England are gone from the Euros, so is Roy Hodgson from his managerial acme. There really aren’t any excuses at all for getting beaten by little Iceland, never mind on a stage as big as the European Championship.
Now with Hodgson gone, the FA’s triple heads of Martin Glenn, David Gill and Dan Ashworth are in a not-too-irregular position of choosing the next manager of the England national football team. There have been noises as we run down the possible candidates for arguably the hardest job in football.
1. Gareth Southgate
Not everyone’s first choice but Southgate looks odds on to be appointed, albeit in a temporary capacity. The England Under-21s manager hasn’t a prolific CV, but has enough rapport with the FA. Having won the Toulon Tournament, an invitational under-20 tournament, earlier this year, the stars may be aligned in the right places for Southgate but whether he has the pedigree to improve upon the latest shambles of the national team remains a matter of concern. Very few former England internationals have the coaching experience on a par with Southgate and that helps the ex-Middlesbrough man’s case.
2. Jurgen Klinsmann
The USMNT head coach has been endorsed by Jamie Carragher among many, but there are suitability issues with Klinsmann. Klinsmann hasn’t managed in England in the past, but has played in England with Tottenham and has also been Bayern Munich’s manager. Klinsmann, of course, took the USA to the Copa America semifinals this year and also oversaw Germany’s changing face during the 2006 World Cup at home. The German is an outsider, but can be considered as one of the outstanding candidates. Soccerlens’ verdict is this guy.
3. David Moyes
The Scot has his CV tarnished with back-to-back sackings at Manchester United and Real Sociedad and his suspect silverware record and no experience at the international level might be dents to his prospects. But Moyes is currently unattached and is generally considered safe hands judging by his spell at Everton where the Toffees regularly punched above their weight and his affinity with England is also a major supporting factor. But no Scot has ever managed England before.
4. Sam Allardyce
Big Sam’s appearance here proves the fact England are fishing in a shallow lake but the current Sunderland manager’s pragmatism might just be the mentality England need at this moment. The 61-year-old might consider the England gig his last considering he’s been in management since 35. Having recently saved Sunderland from relegation, Allardyce boasts momentum and he has adapted with changing times which makes his case a bit stronger. He has no international experience though and that might just be his undoing.
5. Arsene Wenger
Wenger is what one would consider the FA’s ideal candidate but the Arsenal manager is a long shot even after considering the amount of slack he’s been subjected to in the recent past. Wenger has been in England since the mid-90s and his experience is unparalleled. He has helped redefine the way English football moved away from its drinking culture and made way for holistic professionalism. His ideals are still profound, and the fact he has been a major factor in English football makes him the FA’s favourite but he is entrenched too deep into Arsenal’s fabric to consider him a serious candidate.
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