NOT SO FAST - PART 2

The plot thickens.   Not long after my original post about the wisdom or otherwise of handing the England manager`s job to `Arry Redknapp, along come some hints that things may not be as cut and dried as most of the clamouring punters believe.

First, Redknapp himself was reported to be in contract talks with his present club, Tottenham Hotspur, whose Chairman, Daniel Levy, seems genuinely keen for `Arry to stay at White Hart Lane.   The former Football Association chairman, Lord Triesman, has declared that Roy Hodgson `would fit the bill` for the England job which, as current West Brom manager and former Maidstone United left back, allied to his international management experience and urbane manner, he might well.   Hodgson has stalled his own contract talks with West Brom, as he feels it wouldn`t be right to commit himself until the Baggies are secure from relegation.

Now it`s perfectly possible to take all this stuff at face value, but being ever the optimist and avowed conspiracy theorist, I rather hope it means that Tottenham are making Redknapp an offer he can`t and won`t refuse and that Hodgson is keeping his powder dry awaiting the call from FA headquarters.   Today Redknapp`s son, Jamie, has expressed fears that the England role might cause too much stress for his dad, so he doesn`t seem keen.

It all points to the attractive notion that the FA power brokers might well be prepared to fly in the face of `public demands` and turn to the more acceptable option of Roy Hodgson.  

It seems also that Hodgson would be happy to work with Stuart Pearce et al behind the scenes at Wembley, whereas Redknapp would almost certainly demand to have his long standing henchmen around him - Joe Jordan, Clive Allen, Steve Sherwood and the inevitable Kevin Bond, who performs the useful function of being Redknapp`s `driver` from their respective south coast mansions to work every day.

All of that might just be a demand too high and unnecessary for the FA, so there is hope yet that we may, after all, get it right rather than get it soon.