Since the appointment of an Italian to be the new England manager, a number of the leading English managers have been complaining. The latest is Curbs who seems to be accusing the FA of ruling out English managers for the foreseeable future given that no Englishman is likely to manage one of the Big Four clubs in the FAPL and thus have the necessary credentials for the job.
Paddy Barclay – respected journalist (no intentional oxymoron) accused the FA yesterday of using their huge financial status to buy the World Cup. He said that no other major footballing nation would consider appointing a foreigner. He mentioned Germany who a few years back considered appointing Roy Hodgson but changed their mind because of the shame/national humiliation this would bring.
I realise this has been debated at length before but here’s my two-pennyworth for consideration:-
1.I believe that the best qualified and available manager should be appointed regardless of nationality but if there were two candidates with similar CV’s and one was English, the default position would be to appoint an Englishman.
2.I do not believe that Curbs is right that the FA have effectively ruled out ever appointing an Englishman
a)Because if Capello fails, I guarantee the next manager will be an Englishman
b)Because English managers need to look at why they do not have the right CV’s for the England job. In my view this is largely due to the insularity of most English players and managers. Take most of the top managers around who, if available would have been candidates, plus recent previous England managers
Wenger – managed in France, Japan and England
Klinsman – Played in a number of the top European Leagues as well as managing German National team
Fergie – managed in Scotland and England
Benitez – managed in Spain and England
Eriksson – managed in a number of countries including Italy
Mourinho – managed in Portugal and England
O’Neill – managed in Scotland and England
Venables – managed in Spain and England
Hoddle – played in France and England
Keegan – played in Germany and England
I’m sure I could name a few more. None of the current crop of Englishman who may have been possible candidates has experience of foreign leagues, either as players or managers. (Add McLaren to that list). We have been far too insular for years in this country and frankly having by far the richest league in the world does not help things.
Aspiring homegrown England managers need to look at broadening their horizons. That way maybe, in the fullness of time, home managerial talent will get the chance to manage the Big Four and also the England job. Merely hanging onto the coat tails of the foreigner in charge like McLaren did with Sven ain’t going to work either in my view. So Pearcy, don’t get too carried away if Capello includes you in his coaching set up.
Maybe it’s too late for Messrs Curbishley, Allardyce, Coppell, Pearce, Redknapp etc, but the generation behind them need to think about how they can broaden their experience to fit them better for the top job
0
Comments
To the FA and the press out of sight is out of mind. You only have to look at the stick that Hargreaves got because he was unknown to most fans and reporters.
I agree with a lot of what you say Bing, but football in this country is very narrowminded, both in it's thinking and it's philosophy.
And I can't wait to see the look on Lampard's face...
Good for the F.A paying out for the best manager. No one can say that the F.A didnt try their best. Curbishley should shut up moaning in the Express. He does not want it even if the FA offered it to him because he wants to stay at his beloved west ham.
Not a bad shout but did we fans even consider him? Don't remember his name cropping up that much,if at all. Ditto Gary Johnson.
Good point about Hodgson Henry, especially as apparently he was in the frame for the German job a while back. Biggest problem for him in my view was his failure to cut it back in the UK. Johnson on the other hand, if things go for him, may yet find himself propelled into the big-time.
Chris Coleman (not English I know) but working abroad at present is gaining good experience. Why can't other home grown managers do the same.
Klinsman's whole playing career was based around his own personal journey of experience. Our footballing youngsters, in general terms, do not have that kind of intelligent attitude to their life. Maybe the key to this is the new proposed Academy where players are taught to broaden their horizons and given opportunities to play abroad and experience other cultures/languages etc as part of their development. Something like this has to happen and the FA, with its great richesses, should drive this process for the long-term benefit of the game and players/managers.
Who's to say that we'll be any better with Capello anyway. People said that Eriksson was the answer. IMO we should have kept Mclaren.
Perfectly happy with that point of view Jimmy, I just don't agree. We have tried with English managers and we've won nothing since 1966. Eriksson may not have been the right bloke but it doesn't mean that no foreigner could turn things around. It is a tad embarrassing to have a foreign manager but Capello is not the first and most of our major clubs have foreigners at the helm - I think that battle was lost years ago to be honest. When you have an incredibly rich FA presiding over millions and millions of pounds of revenue; it is frankly unrealistic to think that, following the McLaren failure, they would not go for the best candidate rather than an Englishman.
In that instance we have to rely on a foreign coach to put our limited talent together to make us competitive. Let's be honest, we are limited.
The issue of an English coach has been a problem for many years. Even before the EPL, most top managers originated from most of the UK other than England.
The EPL has been improved football standards in this country but at the expense of limiting local talent. We only have ourselves to blame for supporting a product which has not been of benefit to the national team.
Being an expat living in Canada, I find our situation laughable. Imaging Italy, France, Germany, Holland or Spain appointing Errikson!!!!!!
Capello will probably be a success and rightly so given the money on offer.
If it gets us to the World Cup then fine. Long-term I cannot see the situation improving when the top 4 barely play more than 2 to 3 English players at a time.