So Roy ‘Woy’ Hodgson is the new England manager. A selection slightly from left field after months of speculation regarding Harry Redknapp taking the job. Roy looks set to take charge for the foreseeable future. Roy has a strong history of managing Internationally, but never with such a high-profile nation. England fans usually expect so much from the team, and undoubtedly will be hoping to do well come Euro 2012, but perhaps Hodgson has taken the job at the best time possible in his 64 years on the planet.

Firstly, the England squad is…how shall I put this…evolving. Older players such as the JTs, Rio Ferdinands, Ashley Coles, Stevie G’s, Frank Lampards are making way for the Jack Rodwells, the Leighton Baines’, the Phil Jones’ and Danny Welbecks of this world, and expectation on the younger players making their way into the squad surely wont be as high as it has been when the generation of aforementioned players were in their prime. Germany have done great things with an extremely y0ung side (laced with experience, too) in recent years, and though the English will hope to emulate, Roy has a job on his hands, and any fan with a few brain cells to rub together will not expect the youngsters to easily achieve such heights.

Secondly, the competition. Euro 2012 is arguably more prestigious than ever. Lets look at who we’re up against if we want to win it. A resurgent Germany, a world-beating Spain and a strong Holland squad. Teams that have perhaps overtaken the South American countries as the best in the world. Teams we wont beat easily, and probably not at all.

Roy is a good choice for the manager, if you ask me, but regardless of anybody’s opinion on manager selection, the decision has been made, and Roy must be given time to establish his young squad into one that (hopefully) can compete at the top level. A nation that has historically expected so much (and achieved relatively little) can perhaps begin to revel in the tag of underdog. Who knows, it may even suit us.