REDKNAPP’S TOO CLOSE TO LAMPARD AND TERRY
- PUT O’NEILL IN COMMANDFOR EURO 2012
... AND MAKE WAYNE ROONEY ENGLAND CAPTAIN !!
Frankie's fumin' and England expects... read all about it, only in your WEEKLY SPORT!
SO FABIO CAPELLO has quite rightly gone – but he should NOT be replaced by Harry Redknapp.
OK, right now there are only two serious contenders now for the England job – Harry Redknapp and Martin O’Neill.
Harry is the choice of many people but his family links are a big problem. Frank Lampard is his nephew and Harry would surely feel duty bound to pick him for the squad – and with him, by extension, Lampard’s big buddy John Terry. In my opinion, Lampard is no longer an automatic selection for the squad – he can’t even get into the Chelsea team!
Yet, would Harry leave him out given that he is his nephew? Also, Terry’s form has faded – he too should be left out in purely footballing terms, whatever your feeling on the controversy surrounding him over Anton Ferdinand. But if Lampard pleads with Harry for his mate to be in the squad too, would Harry be able to say no?
If he didn’t, that would take us back to square one – with the Terry problem still in the dressing room - and is what, in my eyes, clouds Harry’s otherwise attractive candidature, making him a less attractive option and more of an unnecessary gamble considering the CV of the man up against him for the role.
So for me, it’s got to be O’Neill. And let me tell you, this man is no consolation prize – he is the REAL DEAL, the closest we will get to Brian Clough ever managing England (which was a dream many of us footie fans nurtured but, unfortunately, was never meant to be). O’Neill is an ideal choice – he knows the players and he knows how to get the best out of them. He treats them like adults and they respond by playing their hearts out for him. Just look how he has transformed Sunderland from relegation candidates to a potential top 7 team if you need the proof.
I believe O’Neill would swiftly sort out the Terry problem – by dropping him from the squad – and would inject pace and youth into the team, while maintaining a sensible balance of experience too. I would imagine him bringing Arsenal’s Oxlade-Chamberlain along with a centre-back pairing of Phil Jagielka and Chris Smalling. In midfield, Steven Gerrard would rule the roost flanked, injury permitting, Jack Wilshere, with Scotty Parker as the defensive holding player.
And captain? Well, Gerrard at the Euros, purely because Wayne Rooney is banned for the first two matches. But beyond that tournament it would be a great move to give the armband to Wazza. Why? I believe it would help him mature and that he would revel in the role. Also, it would calm him down, which would mean we wouldn’t keep losing him for key games and tournaments!
So come on the FA – be brave. Forget Redknapp – and give us O’Neill and a lot to smile about this summer (and hopefully beyond)!
FRANKIE’S ENGLAND MANAGER FLUTTER -
GUUS HIDDINK AS CARETAKER BOSS!
PS If the FA do go for Redknapp but he can’t take over until after the summer, put a bet on Guus Hiddink for the caretaker role! The Dutchman is much more suited to the job than England U21 boss Stuart Pearce…
LEWIS HAMILTON ON
COURSE TO WIN F1 TITLE
AFTER a couple of disappointing campaigns, I have a sneaking feeling Lewis Hamilton might be ready to reclaim the F1 crown he believes is his by birthright.
The Stevenage Rocket is the most talented and fastest man on the circuit but failed last season and the one before for two main reasons – he took his eyes off the ball and he didn’t have the best car.
Now both those setbacks are about to be remedied. Lewis is getting back down to business and certainly seems more determined to win the title than he did last term. He is moving from Switzerland to Monaco – a move which will surely help him focus better as he will be among a host of F1 drivers who live in the Principality. He will be among F1 friends and have a regular insight into the pulsating heartbeat of the sport – in short, he will not be isolated as he was in Geneva. I am told he is also working on a reconciliation with former girlfriend Nicole Sherzinger, the Pussycat Doll singer who apparently also loves Monaco!
And then there is the little matter of the McLaren. For the last two seasons Lewis has been driving a car that was clearly inferior and slower than the Red Bulls of current champ Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber. But McLaren have now built Lewis (and his formidable team-mate Jenson Button) a brand new, faster car – and all the signs are that he will now be on at least a level footing with the Red Bulls.
There’s one more factor in Lewis’s favour – this is his last season with McLaren under his current contract…and they won’t want to lose him. Trust me, they will pull out absolutely ALL the stops to help him win the title – and to sign a new long-term deal.
That’s why my money is on Lewis Hamilton to win back the F1 crown this year. It’s going to be an exciting campaign – and Sebastian Vettel, you had better beware. Lewis is coming to get you, pal!
****FRANKIE’S OTHER FLUTTERS...****
LEWIS Hamilton to win the F1 title this year – with Button second and Vettel third.
The big match in the Premier League this weekend is Man United v Liverpool on Saturday.
Liverpool beat United 2-1 in the FA Cup and I can see them being just as durable at Old Trafford – so I am plumping for a 2-2 draw.
(For more information on Frank and his bestselling sports books, see www.frankworrall.com)
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