It was just 20 minutes after the final whistle in Nice that Roy Hodgson decided to resign from his post as England manager. Another failed major tournament and the latest manager to be thrown on the managerial scrapheap; it’s difficult to see where the FA and England go from here on in. They could potentially look at the national rugby and cricket teams, who after suffering tournament catastrophe, replaced their managers with proven Australian winners. The football team has been down the foreign manager route before and it didn’t work, would they be willing to go down it again? England don’t play again until the beginning of September, but they’ll want to have someone in place by then. Let’s have a look at the leading contenders.
Gareth Southgate – 13/10
The early front runner for the role, Southgate is the current England Under 21s coach. His reputation was damaged last summer after a poor performance at the European Under-21 Championships, but restored it somewhat after winning the Toulon tournament earlier in May. He’s familiar with the FA setup and will also be familiar with young English players.
Harry Redknapp – 4/1
Redknapp was a contender for the role before Hodgson was hired. If appointed, expect immediate recalls for Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch. The pre-match interview would take place from the driver’s seat in his car before describing every player as “triffic”. He’ll be 73 years old by the time of Euro 2020 and it might be too late in his career for him.
Alan Shearer – 13/2
Shearer has already thrown his name into the hat and he’d command instant respect from the players. His analysis on Match of the Day is strong, and he could pass it onto the team. His passion is infectious and he wouldn’t stand for disappointment. His managerial experience is minimal, with only a relegation campaign with Newcastle on his CV.
Eddie Howe – 7/1
The Bournemouth manager is one of English football’s best young managerial prospects. His side play an exciting and entertaining brand of football; he’s forward thinking and has proved that he can get the best out of his players. He’s still young and in his 30s, but it might be too early for him to be named as England manager.
Glenn Hoddle – 8/1
Hoddle is one of the most knowledgeable and experienced football men in the country. He managed the England team from 1996 and 1999, where he guided the team to a defeat to Argentina in the World Cup, before being sacked for some controversial comments. He’s been out of the managerial arena for a decade, and it seems unfathomable how a man with his experience and passion isn’t involved somewhere.
Alan Pardew – 10/1
Pardew has long been tipped as a future England manager and would bring with him a wealth of Premier League experience. He reached the FA Cup final last season, and is not a shrinking violet when it comes to passion and aggression. A disappointing league campaign in 2016 could be held against him though.
Sam Allardyce – 10/1
Big Sam is another who’s long been linked with the England role. He’s forged a career out of getting the best out of what’s available to him, which would be beneficial for the England role. He’d also have a solid game plan and his sides are notoriously difficult to beat, something this England team wasn’t.
Gary Neville – 11/1
Neville resigned alongside Hodgson after the Iceland game and he’s a big outsider for the job. Despite being a great analyst and a former international, his coaching career hasn’t been good. He’s been sacked from two coaching roles in the last 6 months and he’ll have to go elsewhere in order to restore his reputation.
Brendan Rodgers – 18/1
He’s just taken over as manager of Celtic and it seems very unlikely that he’ll take over as England manager now. Rodgers would play an entertaining style of football, but he was never able to organise a defence at Liverpool.
Arsene Wenger – 22/1
Wenger recently stated that he turned down the opportunity to manage the French national team, stating his age as a factor. He’s entrenched at Arsenal, and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, there’ll be more interest in whether his contract in North London will be extended, rather than him moving to FA headquarters.
Laurent Blanc – 25/1
Blanc is a proven winner with PSG and has managed the biggest ego of them all in Zlatan. He has international management experience with France, and also played for Manchester United as a player. He’s available immediately and there are worse options out there.
