EXCLUSIVE
By Rob Stewart
Glenn Roeder has urged the Football Association to open talks with former England manager Glenn Hoddle over taking the national job ahead of Euro 2012.
Stuart Pearce is in temporary charge of the Three Lions following Fabio Capello’s resignation and although Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is favourite for the role, Hoddle has thrown his hat into the ring by expressing an interest in the job he lost in 1999.
Ex-Newcastle United manager Roeder was on Hoddle’s coaching staff when he led the England campaign at the 1998 World Cup finals in France and he has called on the FA to speak to the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss even though he has been out of frontline management since 2006 when he was in charge of Wolves.
“There are three or four, maybe five, who could be described as serious contenders that should all be given the opportunity, if they want, to speak to the FA privately,” Roeder told Goal.com.
“The FA should be speaking to them. As there are not lots of names that jump out at you I do not see why he [Hoddle] would not be one that they could not at least have private talks with. But as always because of how he lost his job, which wasn’t football-related, it puts extra pressure on the FA regarding the media.
“He could easily step in but I agree that he probably wouldn’t be given the opportunity but he could comfortably move into the England set-up and get his head round things tomorrow because as football intelligence and football knowledge are concerned he is very good. He was probably a bit on the young side when he got the job the first time because he was not even 40 when he got it but now he would be the perfect age.”
Roeder believes Hoddle’s coaching skills make him a viable candidate for the England job.
“Glenn led all the training sessions which as the manager you should do and the beauty of that was that when he did the demonstrations they worked perfectly and that impressed the players,” Roeder added.
“They say a picture paints a thousand words and Glenn could do the picture. He was very impressive. Some could talk about it and not do it. If you can talk about it and do it and paint that picture for the players that is some asset.
“He had the ability to demonstrate what he was talking about. He didn’t tell David Beckham to wrap the ball around his foot a bit more when he was crossing because he recognised when someone needed to be pointed in the right direction.
“But when he was working with Alan Shearer and Ian Wright when he would want one of the to push on to the last defender and one to come short he would have the ball at his feet and the team spread out and then would say, for example, 'Ian just come one yard closer to me, and when my head is down, set off and the ball will be waiting for you'. And it was. There aren’t many coaches who can do that.”
Meanwhile, former England skipper Shearer also believes it would be wrong to rule out Hoddle because of his controversial past but is still championing Redknapp.
When asked if Hoddle should be considered for the position, Shearer said: “Why shouldn’t he be? He was successful when he was England manager. On the pitch everyone liked him. He gave me the England captaincy so I thought he was fantastic.
“But I think there is only one man for the job: Harry. If he gets it, great. If he doesn’t, then those questions [about Hoddle’s resignation] we will ask after that.”