Five in the frame to take the England hotseat
The Football Association appears no closer to settling on a successor to Gareth Southgate as England manager with Lee Carsley set for one more round of international matches as interim boss. Carsley has been non-committal about whether he wants to be considered for a full-time promotion from the Under-21s and is only second in the bookmakers’ odds to get the job permanently. Here, we look at five possible contenders for the England job.
Lee Carsley
Availability: As interim boss, there is no issue making his promotion from U21 coach to the senior side permanent.
Suitability: Guilty of sending confusing messages about where he stands in the running. He has made a decent start with three wins out of four, although some tactical decisions have raised eyebrows and the home defeat to Greece was a shock.
Affordability: Already being on the FA’s payroll would likely make him the cheapest option, even taking into account the pay rise.
Thomas Tuchel
Availability: Out of work since his stay at Bayern Munich was cut short after one season due to a “sporting realignment”.
Suitability: Has a heavyweight CV to back up his position as bookies’ favourite with previous jobs at Borussia Dortmund, Paris St Germain, Chelsea and Bayern, winning the Champions League while at Stamford Bridge. However, the speed of his exit from Chelsea and his stint at Bayern brought rumours of disagreements with players and club hierarchies.
Affordability: Tuchel is likely to demand a high-end salary – had been on a reported £10millon a year at Bayern.
Graham Potter
Availability: Unattached, having been out of work since being sacked as Tuchel’s successor at Chelsea.
Suitability: A reputation as a progressive and tactically flexible coach and is a student of Pep Guardiola and Roberto Martinez.
Affordability: His Chelsea salary was reportedly around £10million-a-year but after his failure at Stamford Bridge, he may not be able to command such a fee at international level.
Eddie Howe
Availability: Signed a new contract with Newcastle last summer which is understood to be until 2027 and the Magpies’ hard-ball negotiation with Manchester United over sporting director Dan Ashworth means they are unlikely to roll over for the FA.
Suitability: Despite a number of years as a Premier League manager he is still lacking extensive experience at the very highest level, as after getting Newcastle back into the Champions League for the first time in 20 years he failed to get them past the group stage. Has displayed tactical flexibility in his setting up of teams and made a significant difference to players like Joelinton.
Affordability: A reported annual salary of £4m at Newcastle, which could make him one of the less costly options for the FA.
Pep Guardiola
Availability: At Manchester City since 2016 and has enjoyed record-breaking success there. However, his current contract expires at the end of this season and it remains to be seen what his next step will be, with the departure of close friend Txiki Begiristain as City’s director of football next summer adding another dimension.
Suitability: There can be no question Guardiola is the most qualified coach anywhere in the world, never mind the shortlist. Regarded as one of the game’s greatest thinkers.
Affordability: Such attributes do not come cheap, which is why City are said to pay him around £20m a year. The FA has never gone beyond £6m, to Italian Fabio Capello, and may have to break the bank to persuade Guardiola to make the move into international football. By comparison, last season the FA committed £18.6m to the Football Foundation to support grassroots football.
