Redknapp takes swipe at FA over England snub

LONDON. — Harry Redknapp has claimed the Football Association’s senior officials don’t have the right experience to appoint the England manager. Redknapp, then in charge at Tottenham, had been widely expected to replace Fabio Capello as England boss when the Italian resigned last year.

The public groundswell of support for Redknapp, who says he received messages backing him for the post from the likes of Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, was so strong that he was convinced he would get the job and asked Brendan Rodgers, then Swansea manager and now at Liverpool, to be his assistant at Euro 2012.

But the FA’s four-man selection panel, comprising then chairman David Bernstein, director of football Trevor Brooking, managing director Alex Horne and Club England managing director Adrian Bevington, instead made the surprise decision to hire Roy Hodgson from West Bromwich Albion.

Although Redknapp, now boss at Championship leaders QPR, maintains he holds no grudge against Hodgson, the former Spurs boss is clearly still unhappy at the snub and, writing in his new book which is being serialised in the Daily Mail, he took the opportunity to take a swipe at the English game’s governing body.

“I wouldn’t trust the FA to show me a good manager if their lives depended on it. How would they know? What clubs have they ever run? Who do they speak to who really knows the game?” Redknapp said.

“This isn’t about them giving the England job to me or Roy Hodgson, but English football being run by people who really haven’t got a clue. And they get to pick the England manager! Everyone said I was the people’s choice, the only choice. All the senior players seemed to be up for me to get the job. I got quite a few text messages at the time from players saying they would love me to manage England: Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry.

“But the FA went for Roy Hodgson to be the England manager — a man who is more their cup of tea.
“I’ll admit, I thought it was mine. Everyone seemed so certain, everyone I had met from all parts of the game seemed utterly convinced it was my job.” — AFP.