Roy Hodgson being tipped as possible new Ireland coach

Finland play crucial last Euro 2008 qualifier in Porto tonight

Sami Hyypiä and Jari Litmanen

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According to the English broadsheet The Guardian in its Monday and Tuesday editions, Finland’s head football coach Roy Hodgson is among the fancied names to take over in Ireland, where national head coach Steve Staunton’s contract was recently terminated by mutual consent.
      Hodgson’s name has been put near the top of a list containing other possibles in England asistant manager Terry Venables, ex-Wigan Athletic boss Paul Jewell, and Frenchman Gerard Houllier (formerly of Liverpool and Olympique Lyonnais), as well as former Leeds United and Ireland star Johnny Giles, who actually coached Ireland from 1973-1980.
      Apparently the key Ireland players want to see a coach appointed who has international experience, which would tend to rule out Paul Jewell.
     
The President of the Finnish FA Pekka Hämäläinen has been saying from summer onwards that talks on extending Hodgson’s contract will go ahead after the Euro 2008 qualifiers are completed.
      The Finnish FA wants Hodgson to continue, and apparently money is not necessarily an issue.
      Hodgson himself has been taciturn on the subject and has deflected questions about his intentions for the future.
     
The British-born coach has no shortage of admirers, as Inter Milan reported in the summer that they were interested in acquiring his services in an international affairs capacity.
      Hodgson, 60, who took up his post with the Finnish national side at the beginning of 2006, has previously managed Blackburn Rovers, Inter Milan (on two separate occasions), Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and a clutch of Scandinavian clubs during a long career.
     
For today, however, Roy Hodgson - and his charges in the Finnish national squad - have very different things on the mind, as Finland go into their last Euro 2008 qualifier, away to Portugal.
      Victory in Porto is the only straw left for the Finns, and they will also be aware that even a famous win in their last match could leave them agonisingly on the sidelines from the finals in Austria and Switzerland next summer if Serbia beat Poland tonight and Kazakhstan on Saturday.
     
If Finland fall at the last hurdle, then Hodgson might feel a move is the right thing, with new challenges on offer.
      Equally, if Finland do not qualify for the finals, it might see some big names in the squad announcing that they are hanging up their international boots.
      Central defender Sami Hyypiä was within an inch of retiring from international duty after the disastrous 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign and only recanted after Hodgson’s appointment, and talismanic midfielder and long-time captain Jari Litmanen has already stated that this tournament, however it ends, will mark his retirement from the national side.
     
But if the team do the business in Porto and the Poles - who have already qualified and who have unfortunately sent an ominously second-string side to Belgrade - can take a point or more off Serbia, then there may just be serious flag-waving and the parping of car horns in Helsinki late tonight.
      Fingers and toes crossed!
     
The match is televised live on the pay channel Canal Sport 1, and there is also live radio coverage on YLE, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, from 21:45.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland 2 Azerbaijan 1 - Onwards to Porto, fingers crossed (19.11.2007)

Links:
  Finns try to put block on any Republic move for Hodgson (The Guardian)
  Roy Hodgson (Wikipedia)

Helsingin Sanomat