Hodgson defends Kane on corner duty and his reign as England manager

Roy Hodgson has branded criticism of his England tenure as “nonsense”, expressing his opinion that the team improved under his guidance and that Harry Kane was the right choice for corner duty.

The former Liverpool and Fulham manager inherited the Three Lions reins ahead of Euro 2012, with Fabio Capello vacating the post four months before the major international tournament.

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Hodgson was to take in three events at the helm – two European Championships and a World Cup – but failed to guide his side past the quarter-final stage.

Instead, England crashed out at the group phase at a 2014 global showpiece in Brazil and in the second round at Euro 2016.

Defeat to Iceland proved to be the final straw for Hodgson, who quit after the game, but he has defended the job he carried out.

He told The Big Issue: “I certainly didn’t feel suicidal and I certainly didn’t feel self-doubt either because I think probably the four years, especially the last two years after the World Cup, fashioning a team from a very young group of players, many of whom weren’t even in their club side, and playing the sort of football we were capable of playing – we were playing very, very well.

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“I am very, very proud of that achievement. I think it is probably the best work, in many ways, that I did or have done so far."

On the Iceland game that put the final nail in his coffin, Hodgson added: “I consign it to history.

“I don’t need to watch it, I have a perfectly good idea of what happened and why it happened.”

One thing that did happen throughout the tournament in France was Tottenham striker Kane taking corners, a decision that bemused many onlookers – with the Spurs man the leading striker in the squad – but one that Hodgson had faith in.

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He added on the doubts expressed regarding that tactical call: “They are nonsense.

"People should be ashamed of those things. Why shouldn’t Harry Kane take corners? If he happens to be the best striker of a ball in the team and gives you the best delivery why shouldn’t he do it?"