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’ve said on many occasions that Hoddle is the best player ever seen wearing a Lilywhite in my lifetime. But many forget that the Spurs team/s he played in had far better players than England had. Ardiles and Villa, Archibald to name a few must have been heaven sent for Glenn and if the caps Hoddle got was a poor return, then Crooks and Waddle’s haul was a travesty. I’m sure there are countless others you can think of who fit the bill as well?
My favourite was Roberts. But Hoddle was superb. The most underrated was Micky Hazard in my opinion!
Chris Waddle for me was fantastic but again it’s often forgotten he was also booed for almost two seasons before ‘coming good’ but equally Ardiles and Hoddle needed Roberts to be the ‘water carrier’ in much the same way Parker is for Modric and VDV in today’s team. Hazard was plain unlucky to be at Spurs during a time when all those great midfielders happened to be at the Lane during the same period, now that was a travesty!
Graham Roberts is the player that John Terry should aspire to be.
@Jim
He was a good player until the Mars Bars wore off.
I am sure Davspurs would have something to say about that if he were still playing now.
Another one in the same mould and style of play as Lucre and the Mars Bar boy was Dennis Bond, who we bought from Watford. He would come on the pitch and for 20 minutes, he would look world class, and then he ran out of puff.
I’m probably gonna get slated for this, but i think sometimes watching Modric that he reminds me of Hazard. Might be the past “always being sunny” but i think i’ve seen MH do everything Mods has done so far. Howells and Sedgley were world class (only joking). :daumen:
@dublin absolutely, those type of players seem to be rarer than the skilful ones.
The one thing I could never understand was how and why Chelsea let Hazard go. They weren’t overloaded with talent nor were they desperate for cash, so perhaps leaving Spurs had a detrimental effect on Hazards game, because he was never the player we thought he’d be after leaving, yet on his return he seemed to pick up where he left off all those years before, strange one?
Yeah, 300k which even then was a snip. My mate and I couldn’t believe it when the news broke of the transfer, but it was his later moves to Swindon and I think another side in between that threw me, really talented player all the same.
As simple as feeling at home perhaps. I cant remember the year he left Spurs. Wiki here i come.
1985!! could have sworn he was there longer.
Caps! the flaming frenchies are sex mad. 150 caps – that’s a lot of women
They were Dutch Sid.
It’s the reason that, to this day I am not an England fan…..
Le Tissier could be another.
Couldn’t agree more. Watching England play is like watching grass grow or paint dry and it’s down to the FA’s failure to build the team around talented players. The 1990 World Cup was the last time I enjoyed watching England and that was down to a certain Mr Gascoigne and he only played 57 times…..
Oh, yeah..and who buggered Matty’s England chances? Hoddle; how ironic!
Shocker!
And Gazza’s-Mmm, still hate thinking of him as a manager, keep the good memories as a player-La-La-La (sticks fingers in ears)
Was at a game when we played Southampton at the Dell (1989-90) I think and Matt Le Tissiers dad was sat with us. We got talking and he said that Matt would sign for us in the next season as he was a Spurs fanatic. Found out much later, he wanted to come, but we felt he offered nothing we didn’t have already-what a shame eh?
He was by far and away the best English player for about 3 seasons. Just cant believe never made it into an England shirt as a regular. We always pick sides that will get us out a group, never sides that will win anything. Being an athlete is more important than having talent to most managers.
Essexian76
I think you’ll find that Le Tissier did actually sign for Spurs for a fee just under £5m at the end of that season. However, the day after he didn’t feel right about it, rang Venables & told him he couldn’t go through with it, so the contract was ripped up as it hadn’t been sent to the FA.
The full details are in his autobiography, I think.
I recalled something like that, but I was sure it was us not him that put the lid on the deal. I do know as a fact that Steve Perryman went to look at him before and said he wasn’t all that, but we had Glenn, Hazard and that current crop at the time, so it would’ve been understandable, but I’ll look it up as my recollections came from his dad in conversation. Actually met Le Tiss whilst in Guernsey 3 years ago, his son played for Guernsey Rovers whose clubhouse had been flooded and we were doing the restoration work there. Such a decent unassuming bloke, really, not an ounce of arrogance about him-top top geezer.
I made a post about about Jimmy Greaves recently in which I described him as a “buzz player”.
Sometimes the games could get a bit boring, and then Greaves would get the ball, and you could hear a sound from the crowd like a buzz, because they knew that anything could happen. Hoddle had the same effect.
I call that an “Arse off seat” player. As they get the ball, you unconsciously begin standing in small instalments or sitting-then raising as the move unfolds or breaks down-they’re what footballs all about for me. I love watching these guys irrespective of who they play or played for. Colin Bell, George Best as a kid, Matt le Tissier and more recently Henry (but quietly in his case). Van Persie (Sssh)Tevez, Ronaldo and Aguero are a few of the current crop who are worth the admission fee alone, and of course VDV and Bale in today’s Spurs side
I wonder though, if Ginola had been English would he have got more than the 17 caps he got for France?
What a player!! He’s still one of my favourite players that I’ve seen play for Spurs.
Ginola was exciting, no question, but he was the sparkle in a very average side if the truth be told. Hoddle, Waddle and many of the other greats mentioned played in good sides with good players and still shone through, and therein lies the difference for me, but was he really worth it?
As far as I’m concerned he was always worth it!! It’s not his fault most of the others were guff!!
A good debate (maybe a future one HH) would be if Ginola was around now he would be competeing for a place against Bale……….
What about the enfant terrible?
Knowing our lot, Ginola wouldn’t have got a cap at all.