The debut feature of Swedish filmmaker, Lisa Aschan is a delightful, yet intelligent film that subverts the coming of age generic picture with a queer twist. It won Best Film at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, so you can see the universal themes of young love travels well.
14 year old Emma (Mathilda Paradeiser) joins an equestrian gym team (handstands and vaults whilst the horse is moving) where her naturalness on the equine beauties is initially met with trepidation and jealousy by Cassandra (Linda Molin). Slowly though a kinship forms between the two teenagers, a friendship full of looks and unspoken feelings.
The dynamism of their horse riding routines speaks of their unspoken admiration and romantic affection towards each other.
There is a reassuring confidence about Aschan's direction - affection for the characters and a softness in the depiction of new adolescent love. Aschan is helped by the equally brilliant performances by the two teenage girls, and even by Isabella Lindquist who plays Emma's younger sister, Sara; herself a young girl a bit confused with her emotional connections, as she falls for her cousin.
In the same vein as French film Water Lilies (2007) by Celine Sciamma , about sexual awakening in adolescent girls She Monkeys has a correct tone and fervour to succeed in garnering critical attention and some box office from the arthouse crowd.
The film is distributed by Peccadillo Pictures, a company that specialises in queer cinema and enjoyed huge acclaim with the British film Weekend, one of my films of 2011
She Monkeys is out on limited release from Friday 18th May
www.peccapics.com
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Monday, 14 May 2012
Celtics v 76ers preview
Feel free to follow the link below, I wrote a piece about the Game 2 preview between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers in Boston this evening. Boston won Game 1 92-91 thanks to a triple-double by Rajan Rondo and double-double by Kevin Garnett.
Philly need a win to take back to the homecourt on Wednesday evening:
http://1amsports.com/nba/celtics-v-76ers-game-2-preview
Follow @1amsports on twitter for a UK perspective on all your USA Sport - NBA, MLB, NFL, MMA, Nascar are all covered with love and admiration by writers from all over the UK.
www.1amsports.com
Philly need a win to take back to the homecourt on Wednesday evening:
http://1amsports.com/nba/celtics-v-76ers-game-2-preview
Follow @1amsports on twitter for a UK perspective on all your USA Sport - NBA, MLB, NFL, MMA, Nascar are all covered with love and admiration by writers from all over the UK.
www.1amsports.com
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Shame
Steve McQueen's critically applauded and culturally polarising film Shame that was released in the UK in January of this year, receives a DVD release this coming Monday (14th May).
Starring Michael Fassbender (in all his glory) as Brandon, a seemingly straight-laced young man who works in a healthy office environment yet harbours a dark addiction of sex-related stimulation. His laptop is full of porn, he masturbates at work and numerous times a day. He has unprotected sex with women he meets in bars, and never sees them again. Brandon is a sex addict.
Brandon is happy with his life, he has a routine. He works hard at work, to fund his addiction and his lust for sex. Yet he lacks a certain amount of intimacy with his day-to-day contacts due to his still exterior, yet inside he is awash with shame from his behaviour. Hence the title of the film.
Brandon's routine and level of comfort is turned upside down when his sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) comes to visit. They are the only siblings from an Irish family, yet Sissy does not know of Brandon's addiction/problem and she feels compelled to help him or cement their relationship as stronger than it should be.
There is a real commitment by the two actors in their roles; Fassbender showed potential in McQueen's film debut Hunger, yet he goes further here with this performance; he appears in every scene of the film, and the arc of the character with its fair bit of dips and troughs must have been emotionally exhausting for the actor. It is a credit to the performer, that a really nasty piece of work is turned into a sympathetic character by the film's end.
Mulligan is the opposite of Fassbender; her character is extrovert and keeps a lot out there; whilst Brandon is an introvert until he becomes involved with a sexual act. Yet for such a small-ish role, she sparkles on screen and has a highlight when singing a stripped down version of 'New York, New York' which allows Brandon to have a moment of reflection and even well up at the sight of his sister singing.
A telling piece of the film is when Brandon attempts a date with Marianne (Nicole Behaire) from his office, there is a connection and chemistry between the two. And when they attempt to have intercourse, where they feel the moment and Brandon attempts tenderness he is unable to fulfil the act. The timidity and recklessness of the character is amplified when he then calls a hooker, and screws her in the window of his multi-story apartment. Brandon is in control with the hooker, whilst with someone he could care for he is not and so unable to commit.
Brandon's journey gets worse and it comes to a head when Sissy needs his help and he is unable to. By journey's end he is at the end of a dock and starts crying, the last scene revolves around a chance encounter with a girl Brandon saw at the film's beginning. These two scenes that bookend the film are intriguing; the first one shows Brandon as a sexual predator as simple eye-flirting becomes more for him, and less for her. The concluding scene has a certain sense of ambiguity to it, does Brandon smirk his Mona Lisa smile at the thought of being able to have sex with this woman finally, or the sight of her wearing a wedding ring mean his words to his sister about his boss feel hollow now.
Shame is a film that feels longer than it is, thanks in part to the installation pace of the work, the compelling hold the performances have on you and the message of the film will stay with you; and it is brave to film something about an addiction that is prevalent in this day and age of immediacy and emotional highs.
Shame is out on DVD from Momentum Pictures and Film4 on Monday
Starring Michael Fassbender (in all his glory) as Brandon, a seemingly straight-laced young man who works in a healthy office environment yet harbours a dark addiction of sex-related stimulation. His laptop is full of porn, he masturbates at work and numerous times a day. He has unprotected sex with women he meets in bars, and never sees them again. Brandon is a sex addict.
Brandon is happy with his life, he has a routine. He works hard at work, to fund his addiction and his lust for sex. Yet he lacks a certain amount of intimacy with his day-to-day contacts due to his still exterior, yet inside he is awash with shame from his behaviour. Hence the title of the film.
Brandon's routine and level of comfort is turned upside down when his sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) comes to visit. They are the only siblings from an Irish family, yet Sissy does not know of Brandon's addiction/problem and she feels compelled to help him or cement their relationship as stronger than it should be.
There is a real commitment by the two actors in their roles; Fassbender showed potential in McQueen's film debut Hunger, yet he goes further here with this performance; he appears in every scene of the film, and the arc of the character with its fair bit of dips and troughs must have been emotionally exhausting for the actor. It is a credit to the performer, that a really nasty piece of work is turned into a sympathetic character by the film's end.
Mulligan is the opposite of Fassbender; her character is extrovert and keeps a lot out there; whilst Brandon is an introvert until he becomes involved with a sexual act. Yet for such a small-ish role, she sparkles on screen and has a highlight when singing a stripped down version of 'New York, New York' which allows Brandon to have a moment of reflection and even well up at the sight of his sister singing.
A telling piece of the film is when Brandon attempts a date with Marianne (Nicole Behaire) from his office, there is a connection and chemistry between the two. And when they attempt to have intercourse, where they feel the moment and Brandon attempts tenderness he is unable to fulfil the act. The timidity and recklessness of the character is amplified when he then calls a hooker, and screws her in the window of his multi-story apartment. Brandon is in control with the hooker, whilst with someone he could care for he is not and so unable to commit.
Brandon's journey gets worse and it comes to a head when Sissy needs his help and he is unable to. By journey's end he is at the end of a dock and starts crying, the last scene revolves around a chance encounter with a girl Brandon saw at the film's beginning. These two scenes that bookend the film are intriguing; the first one shows Brandon as a sexual predator as simple eye-flirting becomes more for him, and less for her. The concluding scene has a certain sense of ambiguity to it, does Brandon smirk his Mona Lisa smile at the thought of being able to have sex with this woman finally, or the sight of her wearing a wedding ring mean his words to his sister about his boss feel hollow now.
Shame is a film that feels longer than it is, thanks in part to the installation pace of the work, the compelling hold the performances have on you and the message of the film will stay with you; and it is brave to film something about an addiction that is prevalent in this day and age of immediacy and emotional highs.
Shame is out on DVD from Momentum Pictures and Film4 on Monday
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Young Sherlock Holmes:Fire Storm
Sherlock Holmes, the most famous of British detectives is enjoying a purple patch of recognition. Mark Gatiss' reinvention of Sherlock for BBC TV starring the pitch-perfect Benedict Cumberbatch as the eponymous sleuth, with Martin Freeman as the esteemable Dr. Watson, has been a gold mine of critical acclaim and a new audience to appreciate the resident of 221b Baker Street for the 21st century. Coupled with the two Guy Ritchie movies of Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law; Sherlock seems to have found this ability like James Bond to be a cultural figure ripe for re-invention and re-interpretation.
In the same vein as Charlie Higson's Young James Bond novels, Andrew Lane has quietly gone about his business in re-establishing the mythology of Sherlock with his Young Sherlock Holmes novels. I have had the pleasure of reading the fourth such novel, Fire Storm, which follows the young sleuth on a trek to Scotland to track down his friend who has disappeared along with her father.
Lane has a lot of fun with the writing, there is a real zip about the set-up and scenarios in which Holmes and his young accomplice, Matthew Arnett the layman to Holmes' precocious genius. The set pieces at the start involving the horrible Harkness are effectively rendered - enough description of location and action are done with an effortless streak. There is a pace to the structure of the scenes that make you eager to turn the page and get thrust into the moment.
There are lovely moments where Holmes is rendered dumbfounded by the common language, 'I will be as happy as Larry'.
'Who is Larry?' Sherlock asked.
Matty stared at him. 'It's just an expression,' he said. 'People say it all the time.'
'I've never heard it.'
'As I said, you should get out more. Mix with people.'
Lane is able to take the shortfalls of Holmes that we are familiar with; his inability to interact socially with people beneath him ('You think too much. Anybody ever told you that?'), his aloofness with the working classes (Holmes is born into money) and there is even mention of Holmes' predilection to morphine is mentioned as possibly a hereditary problem built into the Holmes DNA.
Much like the work Miles Millar and Alfred Gough did with Superman with the popular Smallville television series, incorporating the legend and myth of the comic book hero as we see the young boy slowly become more aware of his responsibilites. Holmes is leading a similar path, learning more and more about society in general helped by the enabler Matthew, much like Watson would become in his adult life.
Lane also does well to not make you alien to the surroundings. I have not read any of the other three titles - Death Cloud, Red Leech, Black Ice - yet Fire Storm is a story of its own merits, making the reader enjoy this story without having to have prior knowledge of the previous adventures.
The conclusion in Scotland which features kidnappers, bodysnatchers, nasty villains is a brilliant story that is told concisely and with great confidence by a writer enjoying his niche market at this particular moment.
Young Sherlock Holmes: Fire Storm is out now in paperback by PanMacmillan and is suitable for readers over the age of 11.
www.youngsherlock.com
www.panmacmillan.com
In the same vein as Charlie Higson's Young James Bond novels, Andrew Lane has quietly gone about his business in re-establishing the mythology of Sherlock with his Young Sherlock Holmes novels. I have had the pleasure of reading the fourth such novel, Fire Storm, which follows the young sleuth on a trek to Scotland to track down his friend who has disappeared along with her father.
Lane has a lot of fun with the writing, there is a real zip about the set-up and scenarios in which Holmes and his young accomplice, Matthew Arnett the layman to Holmes' precocious genius. The set pieces at the start involving the horrible Harkness are effectively rendered - enough description of location and action are done with an effortless streak. There is a pace to the structure of the scenes that make you eager to turn the page and get thrust into the moment.
There are lovely moments where Holmes is rendered dumbfounded by the common language, 'I will be as happy as Larry'.
'Who is Larry?' Sherlock asked.
Matty stared at him. 'It's just an expression,' he said. 'People say it all the time.'
'I've never heard it.'
'As I said, you should get out more. Mix with people.'
Lane is able to take the shortfalls of Holmes that we are familiar with; his inability to interact socially with people beneath him ('You think too much. Anybody ever told you that?'), his aloofness with the working classes (Holmes is born into money) and there is even mention of Holmes' predilection to morphine is mentioned as possibly a hereditary problem built into the Holmes DNA.
Much like the work Miles Millar and Alfred Gough did with Superman with the popular Smallville television series, incorporating the legend and myth of the comic book hero as we see the young boy slowly become more aware of his responsibilites. Holmes is leading a similar path, learning more and more about society in general helped by the enabler Matthew, much like Watson would become in his adult life.
Lane also does well to not make you alien to the surroundings. I have not read any of the other three titles - Death Cloud, Red Leech, Black Ice - yet Fire Storm is a story of its own merits, making the reader enjoy this story without having to have prior knowledge of the previous adventures.
The conclusion in Scotland which features kidnappers, bodysnatchers, nasty villains is a brilliant story that is told concisely and with great confidence by a writer enjoying his niche market at this particular moment.
Young Sherlock Holmes: Fire Storm is out now in paperback by PanMacmillan and is suitable for readers over the age of 11.
www.youngsherlock.com
www.panmacmillan.com
Rickie Fowler Blossoms
Last year during Darren Clarke's victory at the Open at St.George's I wrote a piece on the Friday afternoon whilst I watched the pairing of Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler fight the elements as well as each other. Many suspected the newly crowned US Open champion to rip up the Southern England course.
Yet McIlroy was found to be guilty of extreme naivety as his plan of bombing the ball down the course and overpowering the links did not come to fruition. Yet you saw the younger (by a year) Fowler, a young man still learning his trade navigate the alien links course with poise and character. He used shots of originality and creativity more akin to fellow countryman, Phil Mickelson, as he carded a sub-par round to move into contention.
Eventually Fowler fell away as Darren Clarke marched to his first major victory but the composure Fowler showed on his Open debut, made some heads turn and made some friends on these European shores. He already came to prominence as the first US PGA tour rookie to be selected as a wildcard Captains pick for the Ryder Cup in Wales in 2010. He birdied the last four holes of a foursome tie to gain a halve point which almost became important as America nearly overturned a large deficit.
Yet he had still not won a tour event in America. That all changed as he got his maiden US tour win at Wells Fargo, Quail Hollow winning a three man playoff with D.A. Points and one, world number one Rory McIlroy birdied the formidable pin position with hole 18 to garner a deserved win.
Heads were turned by again the composure and assuredness beyond his years that Fowler showed; he goes about his business quietly and does not draw attention to himself; the only time he does is with his Sunday best - a top to toe orange outfit in honour of his alma mater, Oklahoma State University where he got his college education.
Yet Fowler, a 23 year old Californian, has made many friends on tour who like the way he treats people and is for want of a better word, approachable. An odd trait in a world that is at times strictly private and cut off from the layman and common fan - many players once they get the big money, get the big house, the course in the back garden, the flashy cars. As if they live in Hollywood, or is that Holywood.
Fowler now can look to enjoy the remainder of his season, and be considered a contender for many tour events and maybe even the majors. He has the length for the US Open, the composure and imagination for the links of Lytham St.Annes in July, whilst the PGA in August remains a pin a tale on a donkey contest.
Also in late September is the Ryder Cup - an event that needs young blood - an event that Fowler has already performed admirably in, and will look to regain the Samuel Ryder trophy and he will be a member (automatically or a wildcard by captain, Davis Love III) of a team that is starting to take shape - US Masters champion Bubba Watson, consistent Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, USPGA champion Keegan Bradley and a guy with the initials TW if he turns out of his current dead end.
There seems to be a resurgence occuring in America in terms of golf interest thanks to Watson's popular Masters win, but 16 of the 20 US tour events thus far have been won by Americans - whilst the European team whilst good in years go by seems more than likely to be built upon the trifecta of McIlroy, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. Stalwarts such as Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter are out of form and not figuring in the business end of tournaments. The team will take shape once the summer of majors is out of the way, and the team usually consists of those in form so do not fret just yet.
However, should Fowler and other Americans continue this purple patch of tournament wins then the Ryder Cup in Illinois may be a long weekend (Sept 28-30th) for Jose-Maria Olazabal and his compatriots.
Yet McIlroy was found to be guilty of extreme naivety as his plan of bombing the ball down the course and overpowering the links did not come to fruition. Yet you saw the younger (by a year) Fowler, a young man still learning his trade navigate the alien links course with poise and character. He used shots of originality and creativity more akin to fellow countryman, Phil Mickelson, as he carded a sub-par round to move into contention.
Eventually Fowler fell away as Darren Clarke marched to his first major victory but the composure Fowler showed on his Open debut, made some heads turn and made some friends on these European shores. He already came to prominence as the first US PGA tour rookie to be selected as a wildcard Captains pick for the Ryder Cup in Wales in 2010. He birdied the last four holes of a foursome tie to gain a halve point which almost became important as America nearly overturned a large deficit.
Yet he had still not won a tour event in America. That all changed as he got his maiden US tour win at Wells Fargo, Quail Hollow winning a three man playoff with D.A. Points and one, world number one Rory McIlroy birdied the formidable pin position with hole 18 to garner a deserved win.
Heads were turned by again the composure and assuredness beyond his years that Fowler showed; he goes about his business quietly and does not draw attention to himself; the only time he does is with his Sunday best - a top to toe orange outfit in honour of his alma mater, Oklahoma State University where he got his college education.
Yet Fowler, a 23 year old Californian, has made many friends on tour who like the way he treats people and is for want of a better word, approachable. An odd trait in a world that is at times strictly private and cut off from the layman and common fan - many players once they get the big money, get the big house, the course in the back garden, the flashy cars. As if they live in Hollywood, or is that Holywood.
Fowler now can look to enjoy the remainder of his season, and be considered a contender for many tour events and maybe even the majors. He has the length for the US Open, the composure and imagination for the links of Lytham St.Annes in July, whilst the PGA in August remains a pin a tale on a donkey contest.
Also in late September is the Ryder Cup - an event that needs young blood - an event that Fowler has already performed admirably in, and will look to regain the Samuel Ryder trophy and he will be a member (automatically or a wildcard by captain, Davis Love III) of a team that is starting to take shape - US Masters champion Bubba Watson, consistent Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, USPGA champion Keegan Bradley and a guy with the initials TW if he turns out of his current dead end.
There seems to be a resurgence occuring in America in terms of golf interest thanks to Watson's popular Masters win, but 16 of the 20 US tour events thus far have been won by Americans - whilst the European team whilst good in years go by seems more than likely to be built upon the trifecta of McIlroy, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood. Stalwarts such as Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter are out of form and not figuring in the business end of tournaments. The team will take shape once the summer of majors is out of the way, and the team usually consists of those in form so do not fret just yet.
However, should Fowler and other Americans continue this purple patch of tournament wins then the Ryder Cup in Illinois may be a long weekend (Sept 28-30th) for Jose-Maria Olazabal and his compatriots.
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Mem Ferda/Pusher Interview
Hello Mem, thank you for taking the time to talk to me again. We spoke previously about your role in The Devil's Double, and now we are talking about your prominent role in Pusher, the remake of Nicolas Winding Refn's 1996 Danish classic.
What can you tell us about it?
This is an English language remake, set in London instead of Copenhagen. It's about a mid level drug dealer, Frank, and his aspirations of making lots of money fast. This slowly spirals out of control when he owes large amounts of money to Turkish drug dealers. Frank's life soon descends into a living hell losing everything he has. The film is a no-holds barred, gritty and real look into the underworld of drug pushing.
Tell us about your character Hakan, who you play in the movie.
Hakan is a 'nice' tough guy of Turkish descent, who works for Milo a drug baron. He is a victim of circumstance, trapped into doing a job he doesn't like. He is not your stereotypical villain he has complex layers and dimensions to his personality, which makes him a fascinating character to play.
What research did you do for Hakan?
I did a lot, as I view each role as a unique commitment and opportunity to research. You have to research to understand the real motivations of a given character, the more intricate and involved you become the better the result. For me, Hakan depicted an accurate reflection of how people find themselves entangled in crime when trying to better them-selves. The script had me engrossed when I read it, so thanks to Matthew Read for doing such a good job.
How did the opportunity fall into your lap?
The conventional way via my agent setting up a meeting. The audition process was tough, as they always are. I was prepared and confident I'd do a good job. I liked the original Pusher trilogy, I felt it translated internationally, appealing to all cultures. There isn't a city not affected by an underground drug trade, so the message is universal in the film.
The cast includes, Richard Coyle, Agyness Deyn, Zlatko Buric and director Luis Prieto doing his first English language film. What was it like working with them all?
I've worked with Richard before so it was brilliant to work with him again, he is hugely talented and a hard worker, which helped a lot. Agyness is lovely, down to earth with a warm, vibrant personality. Zlatko was fun, I had to teach him some Turkish dialogue for the Milo role, he nailed the pronunciation in no time. I had seen Luis' previous work 'Ho Voglia di te' and was excited to work with him. He is a fine director.
Remakes can endorse a lack of orginality, where do you stand on them?
Personally, I feel one should have an open mind regarding remakes, and judge them on their own merits, I can guarantee you this remake is on par, if not better, than the 1996 original.
You have hit a nice run with The Devil's Double, Pusher and the forthcoming Ill Manors, what was Plan B like to work with?
I like Ben Drew, aka Plan B's music. His lyrics have a rebellious spirit which appeals to me personally and when I learnt he was doing a soundtrack for the film also, I was eager to get onboard. I was intrigued to see how he would work as a director.. he was unconventional and stayed true to his convictions, having a strong idea of what he wanted. Ill Manors is very dark, gritty and harsh, it is a hip hop musical that follows six characters on East London streets.
You’ve garnered a lot of credits to your name, how do you stay ambitious?
It's my job, which I enjoy doing and hope to keep on doing. After I achieved my BSc in Psychology and Master’s in Business Administration, I went on to do a Postgraduate in classical acting at LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), I was snapped up by a mainstream agent and many doors opened for me.
You have a strong presence which helps you play many villains, do you worry about being typecast?
No, I feel a lot of actors get stereotyped, which is actually a good thing for it helps establish an identity. It is competitive in acting and the chance to give yourself that identity is vital. Now my preoccupation is to expand my range and versatility even more, so I’m being very cautious in the roles that are kindly offered to me.
How do you deal with all the media attention?
It can be awkward, the press can badger your nearest and dearest for a story which is annoying. But on the whole the appreciation from genuine fans makes up for this intrusion. I'm quite grounded as an individual, and on the odd occasion when I do drift with my ego, I have a great partner that brings me back down to earth.
What is in the pipeline?
I have four feature films, three of which I am the leading man, which is exciting. Two are horror films, which is a new genre for me and a thriller and a comedy. I don't want to tempt fate by talking about them until I have to, but please go to my website www.memferda.com or follow me on twitter @memferda1 for details.
Thank you very much for your time, I wish you every success with the films.
My pleasure, anytime.
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Harry or Hodgson
The news that on Sunday (29th April), the Football Association (FA) made an approach to West Bromich Albion to begin talks with their manager, Roy Hodgson about the vacant position of England manager came as some sort of surprise to many. Even more so when it became knowledge that Hodgson was the only manager that they have approached. This means that the FA will be holding no talks with any other available manager, most prominently Harry Redknapp, the bookmakers favourite and People's Choice for the role this summer at the European Championships.
Hodgson is a vastly experienced manager, in world football and with esteemed clubs across Europe. Hodgson took a limited Switzerland side to the 1994 World Cup in USA where they made the first knockout round, beyond expectations.
It seems that Hodgson works against this brief at every club. Exceed expectations. At Fulham, he took the team to the Europa League final, most notably defeating Juventus 4-1 at home to win on aggregate; before they lost to a very good Atletico Madrid starring Diego Forlan in the final. This came a season after he saved the club with a last day escape at Portsmouth. Yet this journey to that final gave Hodgson some cache and was given the chance at a big club in England, having previously managed Inter Milan in Italy.
Liverpool came a calling and Hodgson understandably jumped at the opportunity, much like he will with the England job, yet Liverpool turned into a poisoned chalice of a job. Hodgson struggled to gain rewards through his tactics and vision, there were chants from the crowds of boring football and a series of bad results ending with a home defeat to Wolves in early January 2011 led to the guillotine being dropped on Roy as he headed for the hills.
During a new takeover of the club by the Fenway group, Roy did not fit the bill as the head coach who installed Kop legend, Kenny Dalglish, as manager for the remainder of the season. The new owners opened their chequebook for Dalglish, something they failed to for Hodgson who signed Joe Cole, a player who failed to impress or fit into the system behind Fernando Torres and in front of Steven Gerrard.
After Hodgson's departure, new signing Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll arrived in the January transfer window; then Jose Enrique, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson in the summer. Hodgson could have benefited from such signings, yet his pedigree deserved longer than 6 months in charge at a big job.
He shortly returned to management landing with the baggies in West Bromich Albion; a team he resuscitated surviving a nervy relegation battle with games to spare. A solid summer signing players who work hard and gaining more out of players has led to a solid season, that will avoid the threat of relegation easily without moving up. That must be a target for the club to break the top 10 next season, of course it would need Hodgson to remain at the Hawthorns, something that looks unlikely.
So why has Hodgson being picked over Redknapp? A lot has been made of Redknapp's trial in early January for tax evasion, for which he was acquited from. Since then and following Fabio Capello's resignation, it was expected that Redknapp would be told the England job was his come the end of the season.
Yet the FA have played the waiting game to see how both managers have fared. In early January, Tottenham were knocking on the door of a title race, and looking assured in 3rd place 11 points clear of Arsenal. Yet a disastrous last hour of the game away at Arsenal, going from 2-0 up to 5-2 down led to defeats against Manchester United, Everton and further dropped points away to Chelsea and Sunderland, and a crippling home defeat to Norwich. Tottenham are battling for 4th now, they are ahead of Newcastle on goal difference, yet have an easier run-in with three winnable games - Bolton (A), Villa (A) and Fulham (H) - compared to the Toon Army who have to travel to Chelsea and play champions elect, Manchester City at home.
Yet the poor run of results for Tottenham following a 5-0 home victory over Newcastle, resulted in one win (Swansea 3-1 at home) in 9 games showed a bit of naivety on Redknapp's behalf. For most of the season, he has an idea of a starting XI who have played or started most of the season. In this day and age of quicker more intense play, the team could have done with squad rotation yet unfortunate injuries to Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone and always niggled Aaron Lennon, has led to few players getting rest when it could have been afforded. Also the requirement to give Ledley King a week off between games has actually been counter-productive for continuity as King has actually looked slower this season than ever before as he fights father time.
Redknapp also let several squad players depart - Vedrun Corluka and Steven Pienaar left on loan to Dortmund and Everton respectively, yet Pienaar would have had a good run following Lennon's hamstring and his form at Everton has helped that side end the season in formidable form, assisting and scoring goals. For Everton, Pienaar replaced Landon Donovan effortlessly.
Redknapp also trusts the starting XI too much failing to make substitutions or leaving them too late for any player to make an impact; also the lack of impact off the bench (sorry Jermain Defoe) might make this a mute point.
He has also not been helped by players such as Luka Modric and Gareth Bale not living up to their own standards or thinking about next season's employment. It goes without saying that if Tottenham fail to get Champions League football, those two players will depart.
Yet Redknapp also has too much of a personality for the job, of course he has a good relationship with the press but can he deal with the pressure of a whole nation. In a knockout tournament, his tactics might get found out quickly, and he has to be able to keep a lot of egos happy in one dressing room. Whilst the players may respect Redknapp, there is a difference between appreciating a man and listening to him.
Hodgson may garner as much respect, but he has a bit more tactical nous about him in relation to how other nations play football; England need a tactical mastermind for the European championships, not a cheerleader.
Hodgson is a vastly experienced manager, in world football and with esteemed clubs across Europe. Hodgson took a limited Switzerland side to the 1994 World Cup in USA where they made the first knockout round, beyond expectations.
It seems that Hodgson works against this brief at every club. Exceed expectations. At Fulham, he took the team to the Europa League final, most notably defeating Juventus 4-1 at home to win on aggregate; before they lost to a very good Atletico Madrid starring Diego Forlan in the final. This came a season after he saved the club with a last day escape at Portsmouth. Yet this journey to that final gave Hodgson some cache and was given the chance at a big club in England, having previously managed Inter Milan in Italy.
Liverpool came a calling and Hodgson understandably jumped at the opportunity, much like he will with the England job, yet Liverpool turned into a poisoned chalice of a job. Hodgson struggled to gain rewards through his tactics and vision, there were chants from the crowds of boring football and a series of bad results ending with a home defeat to Wolves in early January 2011 led to the guillotine being dropped on Roy as he headed for the hills.
During a new takeover of the club by the Fenway group, Roy did not fit the bill as the head coach who installed Kop legend, Kenny Dalglish, as manager for the remainder of the season. The new owners opened their chequebook for Dalglish, something they failed to for Hodgson who signed Joe Cole, a player who failed to impress or fit into the system behind Fernando Torres and in front of Steven Gerrard.
After Hodgson's departure, new signing Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll arrived in the January transfer window; then Jose Enrique, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson in the summer. Hodgson could have benefited from such signings, yet his pedigree deserved longer than 6 months in charge at a big job.
He shortly returned to management landing with the baggies in West Bromich Albion; a team he resuscitated surviving a nervy relegation battle with games to spare. A solid summer signing players who work hard and gaining more out of players has led to a solid season, that will avoid the threat of relegation easily without moving up. That must be a target for the club to break the top 10 next season, of course it would need Hodgson to remain at the Hawthorns, something that looks unlikely.
So why has Hodgson being picked over Redknapp? A lot has been made of Redknapp's trial in early January for tax evasion, for which he was acquited from. Since then and following Fabio Capello's resignation, it was expected that Redknapp would be told the England job was his come the end of the season.
Yet the FA have played the waiting game to see how both managers have fared. In early January, Tottenham were knocking on the door of a title race, and looking assured in 3rd place 11 points clear of Arsenal. Yet a disastrous last hour of the game away at Arsenal, going from 2-0 up to 5-2 down led to defeats against Manchester United, Everton and further dropped points away to Chelsea and Sunderland, and a crippling home defeat to Norwich. Tottenham are battling for 4th now, they are ahead of Newcastle on goal difference, yet have an easier run-in with three winnable games - Bolton (A), Villa (A) and Fulham (H) - compared to the Toon Army who have to travel to Chelsea and play champions elect, Manchester City at home.
Yet the poor run of results for Tottenham following a 5-0 home victory over Newcastle, resulted in one win (Swansea 3-1 at home) in 9 games showed a bit of naivety on Redknapp's behalf. For most of the season, he has an idea of a starting XI who have played or started most of the season. In this day and age of quicker more intense play, the team could have done with squad rotation yet unfortunate injuries to Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone and always niggled Aaron Lennon, has led to few players getting rest when it could have been afforded. Also the requirement to give Ledley King a week off between games has actually been counter-productive for continuity as King has actually looked slower this season than ever before as he fights father time.
Redknapp also let several squad players depart - Vedrun Corluka and Steven Pienaar left on loan to Dortmund and Everton respectively, yet Pienaar would have had a good run following Lennon's hamstring and his form at Everton has helped that side end the season in formidable form, assisting and scoring goals. For Everton, Pienaar replaced Landon Donovan effortlessly.
Redknapp also trusts the starting XI too much failing to make substitutions or leaving them too late for any player to make an impact; also the lack of impact off the bench (sorry Jermain Defoe) might make this a mute point.
He has also not been helped by players such as Luka Modric and Gareth Bale not living up to their own standards or thinking about next season's employment. It goes without saying that if Tottenham fail to get Champions League football, those two players will depart.
Yet Redknapp also has too much of a personality for the job, of course he has a good relationship with the press but can he deal with the pressure of a whole nation. In a knockout tournament, his tactics might get found out quickly, and he has to be able to keep a lot of egos happy in one dressing room. Whilst the players may respect Redknapp, there is a difference between appreciating a man and listening to him.
Hodgson may garner as much respect, but he has a bit more tactical nous about him in relation to how other nations play football; England need a tactical mastermind for the European championships, not a cheerleader.
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