Never was the ‘Hoddle debate’ more intense nor more fractious than in the context of his relationship with the English national side. Away from the more protective environment of White Hart Lane, service with England both as a player and manager exposed Hoddle to scrutiny that was at best rigorous and at worst gratuitously vicious.
Adam Powley and Martin Cloake and are quite rightly among other things highly respected authors. This is another reason to appreciate their literary efforts. The pair have teamed up yet again to produce a series of ebooks called Sports Shots. And this is to let you know about the Glenda Hoddle one!
By the summer of 1986, when Hoddle was 28 and at his peak, the England midfield had been built around the energy and drive of Bryan Robson. The arguments over whether Hoddle’s place in the national side was merited or not should have been over. Had he made enough appearances, supporters or detractors would have been able to judge whether he was a success with England. The simple truth is he didn’t play enough for such a judgement to be made.
Hoddle was again the choice of many to lead the midfield, but Ron Greenwood’s successor Bobby Robson appeared to share the same reluctance. Fondly remembered as a great romantic of the game, Robson had no indulgent sentimentality for Hoddle and, under intense pressure not to lose games, he favoured the industry of Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins.
The Hoddle-England conundrum was never better exposed than in the disastrous European Championships finals of 1988. England were in a tough group but that could not excuse a dreadful display. Reduced to the role of stand-in for a hopelessly out-of-his depth Neil Webb, Hoddle finally made an impact in the match against the eventual winners Holland. He struck a post but thereafter was sidelined as the Dutch exploited some comical English defending.
It was the familiar story of English tactical and technical weakness, but instead of the culprits paying the price – players such as Tony Adams who were most glaringly bereft of the necessary technique and positional acumen – it was Hoddle who became one of the fall guys. He played once more in another humiliation against Russia and at 31 never featured for England again. He had played 53 games and scored a paltry eight goals.
Bryan Robson, by contrast, despite his recurring injuries, finished with 90 caps and, operating from a position in which he was encouraged to get forward, scored 26 times.
It’s not that Robson was not effective for England, nor that he was undeniably a great player, but if ever there was a glaring illustration of the value English football placed on its reservoir of talent, those contrasting statistics tell a revealing story.
Remarkably, Bobby Robson survived the post 1988 inquest, along with his skipper Bryan. The pair were to finally end their England days in the 1990 World Cup; Bobby with some kind of fortuitous redemption and glorious failure, Bryan yet again succumbing to injury. The only marvel about Captain Marvel by this stage was that he had lasted as long to be considered worthy of inclusion.
And by then, Hoddle was charming the French. Another artist who elevated football above the level of artisanship, Michel Platini, famously said of Hoddle “If he was French he would have got 150 caps.”
It summed up the differing philosophies of the Gallic and Anglo-Saxon game, but also showed that if he were to be truly appreciated, the Englishman had to find a new and more appreciative home.
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I watched Hoddle week in and week out at Tottenham in the 80s.To me he was one of the best footballers in the world.Unfortunately his football wasnt appreciated by the management team of England at the time,reason was that he didnt run and work as hard as the others.As Brian Clough said at the time, There are hundreds of footballers in England who are hardworkers and can run all day after the ball.But there is only one Glenn Hoddle.All the best Glen you still are the best that ? wathed even up to today.
greenwood delayed putting hoddle in the team as he, rightly, knew that he was a player who needed confidence (his strutting brilliance on his own manor at whl was due to that fact, ie it was his manor and the crowd adored him. however, after greenwood brought him in for the game aganist bulgaria, where he set up one goal and stroked in the other from the edge of the box, top corner, greenwood dropped him. so much for building confidence. all you need to know is that before the world cup in ’86 the coach of brazil was asked in any english player would get into his squad. his answer surprised many: “four” he said. when asked to explain which players he simply said “three goalkeepers and glenn hoddle”
Of course, lest we forget, he was also responsible for years of Spurs’ purgatory and for propelling our greatest rivals into the stratosphere. Hoddle started the Chelsea revolution – bringing in Gullet etc. He was also the little voice in David Dein’s ear that convinced him to ditch Rioch and go for a little-known manager called Arsene Wenger.
Nice one Cyril (excuse the pun).
I agree 100% with every word you wrote.
I was a regular from 78 – 84 and it was a privelege to watch him.
There were some passes/goals that stick in the memory, and there were no other players in the country capable of scoring them at the time.
Was that for cyril 1 or 2, there seems to be lot of cyrils on this site.
I don’t know the collective name for a load of Cyrils, but could it be: A Bunting of Cyrils.
:unsure:
Collective noun: A nicety, as in Nice One Cyril.
Hoddle was why Spurs are the team I support all the way from Cape Town. I regret never ever seeing him, Waddle and Gazza together in the spurs midfield. WOWZERS!
And for all the reasons mentioned about, i can tell the Thudd fans are from this same era casue they can see the similarities. the new batch of Spurs fans so used to seeing the like of Lampard as the ideal midfielder are the ones crowing about Parker (and yes I too love the guy) but we need to have Thudd in the squad!
My great regret about Thud, is that when it comes to a pass, he is as good as Hoddle. If he could shoot like Hoddle, people wouldn’t be talking about £40 mill for Bale and Lucre, they would be talking about £50 mill for Thud.
Well with that fro he is getting he better start shooting straight.
Hoddle played the game with an air about him thatmade the game look effort less. I wonder oftne if he would have made it into the england team or the current spurs team. There are so many youngsters who think that what they are seeing wiht our advnace to 3rd is the best spurs have ever played this game. I think not.
If Thud can make it to the current Spurs Team, then Hoddle is a cert, because he could score some incredible goals. I don’t think that there is a team in the world that would not want a mid-fielder who can score 20 per season.
I should add, that before Beckham was taking free kicks, Hoddle was giving masterclasses in how to turn a football into a Cruise Missile. If there was gap in the defensive wall, he could find it.