Glen Hoddle should be the next England boss, says former protégé
Cheltenham-born Ryan Burge joined Hoddle's Spain-based academy in the summer of 2009.
Hoddle had set the academy a year earlier up in the memory of his brother Carl, a former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder who died aged 40.
Its aim was to help former Premier League and Championship scholars back into professional football after being released by their clubs.
Burge's time under Hoddle's tutelage helped him return to English football with Doncaster Rovers and he believes the 58-year-old should succeed Roy Hodgson as boss of the failing national team.
"He should get the job because watching England one of the big problems was trying to break teams down when they have men behind the ball," Burge said.
"We needed something different and maybe a change of formation as I don't think you need four at the back if teams have got near enough every man behind the ball.
"We have all the quality individually but as a team we weren't moving the ball quick enough, and we were just too predictable, the movement and rotation in front of the player on the ball in midfield was non existent at times, and that makes it easier for the opposition.
"It's hard to lay the full blame on the players because some of them were playing in a different position than they were used to for their club just to accommodate everyone which I strongly disagree with?
Hoddle took England to the World Cup second round in 1998, where they lost to Argentina on penalties.
He lost the job for non-footballing reasons before returning management with Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves.
Burge, now at National League newcomers Sutton United, praised Hoddle for his tactical awareness and is confident he can lift the Three Lions out of their current slump.
"I can't think of a better manger tactically than Glenn Hoddle to sort this out," he said.
"If you look at the type of player he was, you can see he has that about him and I can't think of a manager since he was last in charge that has done a better job, although you could argue Fabio Capello going by stats.
"But after working with him I know he would get players to move the ball quicker and I'm sure he would get them playing more attractive football and add more creativity to the side.
"England certainly would be more exciting to watch and I think he would bring the best out of the squad.
"Also it's not very often you have ex-England internationals calling for an ex-manager back, but already I have seen Matt Le Tissier and Michael Owen saying they believe he is the best man for the job, that says it all really.
"I just hope politics don't play a part in the decision. We went in to the tournament not knowing what our best side was, and not having any structure, it was a massive gamble but it didn't pay off."
Burge enjoyed success playing under Hoddle for the Spanish club Jerez Industrial.
"He helped us to the top of the league in the Spanish fourth division by Christmas before a lot of us in the side got moves to higher club," he said.
" At the time we were all 19, 20 or 21 years of age so I think that's a big achievement considering we were over looked by a lot of clubs in England at the time.
"We were creative, well organised, and exciting to watch."
Burge also regards Hoddle as an exceptional man manager and said the time working under the ex-Chelsea and Swindon Town boss was the best coaching of his career.
"He joined in with the banter with all the lads and he was always trying to help people improve whether that as a team or individually," he said.
"He stayed out on the training pitch with me a number of times helping me work on different things, to be fair all the coaching staff were very good probably the best coaching I've had in my career."
Read more:
www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/why-glenn-hoddle-should-be-the-next-england-boss-says-former-prot-g/story-29461385-detail/story.html#ixzz4D3psxMdl Follow us: @gloscitizen on Twitter | GlosCitizen on Facebook