Fan spokeman demands clarity from FA over Roy Hodgson decision

The FA maintains its latest move is not a tactic, and Hodgson is the first choice (AFP)

A prominent member of the England Supporters Club has demanded clarity from the Football Association over their decision to snub Harry Redknapp in favour of Roy Hodgson.

The FA last night named Hodgson as their top target after receiving permission from West Brom to talk to their manager about the vacancy created by Fabio Capello's departure in February.

Their stance is a surprise given Tottenham boss Redknapp was the overwhelming favourite.

And Mark Perryman believes fans should be told why Redknapp appears to have been overlooked.

He told Press Association Sport: "I think first of all, the FA needs to be open in terms of the situation.

"It's almost inconceivable they haven't approached Redknapp.

"I think the fans and the broader sporting public have a right to know what the situation is with Redknapp.

"It's quite conceivable he has turned the job down but fans have the right to know.

"I am not saying Hodgson is the wrong man but clearly there was a popular mood around Redknapp and in the spirit of open governance, let's be clear what the situation was there."

Perryman was not convinced Redknapp was the right man for the job anyway.

He added: "The fans I know...there wasn't the degree of enthusiasm for Redknapp which was widely reported.

"There are enough fans who have been following the game for long enough to know he has won one trophy in 34 years.

"And also fans remember the last time we appointed the people's choice: Kevin Keegan. That was an unmitigated disaster.

"I don't think there will be a great wave of excitement about Hodgson but given that (Jose) Mourinho or (Pep) Guardiola are not likely to take the job...

"I don't think there is a great wave of enthusiasm about England in general at the moment - there are only 5,000 going to the European Championships which is one of the lowest travelling supports for a very long time."

Perryman was impressed by Hodgson's experience and called for him to be given time to mould a team.

"Hodgson is the kind of guy who is willing to take the job on. He is a quiet and unassuming guy but the thing that impresses me is that when you look at his record he has managed all over Europe and few Englishmen have had the balls to do that," he said.

"That gives us an inkling of his potential.

"We need someone to bed the team down, we need to look long-term and Hodgson could quietly, methodically rebuild the set up around the England team. He has to be there until 2014."

PA