England have been left in turmoil once again, with Sam
Allardyce leaving his post as manager after just one game in charge following
allegations that he negotiated a £400,000 deal to tell undercover officials of ways
in which to get around third-party ownership rules. The former Bolton, West Ham
and Sunderland manager has the distinction of being the only Three Lions
manager to have a one hundred percent record, but while the reason behind his
controversial departure may carry further repercussions in the future for
others exposed by the Daily Telegraph sting, the Football Association are back
to square one in finding the right man to take the national team forward.
It is the last thing that they, and England, needed after
the painful exit at Euro 2016 at the hands of Iceland, with Roy Hodgson losing
his job following a poor campaign which saw the team win just one game. Coral
have already compiled a list of potential candidates who could be the next in
line, and although there is a growing feeling that the England job is a
poisoned chalice, the vacancy is there for someone to make a big difference and
make England competitive again.
Gareth
Southgate
The newly-appointed interim manager appears to be the safe
bet to take the job on a permanent basis, with the 46-year-old stepping into
the role after enjoying considerable success in charge of the Under 21’s.
Winning the Toulon Tournament this summer proves that Southgate knows what it
takes to handle the pressure of playing in a competition and getting the best
from a talented squad of players.
Promoting from within would be the easy option, although
Southgate is rumoured to have turned down the opportunity to replace Hodgson
before the FA gave Allardyce the now. However, his change of heart on this
occasion may stem from a belief that he has a better shot of becoming the next
England manager if he is able to impress during the four games he is in charge
of.
It would be the ideal opportunity to prove that young
English managers are good enough to take the best jobs, but although he has
worked with players such as Dele Alli in the past and knows how to get
the best from them, there are lingering doubts over Southgate’s lack of
credentials. His only job prior to becoming England Under 21 manager was in
charge of former club Middlesbrough (the last team he played for during an
eighteen-year career which included fifty-seven caps for England), who he led
to a 12th place finish in the Premier League before being relegated the
following season. It may not the most impressive of C.V. compared to others who
have been linked with the England job, but he has four games in which to
convince the FA that he is the right man to take the country forward.
Eddie
Howe
A growing belief that the national team manager should be
English may lead the FA to consider Eddie Howe as the best person to take the
reins. The 38-year-old is undoubtedly amongst the best young managers in the
game, with his remarkable success with Bournemouth likely to stand up very well
if he is shortlisted. His team play attractive and appealing-on-the-eye
football, and despite having limited resources and irrespective of who their
opponent is, they continue to play football in the right way. Howe certainly
stands out as a potential candidate who has bright ideas and philosophies, and
it is unsurprising that he has been linked with a move to a big club at some point
in his managerial career.
Many fans believe in him and how he has established
Bournemouth in the Premier League with their free-flowing style of play, and
although Steve Bruce, who was once considered a potential front-runner for the
England job, may be about to take over at Aston Villa, Howe may be the name to
emerge on football tips listed on Coral’s website. He has played down talk of
becoming the Three Lions manager for a second time in a row, but there is
growing support for a young manager who could gets fans off their seats again,
and encourage a more expansive and attacking style of play to make England a
force to be reckoned with.
Roberto
Mancini
Although England have had little success with foreign
managers over the years, Roberto Mancini stands out as a manager who does have
experience of playing and managing in England. The 51-year-old enjoyed a brief
period during his playing days at Leicester, before he was most recently in
charge of Manchester City for three years where he won the Premier League, FA
Cup and Community Shield.
He is unquestionably one of the most successful managers
to have mentioned within the same breath of “potential England manager”, with
Mancini winning thirteen major honours in just fifteen years of club
management. His chances may be improved by the fact that he is currently a free
agent after leaving Inter Milan by mutual consent in August, although the FA
may have to move fast with clubs in the Chinese Super League rumoured to be
lining up a lucrative contract to take Mancini to the Far East.
His presence at England’s recent game against Malta at
Wembley may be the decisive moment that makes punters and fans believe that
Mancini could land the permanent job ahead of Southgate. It is believe that the FA invited the Italian to attend the match,
sparking speculation that Mancini is in pole position to become the next
England manager.
Arsene
Wenger
Another manager who has experience of football management
in England is Arsene Wenger who has been in charge at Arsenal for twenty years.
It is a superb achievement for a man who has changed the entire dynamics of the
club, with Wenger going down in history as the second manager in English
football history to go an entire season unbeaten.
Success has been few and far between for Arsenal since
the “Invincibles” season of 2003/2004, and with strong rumours that Wenger will
see out his final year at the Emirates Stadium before moving on, the
66-year-old may see the England job as the perfect step in his career. Wenger
may have recently ruled out the possibility, but the fact that he previously
refused to deny interest in the role would suggest that the Frenchman could be
interested if the FA make a serious approach for his services.
One possible avenue that the FA could go down is to give
Southgate the job until the end of the season, before appointing Wenger if he
decides to end his association with Arsenal. FA chief executive Martin Glenn is
a self-confessed fan of Wenger, although they may have to do some serious
persuading to change Wenger’s stance on the importance of the next manager
being English.
great article, but i dont see wenger fitting in that role. Mancini would be great imo.
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