Roy Hodgson is in a curious position as England manager.
He has the full backing of employers the Football Association but a traditionally overtly passionate public have been anaesthetised to the point of apathy over a series of ordinary performances. This has created a press pack devoid of any genuine faith in his ability, keenly anticipating his next slip-up.
In theory he has the next two years ahead of him to plan for the European Championships and prepare his squad to peak at the right time in France, free from any external pressures. In reality, that is far from the truth.
In the wake of their ponderous 1-0 win over Estonia, Hodgson announced Raheem Sterling was feeling “a little tired” and not right to start. The debate that has erupted started with whether it’s right for an international footballer to declare himself tired, and then moved on to questioning if Hodgson should have revealed a private conversation.
The simple answers are ‘yes’, considering he’s 19, and ‘no’, although we’re sure Sterling will get over it. But Hodgson is not stupid and, without slipping into tin-hat conspiracy-theory mode, was his revelation deliberate?
The issue of club v country has rocked and essentially ravaged the England national team since the birth of the Premier League in 1992. The FA may technically govern English football but, in reality, money is king and it’s the Premier League who wear a crown of gold.
Consequently, there has been an awkward relationship between the national team and the clubs, with one citing duty and the other trying to protect their assets.
It is no secret that some managers actively discourage their players from international football. In Roy Keane’s recently-released autobiography he claims Sir Alex Ferguson regularly pressured him into not playing for the Republic of Ireland and even didn’t speak to him after one qualifier.
Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool squad influences the England set-up more than any club side since Ferguson’s United of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, the Neville brothers and Nicky Butt.
Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson and Rickie Lambert are squad certainties – with the latter quartet very much embodying Hodgson’s vision of his England team – while Glen Johnson is sure to earn a recall once he returns to full fitness.
Consequently, the fortunes of England are intrinsically linked with that of Liverpool and a certain degree of trust and faith must develop between the two parties.
Sturridge has not played these past two internationals despite Rodgers stating on September 30 he was fit enough for Liverpool. Henderson and Sterling played 109 and 71 minutes over the course of the two games.
In mitigation, they have both featured in a considerable amount of football over the last 12 months but it does raise the question of who’s controlling who?
Hodgson has since questioned Rodgers’ two-day recovery method for Sterling and there are clear signs tensions are developing, despite Hodgson’s concessions at Wembley and Tallinn.
With Arsenal now also providing six squad members who can conceivably be considered future England regulars, Hodgson will have to manage another uneasy truce with a leading Premier League club.
The external pressures never go away for any England manager.
