As England prepare to exit Europe twice in one week, their misery is only compounded further by the fact that they do not have a manager to turn to when they look to rebuild after a failed international tournament. In view of England’s loss to Iceland – the miracle men of the UEFA Euro 2016 – there’s a sense of reckoning which the English football players will need to face once they are back home.
A plethora of superstars, whose incumbent failure to shine for their national team will come under much scrutiny, will be saved partially by the understated furor at the shambolic state of now former manager, Roy Hodgson.
Much has been said over time, as to the underlying thought of appointing a man whose record at the very top level could be firmly recorded as uninspiring over the years. Roy Hodgson always divided opinion and has proven to be a decision better left not taken.
The fans and supporters themselves are so fed up of England’s misfiring attempts at international glory, that the snide and sniggering will need some addressing.
The decision, therefore, falls into the hands of the English Football Association once again, who will be faced with the decision of instilling a sense of faith amongst the team and supporters alike, as opposed to just installing on the hot seat a new manager.
The race for a replacement brings us to a small peek at the men who could replace Roy Hodgson as manager of the English Football Team. So let’s have a look:
#1 Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate will be remembered best by football fans, in a managerial capacity, as the man who took Middlesbrough into the Championship from the Premier League. Hardly inspiring. However, his exploits as manager didn’t end there. In fact, he did go on to take over the England U21s where he has done a remarkable job by most accounts.
Southgate has a win percentage into the high 70s with the Young Lions and is at this present point regarded the ‘safest pair of hands’ to take over the mantle as Senior Coach. It would be a fit appointment in terms of the understanding that a change of guard amongst players is imminent. He would certainly be well equipped to handle the transition of some of his current charges into the senior team should he himself make the switch first.
At the same time, Southgate could be reasonably well poised to phase out the likes of Wayne Rooney while championing the likes of Dele Alli as the younger wards take over.
However, it would be a pertinent question for people to ask if he is the sort of manager who can instill some faith into the English supporters. The answer to that would be closer to ‘not by just being there’. Southgate would need to bank on results to sweep away the gloom and that could mean English fans turning their ire to players, particularly underperforming younger ones, as they wait for results to brighten up. It would be a safe decision but hardly an inspiring one to appoint Gareth.
#2 Alan Pardew
Alan Pardew is a colourful character who has some slick dance moves to his credit at the very least. What he also has is ample experience within the Premier League as manager. He has done a good job over time at the likes of West Ham, Southampton, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace.
He professes to a flexible system tactically and has often been the scourge of some of the so called ‘bigger teams’ in the Premier League. Not exactly the personification of charm and charisma, he could, however, do a good job at extracting performances from English players.
While his appointment as England manager, won’t wipe the frowns off the fans’ faces, but it will do a great deal to neutralize despondent opinion on the state of the England managerial position. Pardew might not be the best candidate for the job, but his efficacy would be tough to question having done a reasonable job with what he has had at his disposal of late.
Alan Pardew has also managed top class players before as many would remember him managing Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano at West Ham. So he wouldn’t be too bad an appointment should he be handed the job.
#3 Slaven Bilic
If charm, charisma, and results are what England need, the English FA could not get much wrong by appointing Slaven Bilic as England’s manager. While such a proposition, would prove tough to bring to fruition considering West Ham’s desire to hold on to him after a fantastic first season in the Premier League for the Croat, the English FA could turn to the maverick manager to inspire some intrigue to take over from all the doom and gloom.
Slaven Bilic may be praised heavily for his first season in charge of West Ham but it was his incredible six-year stint at Croatia that gathered him most appraisal within the footballing world. Having taken over a side that had been abysmal at the 2006 World Cup, Slaven Bilic infused fresh blood and irresistible energy into his wards as Croatia quickly dominated their Euro 2008 qualification group. Eventually leading Croatia into Euro 2008, Bilic’s Croatia took the tournament by storm by dominating a group that consisted of Germany and Portugal who they both beat convincingly.
They later exited the tournament having lost out to Turkey in the quarter-finals, however, it was the beginning of a wonderful phase in Croatian football that saw the manager record a 65 percent win rate in his six years in charge.
Bilic’s vigor and proven ability at the international level could prove invaluable for a team like England who face similar disappointment at this present moment.
#4 Mark Hughes
If the English FA is still hung up on British managers, maybe they should look to Wales for an answer. Mark Hughes could prove to be a wily choice for a team that is looking to revamp their reputation as underperformers who seem to play uninspiring football.
‘Sparky’ has been at the forefront of a revolution at Stoke City as the Potters have finally shed their reputation as a one-dimensional footballing team that depends eternally on a savage play to strangle teams that they play into submission.
Stoke City, now play a more enjoyable brand of football and their expansive style has also been met with results that they could count as commendable. Mark Hughes has plenty of experience with a top team having managed Manchester City, albeit consistently meeting with flak for not being able to attract top names to a team then recently flushed with ‘oil money’.
Mark Hughes is also a strong character who has as a player, presented himself as a man with winning mentality. With sufficient experience as manager of Wales at the international level, he could turn out to be a smart choice for a team looking to shed some of its own ill-earned reputation.
#5 Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer is a name you often hear in alignment with the national team job . However, his only managerial experience being an ill-fated 8 game reign at Newcastle United, could set alarm bells ringing for anyone looking at him as a serious contender for the job.
Alan Shearer had a distinguished career as a player for both his club sides and the English national team. One of the best forwards the country has ever produced, Shearer was the focal point of all English success on the international stage for a time. Yet, having little or next to no managerial experience could be a major factor against any call for his appointment.
Shearer, however, could prove to be a choice that works well to bring back some feel good into the English setup. Still recognized for his exploits as a player, it could be a choice that may defy the FA’s persistent desire to hand the job to people with more managerial experience.
Shearer recently offered his services to the FA in the aftermath of the defeat to Iceland at the Euros and claimed he would not do a worse job than the ‘experienced’ people the FA have turned to having paid “them a fortune” for it. As much as it may prove to be a risky choice, Shearer could well be an experiment worth investing in, at least till a more viable candidate becomes available.
