Here we go again. Eighteen months on from Steve McClaren’s controversial appointment the English FA are in the market for a new coach.
We’d like your views on who they should pick. Martin O’Neill is being talked up in the English media, but according to a Reuters poll the fans’ favourite would be Jose Mourinho. Then again, as my colleague Mark Meadows notes below, Fabio Capello is so far the only man to have expressed an interest.
A brief look at the expected candidates:
Martin O’Neill: The charismatic Northern Irishman won the League Cup twice with Leicester City in 1997 and 2000 before transferring to Celtic, where he won seven trophies in five years. He was interviewed by the FA last time around but has attempted to distance himself from the position this time around saying he has unfinished work with Aston Villa.
Jose Mourinho: The fans’ choice, if you believe the Reuters poll. Heavily linked with Valencia before Ronald Koeman took charge, the Portuguese coach has kept a surprisingly low profile since his Chelsea departure in September.
Alan Shearer: No experience? No problem. Former Newcastle United and England striker Shearer has been offering his words of wisdom from the television studios, but following the success of other novice coaches Klinsmann and Van Basten the FA may decide no experience is a template for success. Irish fans who witnessed Steve Staunton mastermind a last minute 2-1 victory over San Marino and a 5-2 defeat to Cyprus might disagree, of course.
Luiz Felipe Scolari: Big Phil was all set to take charge 18 months ago but a change of heart meant the Brazilian stayed on with Portugal and oversaw a third consecutive victory over England at a major tournament. Could the FA persuade Scolari that media intrusion, which the Brazilian cited as a reason for not accepting the role previously, is not that bad?
Mark Meadows adds:
“It would be a beautiful challenge. I am the right age,” the 61-year-old Fabio Capello said, hours before Steve McClaren was sacked for failing to guide England to Euro 2008. No one else in club football has credentials like Capello, who has won a title at all four teams he has worked for. He is also available after being dismissed by Real at the end of last season for being too defensive, despite winning the championship. Right now most England fans wouldn’t care about performances as long as they delivered results.
His compatriot and fellow deft tactician Marcello Lippi is also out of work and has the best international pedigree around after leading a modest Italy side to World Cup glory last year.
If the FA want to be truly daring, perhaps they should go for Juergen Klinsmann. Erik Kirschbaum argues the case for Klinsi in a separate blog below, but if you want to make comments on the German please come back here to do it.
PHOTO: A bookmaker offers odds on the next England football manager outside the FA headquarters in London. REUTERS/Stephen Hird
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i think that the next manager should be good and have brought other clubs sucess because we did not qualifiy but england is for the future bring in mouriniho he brought chelsea sucess he could bring us
- Posted by melI did think he might be put off by the media but apparently Klinsmann did hint on German TV today that he could consider it. The problem is that Klinsmann is more of a motivator, or team leader than a coach. He would need to hire a top class assistant.
- Posted by Kevin FylanOne thing is for sure: England’s national football side is in tatters and they need a manager who’s more than capable of resolving their crisis. But, it’s a decision that the FA need to think about seriously before rushing into it.
I think it’s flattering for English football that Fabio Capello’s gone ahead and added himself on the list of contenders; his CV speaks for himself and he’s definately up there with masterminds of the game such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. However, this is a long-term project and Capello will always attract and probably be attracted to offers from the big four (Milan, Inter, Juve, Rome) of his homeland Italy.
It’s too late to ask anyone who’s currently employed in the Premiership - O’Neil or Allardyce, for instance - as they’ll want to commit to their clubs, rather than disrupt them.
Like most of the English fans, I’d probably opt for the self-proclaimed “Special One”, Jose Morinho, mainly as it would be a safe option and would definately see improvements to English football. As with Chelsea, he could take England to the next level, further than former manager Sven Goran Eirksonn, not to mention he goes down better with the press and the English fans. It’s just a question of whether or not Jose wants the job and if the FA can satisfy his high wage demands.
Klinsmann did a fantastic job for his two years as German coach and created a new generation of young German footballers and combining it with experience of players such as Ballack, Schneider and Lehmann. As an Englishman living in Germany, and knowing how well “Klinsi” is respected and missed, I think he could the do same for the English national side, but he would be an easy target - even more than Sven - for the tabloids and the tabloid influenced English fans.
And there’s Alan Shearer; he gets along well with players and fans alike, and as a young coach he would definately be given time to develop a new English side and see himself progress as a coach.
It’s a tough choice for the FA, but they will have to pick the right man. As England don’t have any friendlies until spirng 2008, the FA have time to choose their man wisley.
- Posted by Curtis CampbellHey english football supporters,
you like to win or you like to talk about the history? Listen, Klinsmann is the best in the world and he brought us back on the top. May be you like the arrogant portugese man - good luck. The success will come back with Juergen. Believe it or not.
Andreas
- Posted by The GermanMaybe we should go the whole hog, Patrick: Klinsmann as manager and general cheerleader, Scolari as coach (three times in a row he accounted for England before Euro 2008, don’t forget) and, perhaps, Valdano as technical secretary? (I don’t suppose maradona would be interested…)
- Posted by Kevin FylanJan, Kevin why not push the boat out and employ a scottish assistant alongside Klinsmann?? i’m sure that would go down really well
- Posted by PatrickIt’s just all so tempting: the most popular German in England coming to coach the national team. Everyone’s a winner. Can’t help thinking it would all end in tears, though.
- Posted by Kevin FylanJürgen Klinsmann is the favourite vote in polls on German websites. So the German (internet)-public would love to see him as a new England coach.:-)
- Posted by JanI agree with jan that language needn’t be a barrier,but knowing England it will be. I see that o’neill has ruled himself out. Probably a good thing. I always thought he was a bit overrated. Leicester played some absolute rubbish, even if they were awkward opponents.
- Posted by man ray.You’re probably right Madeline. England could never accept a German. But then again, Germany probably could never handle an English coach either.
- Posted by An England fanHas Franz Beckenbauer been reading this blog?
- Posted by Kevhttp://football.uk.reuters.com/uk/news/L 23570458.php
Otto Rehagel won the Euros in 2004 with Greece without speaking Greek, so I don’t see why this should be a huge problem.
- Posted by JanI would be amazed if either of the Italians, Lippi or Capello, are even considered.
1. In eight years of covering Italian soccer I have never heard Capello speaking English and I know that Lippi doesn’t speak a word. It is one thing to have a foreign coach with a different culture - another all together to have one who can’t actually communicate directly with his players. If you have ever seen a coach work with a translator you will know it rarely works.
2. Name an Italian coach who has been truly successful outside of Italy or Spain with a major team? OK, Trapattoni won with Bayern. Apart from that? Well, doesn’t that tell us something?
3. The Juventus factor - I know anything goes in terms of English football these days and one has to be careful here, but I would have thought that the ethical questions raised about Juventus over the past decade - when Lippi and Capello were in charge - might be a deterrent to giving them control of the English national team.
- Posted by Simonmust be an englishman, i’d rather lose with an englishman than win with a foreigner. The whole squad should come from the country they are representing.
- Posted by JamieEngland could do a lot worse than Klinsmann who did indeed work wonders for German football. But the thought of England having a German coach is hard to swallow. And the tabloids could make his life unbearable.
- Posted by MadelineReports here in Italy say Capello is doing a BBC interview today as part of a charm offensive to prove to the FA and English public that he can speak enough English and that he is not the dour, defensive personality he is sometimes made out to be.
- Posted by Mark MeadowsIve met him once and he seemed quite a fun guy. Even Jose cant match Capello’s CV although the fireworks that would come with a Mourinho appointment are clearly thrilling English fans. He doesnt want it though, he is waiting for a Serie A job and would only manage Portugal at international level.
It has to be O’Neil - He would give all those pampered players just what they need - a good kick up the backside
- Posted by DaveOr if not, Rafa Benitez.
- Posted by LondonO’Neill came up against Mourinho in the final of the UEFA Cup a few years back. Guess who came off best? The FA should do everything to persuade Jose to take the job. If anyone can turn England into winners it’s him.
- Posted by LondonKlinsmann’s not a bad call but I doubt he’d want the aggravation. If he thought dealing with the media was a pain in Germany…
- Posted by kev