Roy Hodgson is proving what a great decision the Football Association made when they appointed him as the new England manager.
With a quiet confidence Hodgson has given England belief, shape and versatility – and a thrilling victory over bogey team Sweden was all down to the tactical awareness of the new boss.
The truth is that Roy’s boys were having a nightmare when a double strike by Olof Mellberg at the start of the second half overturned a great opening strike by Andy Carroll.
But the England coach read the game magnificently when he sent on Theo Walcott. The Arsenal winger was the catalyst to a brilliant winning surge with the equaliser and the assist for a classic match winning strike by Danny Welbeck.
Hodgson’s skipper Steven Gerrard is revelling in the responsibility of wearing the armband. And his central midfield partner Scott Parker is a warrior who gives England something extra.
The truth is that England are an average team short on quality and talent. But Hodgson is a master at getting the best out of an ordinary group of players. And in a short period he has injected a winning balance of youth and team spirit into the national team.
