Magpies’ boss backs Redknapp to be England manager (From Dorset Echo)

Magpies’ boss backs Redknapp to be England manager

8:59am Friday 10th February 2012

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ALAN Knight has thrown his weight behind calls for Harry Redknapp to be named as the next England manager.

Fabio Capello resigned from the post on Wednesday night after criticising the FA’s decision to strip John Terry of the Three Lions captaincy.

The Tottenham Hotspur boss, who was cleared of tax evasion on the same day, is the bookies’ favourite to replace the Italian and having worked under the 64-year-old as goalkeeping coach at Portsmouth, Knight believes Redknapp has all the necessary qualities to lead England at this summer’s European Championships, and beyond.

The Dorchester Town chief told Echosport: “He is everyone’s first choice and he would be my choice as well. It has to be Harry.

“I had three years working under Harry and I have seen how he works. He knows how to put an arm around players but he is also a man you shouldn’t cross – and that’s how it should be.

“He likes the game to be played in the right way and I don’t agree with people who say he hasn’t won enough trophies in his career or that he isn’t a tactical genius.

“We’ve tried appointing so-called tactical geniuses and that didn’t work.

“Capello’s record was good on paper but when it comes to taking a bunch of English guys away for four weeks you need to know their mentality and Harry would be able to keep those guys motivated and entertained.

“It won’t hurt having Stuart Pearce as a caretaker, ready for Harry to come in full-time for the Euros. He can then do whatever he needs to do with Spurs.”

At the forefront of Knight’s thoughts, however, is tomorrow’s home clash with Chelmsford City (3pm).

The Magpies have been out of action since January 21, and with no match scheduled for next weekend, Knight is praying that tomorrow’s fixture receives the green light.

He added: “We don’t want to go a month without a game but all we can do is try and keep the team rolling.

“We have had a couple of weeks off, which is a bit of a nuisance, but we’ve had some practice games between ourselves and kept the training fresh.

“On the positive side of it, a couple of the lads had knocks and bruises but they have now cleared so we should have a full contingent.”

The Clarets lie seven points clear of the seventh-placed Magpies, but with just one defeat in their last 14 Blue Square Bet South outings Knight insists there is nothing to fear.

He said: “If we play to our capabilities then we are more than capable of getting a result.

“We are not in awe of them or anyone else, we will just go out and concentrate on what we do.”

New signings Sam Malsom and Max Worsfold could make their first appearances at the Avenue Stadium.

Magpies (from): Walker-Harris, Jones, Critchell, Smeeton, Martin, Jermyn, N Walker, Nicholls, Gleeson, Dovell, Symes, Bell, Crittenden, Malsom, Worsfold, Wilson, Nichols.

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