FUCKING SCUM
Courtesy of F365
There really is only one place to start and that's with The Sun's risible front-page headline: 'BWING ON THE EUWOS! (We'll see you in Ukwaine against Fwance)'. Plenty has been said elsewhere but, for the record, Mediawatch finds it juvenile, unnecessarily unpleasant and utterly, utterly disgraceful. No punchline.
Football365 have referred to Roy Hodgson as 'Woy' on many, many occasions. But Football365 is not the nation's biggest-selling newspaper, Football365 does not have the power to sway the views of millions, Football365 has unqualified respect for the new England manager and Football365 does not employ the man snubbed (in their eyes, at least) for the England manager's job.
Including the words 'Hodgson, affectionately known as Woy due to his speech impediment' does not make it okay to mock a multi-lingual, highly intelligent man in the biggest week of his career - he's only 'affectionately known' as Woy to those who harbour genuine affection. The Sun have earned the right to call him nothing other than 'Mr Hodgson' or 'Sir' after that headline.
Go Neville, Go Neville
Gary Neville on Twitter: 'Disgustung headlines,good journo's under pressure writing pieces for their mates and a certain paper needs putting out of circulation.'
Response from former Sun journalist Ian McGarry: 'Or good journalists accurately reflecting the public mood? Even the most popular/successful England managers get stick.'
Before a ball has been kicked, Ian? For a speech impediment? By a newspaper who employs his main rival for the job? In the words of Neville...'disgustung'.
Full Story - Page Four And Five
The Sun's two-page spread in their news pages on the appointment of Roy Hodgson contains more quotes from 'a friend' of 'people's choice' Harry Redknapp than the new England manager himself. So 'a friend' of a man paid by The Sun (though Redknapp's court case revealed that they really needn't bother) has spoken to the newspaper and described him as 'bewildered'. The poor fella has been led to believe - not by the FA, because they had never been in touch - that he was the 'only candidate'. So says his 'friend', anyway.
'Despite his optimism, there was little support for his appointment from the game's biggest stars on social networking websites last night,' says The Sun of Hodgson on p4. Meanwhile, on p66, there's one of the game's biggest stars Jack Wilshere (described as 'weasily' by The Sun's Steven Howard) tweeting: 'Good choice in my opinion. Good luck and I hope I can help him in some way in the future.'
'Soccer insiders say influential England stalwart Gerrard has little regard for Hodgson's abilities and has probably passed on his views to England team-mates,' says The Sun on p4. Meanwhile, on p66, there's Gerrard himself saying: I've worked with Roy. He's a good man and a good manager. It's important he's given a chance and I'm looking forward to working with him again."
Ouch. Imagine if he's passed on those poisonous views to his England teammates. Teammates like Jack Wilshere, we assume.
The Sun Says
This is a genuine tip from The Sun to the new England manager: 'OK, you speak Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, French, Italian, German and Finnish. But just stick to English. No one likes a smart arse.'
Absolutely. Obviously what we like is a man who admits: "I am completely and utterly disorganised. I write like a two-year-old and I can't spell."
They Don't...They Don't Speak For Us
Paul Merson on the Sky Sports website: 'The whole country - and I mean the whole country - wanted Harry Redknapp...he's going to be up against it straight away because everyone wanted someone else...they're not listening to the country - otherwise they'd have given the job to Harry...'
Once again, Mediawatch must re-iterate that we do not know a single person who wanted Harry Redknapp as England manager. Maybe this is because we chose our friends wisely. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because the 'whole country' did not want Redknapp after all.
That aside, why does Merson think Redknapp is the right man for the job?
'Firstly, he's brilliant with the press and you need to be able to have a laugh with the journalists.'
Firstly? So it's official - having 'a laugh with the journalists' is more important than the small matter of football.
What about international experience? No need, according to Merson: 'His son has played for England'. We kid you not.
Expert Guidance
Mediawatch did not quite know what to think about the appointment of Roy Hodgson until we read the views of former British tennis No. 1 Annabel Croft in the Daily Mirror. Thank you.
This Again? Really?
'Capello was condemned for his inflexible 4-4-2,' says the Daily Mirror. Condemned by idiots, yes - Capello played a 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1 in each of his last eight games in charge of England.
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