Roy Hodgson has expressed his annoyance about the Football Association’s decision to stage American football at Wembley, blaming it for leaving the pitch in poor condition for England’s next Euro 2016 qualifier and being openly critical of his employer for not thinking more about the national team.
Hodgson blames the NFL game between Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons on 26 October for damaging the usually pristine pitch and he expects it to be even worse after Jacksonville Jaguars have played Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. England face Slovenia the following Saturday and Hodgson’s concern is the pitch will be affected badly enough to influence his team’s performance.
The England manager said he did not believe it significantly increased the possibility of injuries but he also referred to a player turning an ankle, and an embarrassing position for the FA was made even worse when Wembley later announced it will stage three more NFL games in 2015. The first of them will be five days before another of England’s qualifiers.
Hodgson was unaware of that when he made it clear he was against the idea. “I am a football coach, a football manager, and I am talking about English football, not American football,” he said. “I don’t really think you could expect me to say: ‘Excellent, delighted, well done.’ I’m realistic, I’m pragmatic and this match [ON SUNDAY]has been organised for a period of time. The pitch, unfortunately, is not in the best of nick anyway, which we’re all a bit unhappy with.
“Adrian Bevington [the Club England managing director] is in charge of taking this matter forward and I am sure we will find a good solution but at this particular moment in time I would honestly have to say, if I’m asked if it is a good thing or not, I would have to say not. I can do nothing about it and we won’t use it as an excuse. We will adapt and get on with it and hopefully in the future the pitch will recover to its normal level and when it has done that we will be better able to support this type of activity.”
Hodgson was asked whether he would like Bevington to stop it happening again and clearly did not know about the announcement, a couple of hours later, about games between Miami Dolphins and New York Jets on 1 October, the Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills on 25 October and Kansas City Chiefs against Detroit Lions on 1 November.
To compound matters, there will be two Rugby World Cup matches at Wembley – New Zealand versus Argentina on 20 September and Ireland against Romania on 27 September – before England play Estonia on 9 October. England also have a friendly to be arranged for mid-November. “It is a Club England matter and I can’t say more than I have said,” Hodgson said.
“It is at Club England level and Adrian Bevington and I pragmatically accept we have these two matches. We have had one and now we have another one. I can’t pretend that is something that makes me leap for joy. I would be very hypocritical if I was to do so but I accept it. It is a decision Wembley has made and I know the groundstaff will work very hard to give us the best pitch they can. And if it is not at the very best level, then that is something for Adrian to take up and try to improve.
“The game’s on Sunday and after that we will have to have a look at it. The pitch is not as good as it has been in the past. We all know that. But I know one thing – the ground staff will be working their socks off from Sunday evening through to Saturday to make it as good as it can possibly be.”
Hodgson aired his concerns after naming a 26-man squad for Slovenia and the friendly against Scotland three days later, with the West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino awarded his first call-up and Glen Johnson, England’s first-choice right-back at their last three tournaments, left to ponder whether his international career might be over. Johnson has paid the price for his erratic form for Liverpool and Hodgson gave the clear impression he wants a more reliable defender.
“I haven’t spoken to him,” Hodgson said. “I don’t always speak to players that I don’t select and I don’t have anything to say other than at this moment in timeI prefer Calum Chambers and Nathaniel Clyne. I have nothing to say other than I can select only so many players and I have two good right-backs in my squad. I don’t have place for a third. He has not been at his best form and he would be the first to admit this.
“We want players who can defend as well as attack. These last few games against packed defences the attacking side has taken preference but there will be games in the future when we are being dominated, which is where the defending will come in.”
Conversely, Hodgson has kept Rickie Lambert in his squad, even though he has not scored for Liverpool this season and could not even get a place among their substitutes when Brendan Rodgers selected a team of understudies for the Champions League game at Real Madrid. “That’s a concern of course for Rickie and for myself,” Hodgson said. “But he has been a reliable figure and I don’t think it’s the right time to take him out.”
Hodgson has recalled Stewart Downing while Michael Carrick, Ross Barkley and Theo Walcott return after long spells of injury. In Walcott’s case, Hodgson said it had the approval of Arsène Wenger and he would liaise with the Arsenal manager about the player’s fitness.
Hodgson went on to emphasise his relationship with Rodgers is still good and has not been affected by the row over Daniel Sturridge’s fitness and the fallout of a “tired” Raheem Sterling being left out of England’s game in Estonia last month.
However, Hodgson also said he had rung Rodgers on Wednesday and not received a call back and it later emerged this was one of several occasions when his attempts to get hold of the Liverpool manager had been unsuccessful.
England Squad
Goalkeepers Joe Hart Man City, Fraser Forster Southampton, Ben Foster West Brom
Defenders Gary Cahill Chelsea, Chris Smalling Man United, Leighton Baines Everton, Phil Jagielka Everton, Nathaniel Clyne Southampton, Kieran Gibbs Arsenal, Calum Chambers Arsenal, Luke Shaw Man United
Midfielders Jordan Henderson Liverpool, Adam Lallana Liverpool, James Milner Man City, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Arsenal, Raheem Sterling Liverpool, Andros Townsend Tottenham, Jack Wilshere Arsenal, Theo Walcott Arsenal, Ross Barkley Everton, Michael Carrick Man United, Stewart Downing West Ham
Forwards Wayne Rooney Man United, Danny Welbeck Arsenal, Rickie Lambert Liverpool, Saido Berahino West Brom
