England’s football woes are many and varied but Jose Mourinho’s decision to say “thanks but no thanks” might give the beleaguered Football Association at least one good reason for pre-Christmas cheer.
Mourinho is a great club manager, an original personality and thinker among a largely grey bunch, but whether at this stage of his career you could say he’s the man to lead England to a brighter international future is open to question.
During his time at Porto and Chelsea he seemed to thrive on the relentless nature of the job, immersing himself in tactical minutiae as he prepared for one vital game after another. Can you imagine him putting up with the months of inactivity followed by the storm of media unrest when England, inevitably, faltered from time to time during his stewardship?
I suspect that Mourinho, a man with a delicious sense of the ridiculous, enjoyed his week or so back in the British media limelight before rightly calling time on the speculation by announcing that the England job was not for him. Was he ever really seriously considering it?
Brian Barwick, the FA chief exec charged with his own mission impossible in finding a man who suits all tastes of the England media and fan base, will not have had his heart broken at the news either.
He is after a coach capable of looking at the long term, an habitual winner and a man cussed enough to ignore the British media.
Fabio Capello would fit that description pretty well, as many have noted. He has a clutch of national titles from Italy and Spain, not to mention a Champions League win. At 61, he has more than served his time and would now be contemplating another Primera Liga title challenge with Real Madrid had he not been extraordinarily relieved of his duties after winning it last season.
Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson have given their backing to Capello and if Barwick agrees he should move to close the deal before the Italian has more time to think over the myriad drawbacks of the post. As Ollie Irish notes at Who Ate All The Pies, “The gutter press will (now) refocus their unrelenting spotlight on Fabio Capello and no doubt put him off the job in the same way they did with Felipe Scolari.”
Barwick should bear that excellent point in mind and realise the need for speed. He’s not exactly knee deep in other options, after all.
Jon Bramley, London
PHOTO: Fabio Capello gestures before a peace match in Ramat Gan stadium near Tel Aviv June 19, 2007. REUTERS/Yonathan Weitzman
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6 comments so far
I thought the key thing this time was not to rush into a “second choice” style appointment, just because the number one choice is now off the table. England should be patient. There is no competitive fixture for ages and the FA should feel able to take their time. Capello looks like a disaster waiting to happen.
- Posted by LondonWhile I agree with Jon on what he said about Mourinho, I also agree 100 percent with London’s assessment of Capello and the need for England to be patient. Otherwise, it means the ranting 60 million fans are in charge and not the FA.
- Posted by Red DevilCapello’s extraordinary exit from Real Madrid was due to his outdated style, ideas and coaching methods that may have worked once but don\’t any more. Real won the title due to sheer individual talent and Barcelona’s incredible dip in form and not because of Capello’s “genius.”
His defensive strategy and the fact that he doesn’t speak English don’t really make him a perfect man for the England job.
Wenger and Fergie are the best coaches of the modern era but they too can be wrong or perhaps they were just being diplomatic.
Although I agree with both London and Red Devil on this, the actual dilemma here is that England don’t really have too many better options for the job at present and I doubt that a better candidate will actually emerge.
- Posted by Betting Blue BoyGranted come January there may be one or two vacant manager’s seats along the dugouts of Europe but by that time Capello could have already settled into the job, visited a few English Premier League matches for a sport of scouting and picked up a little English after all it didn’t take Claudio Ranieri too long to learn the lingo and he knew zip when he first took over at Chelsea.
His tactics may revolve around defence but he’s proven with every club that he can do the business so why should he not stand a chance with this current crop of players?
If no greater judges than Wenger and Ferguson think Capello is the man for the job, then I think the FA are right to jump in and get their man. Let’s face it, he’s not going to hang around for ever.
- Posted by Jon BramleyLest we forget Fergie backed McClaren too…
- Posted by Red DevilHe did that, but I honestly believe that had more to do with the fact he wanted to give backing to a British manager.
- Posted by Betting Blue BoyThis time around I think Alex believes that the FA have got the right man for the job.
As for him not being English I really don’t believe that matters anymore, once the duck was broken with Sven’s appointment anything goes now, I just pray that Gianfranco Zola has a place in Capello’s plans.
Think about this another way, Steve McClaren has won one trophy during his managerial career and that was the League Cup, fair enough he got ‘Boro to the UEFA Cup final but that was through two matches laced with pure luck and they came unstuck in the final. Fabio has won league titles with every cub he has managed, the Champions league and is much older and wiser than McClaren, he may play defensively but if you ask me (which you probably wont) that’s just what England need -a bit of solidarity at the back - I definitely pin my colours to this man and I hope he brings success back to England after so long.