Potential Roy replacements discussed
Roy Hodgson resigned as England manager last night after one of the most embarrassing defeats in the nation’s tournament history.
It was the only way he could get out of the next 24 hours with any dignity. It really was the only thing he could say the press after such a horrific and crushing defeat. His England side showed no confidence last night, particularly in the second half of the game. It was a game where Iceland were comfortable and confident in victory as England failed to threaten until the very dying moments of stoppage time.
Unfortunately for Roy, and for the rest of the nation, England have exited far too early in their last 3 tournaments now, and a loss to Iceland was always going to be the final straw. It’s difficult to believe how a group of such talented individuals can crack so dramatically in a major tournament like this, but for some reason, that’s always been England’s problem. These individuals are all regular starters for the top teams, in the best league in the world. Some are Premier League and Champions League winners, some were bought for millions by their clubs, and some are dubbed as the best young talents this country has ever had.
Yet, Iceland got the better of us.
So who should replace Roy?
The search for Roy’s replacement may very well be a drawn out one. It’s difficult right now, but all England can do is look ahead to the next one- Russia’s 2018 World Cup. It seems a lifetime away after a defeat like last night, but last night is over now and England have to learn from it.
The qualification process for 2018 starts in September, so we may be waiting until at least then for Roy’s replacement to be appointed. Those watching the game last night will have seen the initial list of names favourited by the bookies to take the job. None of the names fill me with great confidence.
The 5/2 favourite is England’s own Gareth Southgate. Alan Pardew is behind him at 9/1, followed by Gary Neville at 10/1. Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe is 12/1, and further down we have Harry Redknapp, Sam Allerdyce both at 16/1.
Unfortunately, if you were to pick a manager out of those names, you might claim that the chosen one is more ‘the best of a bad bunch’ rather than a truly world class manager. There’s a delicate formula here when the FA consider candidates. There must be a good balance between the reputation and quality of the manager, combined with how much he wants to job. Luiz Scholari has just been sacked by Brazil and Vincente Del Boqsue is sure to leave his Spain post after they lost to Italy- but will either of those men want the England job? I’d argue probably not.
With every tournament that passes, England damage their reputation further, which makes the manager role for the team less and less attractive every 2 years. This means to me that the only candidates who will really want their job are either English managers, or managers with vast experience in the Premier League and already living in England.
My choice would be Arsene Wenger. He’s been at Arsenal for a very, very long time now. He’s enjoyed stability in his success. He’s had plenty of experience working with English players, as well as some world class players too.
His specialty is working with young, hungry players and getting the best out of them, which is exactly what England need with such a young set of players coming through. Players like Marcus Rashford and Deli Alli need an experienced coach helping them develop the talents they have.
Other than that, there is no ‘standout’ name that really jumps out at me as a someone who should seriously be considered for the job. There are world-class managers about, that’s for sure, but they’re either already in jobs, have just gotten a job at a new Premier League club (ie. Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola) or will just simply not want the job.
As far as British names go, there are some inexperienced yet exciting candidates that I feel would be a better shout than Gareth Southgate. Alan Shearer would be a good way to go, as would Brendan Rodgers, both of which I feel would do a good job. Glenn Hoddle, despite having been in the post before, is also someone I think is worth considering. His commentary on games are insightful, he is well spoken and he has undeniable football knowledge.
Whoever comes in, they need to break the England curse of not being able to ‘gel’ and tournaments. Look at Germany, man for man, you could argue England are just as good, but the Germans have a way of working together efficiently that just gives you confidence in them.
Right now, we’re a very deflated country, on and off the pitch, with drama happening in the political world as well as our football world. These are dark times, but we must swallow what has happened in France and now focus on Russia in 2 years time, by then, we’ll all be optimistic again with a new man to lead England to what can hopefully be a better tournament. I’ll probably regret saying that.
