Lineker ready to stand up and be counted and join the Dyke revolution to help save English football

Lineker ready to stand up and be counted and join the Dyke revolution to help save English football

Gary Lineker is willing to sit on FA chairman Greg Dyke’s crisis commission into the state of English football after smoothing over relations with England manager Roy Hodgson.
Sportsmail can reveal that Lineker, who tweeted that England were ‘awful’ during the 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw in Ukraine on Tuesday, is so concerned about the declining number of top-level English players that he is prepared to expand on his opinions to the FA panel.
Dyke claimed English football was at a tipping point during a controversial speech last week and went on to announce that he would be chairing a commission to save the national team. England will face further embarrassment today when they are expected to slip to 16th in the world rankings — behind Switzerland and the USA.

Helping hand: Former England captain Gary Lineker is will to sit on Greg Dyke's commission

Work to do: Lineker described England's performance against Ukraine as 'awful' but insisted he was behind Roy Hodgson

Although Dyke, who didn’t attend Tuesday’s qualifier in Kiev, has yet to make contact, Lineker, who scored 48 goals in 80 England appearances, wants to help shape the game’s future and has much to offer.
The 52-year-old recognises his controversial tweets have caused huge debate about the future of the national team. In May he claimed Hodgson had taken English football back to the ‘dark ages’ during a 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland at Wembley.
On Wednesday Lineker, who was part of the FA’s 2022 World Cup bid team, explained his incendiary tweets on the night of the Ukraine clash and also clarified his relationship with Hodgson.

Top of the group: Hodgson's England top the qualifying group with two games to go

Hard earned point: Sreven Gerrard applauds England's traveling fans after the draw

The Match of the Day host said: ‘I’d like to make it clear I’m fully supportive of Roy and think he’s doing a good job.
‘Roy Hodgson can’t be blamed for England’s finest having a bad night. With injured players returning, his options will be greater.
‘He may play Michael Carrick as he’s the only natural holding player we have, as well as our best passer. But who to leave out? My only criticism, but it’s a crucial one, was the inability to pass the ball accurately.’

Big speech: FA Chairman Greg Dyke will head a commission to try and save English football

Making their point: England fans hold a banner referencing FA Chairman Greg Dyke's speech

Hodgson, whose team are top of Group H, was livid with Lineker following the clash with Ukraine. He said: ‘I’m surprised anyone who has played for England, captained England and played in games of this nature can be that critical.
‘This is the second time (he has done it). I saw Gary Lineker play, I remember him captaining the team and playing some great games for England.
‘But I’m pretty sure he played in some games when it wasn’t that easy and I don’t think every game he played for England was a total success.

One of the best: Lineker scored 48 goals during his England career

Spectacular: Lineker scores a goal against Poland in 1991

Ready to help: Lineker is keen to help the England team improve

‘I’m afraid I just have to accept I do my best to placate most people, but I’ve just seen a group of players missing seven  first-team members beat Moldova 4-0 and come to Ukraine and draw 0-0.
‘You can criticise, or praise, or do whatever you want to do, but don’t think you’re going to put words into my mouth or get me agreeing with these opinions.
‘I’ve been in football for 38 years and I will stick to my opinions. You can have yours, he can have his and anyone else can have theirs for that matter. This is the beauty of football.
‘There are 60 million opinions out there. But I will be surprised if I am walking down the street in the next few weeks and people aren’t actually saying, “You did well in those two games”.’
Hodgson defended his decision to leave out Carrick for the third successive game.
He said: ‘Michael didn’t play because we had Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Jack Wilshere. If Michael played, your question would be about the one who didn’t play.

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