Never mind the World Cup, fans still back Roy Hodgson as England manager

Backed by fans: England manager Roy Hodgson

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Joe Murphy @JoeMurphyLondon|Political Editor

21 July 2014

Roy Hodgson has won huge public support to stay on as England manager despite the national team’s shambolic World Cup performance, an exclusive poll reveals today.

Almost three-quarters of those polled said Hodgson should not be sacked, revealed pollsters Ipsos MORI, effectively endorsing the Football Association’s decision to keep him on.

Only 12 per cent thought it should be all over for the 66-year-old after his inexperienced side became the first England team to be eliminated from the World Cup at the group stage since 1958. An overwhelming 73 per cent said he should stay on, giving Hodgson a 6-1 victory in the battle for public opinion.

However, only 26 per cent thought England were “well managed”, compared with 64 per cent who thought it of winners Germany, and just 11 per cent thought they were “exciting”. Other descriptions of the England team included “disappointing”, “boring” and “inexperienced” while Germany were seen as “focused”, “committed”, “talented” and “powerful”.

Ipsos MORI found that the public mood was much less affected by the 2014 World Cup than it was by the 2012 Olympic Games.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: “Team GB’s golden performance in the London 2012 Olympics was in no way matched by England in Brazil, so perhaps it’s not surprising that the World Cup also had a much more anaemic impact on the mood of the country.

“However, there seems to be little appetite among the public for Roy Hodgson to be sacked, despite the fact that the England team is less than half as likely to be seen as well-managed than the victorious Germans.”

Never mind the World Cup, fans still back Roy Hodgson as England manager

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