Football
PA Sport 8y

England boss Roy Hodgson in the dark as FA set for medical staff cuts

England manager Roy Hodgson says he is in the dark over potential changes to his medical staff because of Football Association cuts.

Around 100 staff are set to lose their jobs at the FA as the organisation looks to trim costs and plough more money into grassroots football.

As part of a restructuring process, the FA is moving a large part of its operation from Wembley to the National Football Centre at St George's Park.

It is understood that Gary Lewin, England's long-serving physio, has rejected the offer to move and will leave after the European Championship, and it has been reported that Dr Ian Beasley will also cease working for the FA when the tournament ends.

Other departments will lose personnel, but Hodgson's backroom staff will stay until Euro 2016. Beyond that, changes are likely.

"I don't know exactly what has been said to them," the England manager said when asked about the impact of cuts on his medical staff.

"A lot of our medical staff are itinerants, so it is the doctor and the physio who are full-time.

"The organisation is moving up to St George's Park. Whether or not they will move up to St Georges's Park and there will be jobs there for them I don't know.

"At the moment it is not of concern to me because in the games going forward and in France they are still going to be part of my team, so it will only be a factor in my life after the Euros have finished.

"Beyond [the Euros] we don't know [what will happen]. There are a lot of changes happening and St George's has become the hub rather than Wembley and a lot of our staff who were full-time in the beginning were more London based than Burton."

Some staff are understandably unhappy at losing their jobs and there is bound to be an impact on morale in some quarters prior to the Euros.

On the pitch, all is going well for Hodgson and his men in the build-up to the tournament.

On Monday Hodgson became the first England manager to qualify for a tournament with a 100 per cent record since the current qualification format was introduced.

After beating Estonia 2-0 on Friday at Wembley, England made it 10 wins from 10 when they swept Lithuania aside 3-0 in Vilnius.

Other than a few skirmishes between English and local supporters before kick-off, the night went smoothly.

Ross Barkley scored a stunning goal to set England on their way before Harry Kane's shot flew into the back of the net after the ball hit the post and struck Giedrius Arlauskis before rolling into the net. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sealed the win in the second half with a fierce drive.

Barkley took the plaudits after a second excellent display in four days, but Hodgson will not guarantee the Everton midfielder a place in his starting XI for next month's friendlies against Spain and France.

He said: "Ross will play if I feel he is deserving of a place in what I consider to be our best team because I will be picking teams to play against Spain and France that I consider to be the best XI of the moment.

"There's a lot of football between now and then. He will have to continue doing well for Everton and continue to show that this is a player that deserves to be one of the first names on the England team-sheet.

"It's entirely up to him, but he has certainly not done his cause any harm."

England will travel to Germany in March and a game against Holland has been pencilled in before the European Championship.

Hodgson revealed he and his counterparts agreed to play each other in the build-up to the tournament when the qualifying draw was made in February 2014.

"At that stage the bigger nations, for example England, Germany, France, Spain and Holland, said 'why don't we get together instead of just hunting around for friendlies every time and play against each other?'," he said.

"That way you are guaranteed a good opponent and attractive opponent because these are the teams that fill stadiums wherever they play.

"I thought it was a very good idea."

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