with Liverpool then it may push him up the pecking order.