If, as is widely expected, the Football Association toss several more million pounds Fabio Capello’s way along with his P45 and wish him well, they will then be faced with the daunting prospect of appointing his successor from a very short shortlist of possibilities.
That list gets ever shorter as I expect the FA to return to English managers following the relative failures of the Italian and Sven Goran-Eriksson. They may not have that luxury should the English contenders rule themselves out, so we’d better look at a few of the other options as well.
On with the Englishmen first though.
Roy Hodgson: The Fulham manager’s stock is high right now following his success with the London club in European competition. He’s also a wanted man, with Liverpool wanting him to put them back on the right track. He has international experience with the United Arab Emirates, Finland and Switzerland, as well as working in Scandinavia and Italy at club level. In terms of knowledge and ability there are few to match Hodgson and he’d be a popular choice for the supporters as well. Where my doubts lie are in the strength of his personality – does he have the presence to command and, more importantly, motivate a team of England’s finest players? I just don’t know – but we’ll never know unless he’s given the chance.
Harry Redknapp: Harry seems to be the Marmite of football managers, you either love him or hate him. I love him (but I HATE Marmite). What he has done at club level with small clubs like Bournemouth, West Ham United and Portsmouth has been nothing short of genius and he has taken that to a bigger club in Tottenham and continued in the same fashion. As a motivator he is second to none, his ability to get the very best out of his players – no matter their level of ability – is proven. His career has progressed in such a way that if it doesn’t culminate in managing his country it will be a surprise. The FA, however, will have serious concerns about his baggage, not least the impending court case over alleged tax evasion. But what’s that got to do with football, I ask?
Stuart Pearce: Stuart, for so long a roaring Lion for England on the field, has become rather quieter off it, especially since he joined the international set up. The FA are clearly grooming him for the future and following his success with the Under 21s he joined Fabio Capello’s backroom team to learn from the master – though what he will have learned is a huge question mark now. Perhaps he learned more what NOT to do? Pearce is a student of the game and has a passion for England few can match. That combination could work – but is it too soon? Questions, you see, always questions.
Sam Allardyce: If Roy Hodgson’s stock has risen rapidly, Big Sam’s has dropped at roughly the same speed. His reputation, built at Bolton, actually had him line for the England job at one point but since leaving Bolton he’s struggled to make the same impact at Blackburn. They haven’t done badly – but they haven’t done brilliantly either, and Sam is now out of the frame. Yet he is a players’ manager, able, like Redknapp, to coax performances from average players. A useful skill for an England manager to have… The FA will only turn to Allardyce now if they have exhausted all other options, however.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility that the FA could look below the Premier League at English managers and coaches in the Championship. It’s unlikely, but not impossible. Who do we have down there that might be in with a shout then?
Well, there’s Steve Coppell at Bristol City for one. The former England international has all the credentials, is well respected and a good coach. There must be a question mark over his ability to handle the pressure of the big job though – he lasted just 33 days at Manchester City due to it. Nevertheless, his success with Reading in particular must count to his credit.
There are plenty of other good, if not great, English managers in the Premiership. But you just can’t see the FA going for them, likely through fear of both the unknown – they haven’t done it at the top level yet – and fear of a fans backlash. Despite everything, England fans will demand a big enough name. The logic is flawed, of course, but it’s human nature.
How, though, are English manager ever going to get that top level experience when Premiership clubs insist on appointing big name foreigners? Therein lies the problem. The topic was discussed on Radio 5Live last night and it was pointed out that the best sides at this year’s World Cup are managed by men of the same nationality – and that the clubs in those countries are managed by the same for the most part. Coincidence?
So what of the foreign options left open to the FA?
Arsene Wenger: Hugely respected at the FA and clearly a fantastic manager but an outside bet anyway, simply due to the fact Wenger is unlikely to want to manage England. He would no doubt be flattered to be considered, but would turn it down with grace. Whether or not he could get the best out of England’s players without the day to day contact he enjoys at Arsenal is a worry as well.
Martin O’Neill: Here we have a real man-manager who enjoys working with English players and nurturing them at Aston Villa. On paper he is the ideal candidate and he’d jump at the chance of the England job. He isn’t one for staying too long at a club so it gets stale too and I get the sense that might not be too far off with Villa. Another season or two? He’s definitely in with a shout, though apparently he didn’t impress in his last interview with the FA when they looked for a replacement for Eriksson. They’ll take another look though.
David Moyes: Another in with a shout due to his success with Everton on a shoe string. He can clearly motivate his men, his tactical ability is strong and he is a willing learner. Importantly, he is also good with the press. Whether he can handle the pressures of the England job is a debate to have but there’s nothing yet to suggest he couldn’t.
Would the FA consider a previous England manager? It is doubtful, but Steve McLaren has proved what a good manager he can be with FC Twente and one newspaper even touted Eriksson as an option! I’ll toss another name into the ring too – Glenn Hoddle. He had England playing the best football I have seen them play. It was a shame he was and still maybe a complete loon, but he suits international management in my mind.
If I had to pick one right now to replace Capello, however, I wouldn’t hesitate in choosing Harry Redknapp. England don’t need a tactical genius, they need a man who can motivate, handle the press and with enough brains to send his team out knowing the jobs they have to do. For me, Redknapp is it and right now he’s at the top of his game.
Where would your vote go?
