AN old friend got me thinking last week whether I, like so many other football fans, had been mistaken in believing Harry Redknapp was the best man, in fact in some people’s eyes, the only man for the England job.

“Why Harry?” he asked, questioning the calibre of his CV which, apart from winning the FA Cup with Portsmouth, is bereft of any worthwhile credentials to manage a national team.

International honours – none; international coaching experience – none; international caps – none.

I began wondering why Redknapp had been installed as the hottest of hot favourites to succeed Fabio Capello since the very night the Italian walked away after feeling the FA had undermined his position over the John Terry captaincy controversy.

The seeds of doubt were sown, but I still thought Harry was a shoo-in, the only English manager worth considering, until Sunday, when the FA revealed West Brom had given them permission to speak to Roy Hodgson and he was the only man on their list.

Why? Because, although Hodgson has won no domestic honours in this country, he has a wealth of international experience.

He took Switzerland to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and to number three in the FIFA world rankings, then in a couple of years as Finland’s national manager he took them to 33rd – their highest ever world ranking.

A highly-respected coach, he was applauded for the job he did at Fulham, taking the Cottagers to the Europa League final two years ago.

He was appointed Liverpool manager on the strength of it. So why wasn’t he the “people’s choice” ahead of Harry Redknapp? Because choosing the England manager is not just about ticking boxes on a job description.

My blood ran cold when I heard Hodgson described as a “safe pair of hands” and a “better fit” for the England operation, which will include St George’s Park – home of the new national football centre – when it opens in the autumn.

The first national newspaper I picked up on Monday morning as I slaked my thirst for all the info and gossip on the big story, had a colourful back page declaring “Roy’s the boy”, then turned to a more in-depth view to a black and white inside analysis page headlined “Little joy in a chase for Roy”.

It was dull, grey and boring, which just about sums up the man who is to be the next manager of England.

I’ve got nothing against him. His knowledge of the world game is extensive – he’s managed 16 different teams in eight countries, including Inter Milan. But that Liverpool appointment was his biggest challenge on these shores and he lasted just 191 days, prompting claims he could not hack it managing high-profile Premier League stars – skills Redknapp has in abundance.

Well, he’s going to have to handle some big egos. Let’s see if he does any better this time.

Also, the national press not only wanted Harry, they went out on a limb to back his candidacy, ignored all other options and believed his appointment was just a matter of time.

They’ll be bitter, make no mistake about it, because their man has been snubbed and they have been made to look foolish. That puts him on a sticky wicket straightaway.

And if you think the FA shouldn’t be influenced by the media in these matters, then you are naïve. A disgruntled media can make life pretty difficult for a manager, national or otherwise.

I hope the FA are doing the right thing and I hope Hodgson leads England to success.

But, far from being excited by the news on Sunday night, I was disappointed, deflated and dispirited.

I never believed for one minute that Harry Redknapp would have emulated Sir Alf Ramsey, but we’d have had a lot of fun watching him try.

IF Manchester City go on to win their first league title for 44 years – as I fancy they will after Monday’s derby win – it should go down as a personal triumph for Roberto Mancini.

Jealous types will scornfully claim City have bought the title and I must confess I had hoped Sheikh Mansour might be taught a lesson that it takes more than just money to win football’s major prizes.

But over the past few weeks when we’ve seen United not only make a fight of it but actually open up what appeared to be a decisive eight-point lead on City, the title race has developed into a fascinating duel between the two managers.

And anyone who gets the better of Sir Alex Ferguson in those circumstances deserves all the credit coming his way.

ALL eyes will be on Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium on May 16 when Hawk-Eye – one of the two goal-line technology systems being trialled – will be used for the first time in a competitive match.

That it’s the Hampshire FA Senior Cup final between two part-time clubs – Conference South side Eastleigh and Totten of the Southern League Premier Division – is of no consequence.

Football is a step nearer entering the technological age and we should be grateful.

However, on a practical note, I’m not sure how much this particular “live” trial is going to tell us, as the testers will not be allowed to convey their findings to the officials during the game.

What if there is no contentious decision to bring it into play? Games are few and far between when you get a goal-line issue – and that’s all they are monitoring.

But what if the final does hinge on such a decision?

Suppose it’s the last minute with the score 0-0 and Eastleigh striker Bradley Bubb crashes a shot against the bar, the ball bounces down and the referee consults his assistant and awards a goal.

Eastleigh celebrate and collect the cup while observers from FIFA’s Swiss laboratory who are co-ordinating the testing have the evidence at hand that the ball had not crossed the line, but were not allowed to say. And poor old Totten have been the latest victims of a miscarriage of justice.

WITHOUT wishing to come across as sensitive, if someone in my profession publicly branded me a “sewer rat”, I’d be gravely offended.

If they were justified in thinking of me in that way, I’d be too ashamed to ever look them in the eye again. I certainly couldn’t work with them.

And if they had no justification, I’d demand an equally public apology – and even then I don’t think I could ever respect them.

Not so in football though, if we are to believe one of the most unlikely transfer speculation stories of recent times.

Leeds United manager Neil Warnock reportedly wants to sign El-Hadji Diouf. Yes, the same man he described as a “sewer rat” last season after the former Wanderers and Senegal striker, who was playing for Blackburn at the time, was accused of taunting QPR’s Jamie Mackie after he’d suffered a broken leg in an FA Cup tie.

Given the degree of disgust that prompted that public vilification, you’d have thought Diouf would have been the last player Warnock would have wanted to sign. Evidently not.

Even more amazing is that Diouf, shameless and obviously desperate, seems to be up for it, judging by his “let bygones be bygones” reaction.

“It is in the past and is not an issue,” he is quoted as saying of their previous encounter. “I have the utmost respect for Neil Warnock.”

I reckon these two deserve each other.