The Football Association wants Graham Potter or Eddie Howe to replace Gareth Southgate but is open to appointing a foreign manager to lead England into the 2026 World Cup and beyond.
i understands Southgate’s resignation, confirmed on Tuesday alongside a glowing tribute from CEO Mark Bullingham, was unwanted by the FA but expected. Having almost been caught out by Southgate considering his future in December 2022, more detailed succession planning has been going on in the background for the last 18 months.
That will lead to discussions with Potter, who has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in April 2023, and almost certainly an approach to Newcastle United about Howe, who has a £5m release clause in his Magpies’ contract.
Howe has spoken publicly and privately about his commitment to the ambitious, overarching project at St James’ Park and there is a measure of confidence at the club that he will reaffirm that publicly in the coming days.
But there is some understandable anxiety from supporters about the impact of a formal approach to Newcastle. As i revealed yesterday, the changing dynamic at Newcastle – where Paul Mitchell has been given a wide-ranging remit as the new director of football and allies Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi are leaving – may yet have a bearing on Howe’s decision. It is a lifelong ambition to manage England, although whether such a workaholic, meticulous coach would trade day-to-day work on the training ground for the altogether different demands of managing his country is unclear.
Howe, who is overseeing a one-week pre-season training camp at the Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg, is unlikely to want uncertainty to drag into the summer with Newcastle preparing for what insiders believe is a “big season” ahead.
Under-21 manager Lee Carsley may come into the FA’s thinking given his success with the underage side but there are doubts about whether he could handle the scrutiny of the role given his limited experience.
The FA has also not ruled out looking at foreign coaches, with Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel two elite managers who would have an interest in the role.
i understands any overseas manager would need a connection to the Premier League and be someone the FA feels can forge a relationship with supporters similar to the one Southgate had. That would likely mean a charismatic, confident voice with a deep relationship with English football to ward off accusations they are abandoning the homegrown coaching fraternity.
Whoever gets the job will be tasked with the job of getting a supremely talented group over the line at both the next World Cup and the 2028 Euros, which are being jointly held in England.
Why has Gareth Southgate resigned as England manager?
Southgate, ultimately, decided to step down partly because he felt his own presence was becoming a damaging sideshow to the progress made on his watch. The heavy criticism aimed at England during the tournament – Gary Lineker’s description of the performance against Denmark as being “s**t” went down particularly badly inside the camp – both surprised and dismayed Southgate and the players.
He leaves behind a group where he was almost universally popular and respected. While it is understood there has been frustration from some of those left on the sidelines during the tournament, the run to the final meant there was nothing approaching mutiny at any stage.
Indeed it was before the Euros began when Southgate took the decision to leave Jack Grealish out of the squad that fears about morale were at their height. That decision to axe the popular Grealish led to talks with captain Harry Kane and an acknowledgement from the manager that it was “a risk”. But he opted to pick players who were in-form rather than integrated to the group – although he then barely used Anthony Gordon or Adam Wharton, two of the players coming off the best end to the Premier League campaign.
The FA had wanted Southgate to stay and were prepared to give him time and space to make their decision. It has been pointed out that Southgate’s record and success in the job means the volume of criticism he has had in England has left many other football associations bemused.
Southgate may even come into contention for the US national job, vacated by Gregg Berhalter last week. Although his immediate plans are to take a break after a draining six weeks that led to defeat in Berlin.
England, clearly, expects again. But success will not be enough on its own, the demand now is to marry results with a style more akin to the one the players manage for their clubs in the Premier League and Champions League on a weekly basis. Whoever takes over has a daunting task ahead of them.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/KMjQueW
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