Five potential candidates to be next England manager… already!
Published:
Sam Barnard, Assistant Sports Editor | September 27, 2016
Potential next England manager candidates
Here we are again. With Sam Allardyce no longer England manager following the recent allegations that he negotiated a £400k deal by offering advice on how to get around rules on player transfers, another replacement must be named.
It may only seem like yesterday that the likes of ‘Big Sam’ and Steve Bruce were being linked with taking over from Roy Hodgson for the nation’s top job, but once again Coral pick out five potential permanent Three Lions managers…
Gareth Southgate – 6/4 favourite
Being named interim England boss for the next four games, Southgate’s odds to take the job permanently have jumped from 5/1 to 9/4 (favourite) in the betting with Coral, despite his very limited credentials.
His only prior jobs in charge of a team were for his former side as a player Middlesbrough, who he led to a 12th place Premier League finish once, but also relegated them too.
Southgate reportedly came close to being named Three Lions coach before Allardyce got the nod last time out, but again only in a temporary role as the FA contemplated waiting until Arsene Wenger’s contract with Arsenal ends in 2017.
Current England Under-21 manager Southgate may be the easy option to just promote from within.
Steve Bruce – 9/4
Bruce will have been gutted to miss out being England manager in the summer, as Allardyce was chosen at his expense, especially given that he left his job as Hull City boss too.
But now he finds himself as second-favourite to take over the position on a permanent basis, with odds of 9/4, and would certainly be a cheap option as he’s still without a club.
The 55-year-old may not be a popular choice for England fans due to his lack of trophies won as a manager, though he certainly has the experience and boasts some success.
Bruce has incredibly gained promotion to the Premier League four times (twice apiece with Birmingham City and Hull), while has also reached the 2013/14 FA Cup final with the latter.
Eddie Howe – 6/1
Howe has similar success to Bruce, with three promotions to his name with current club Bournemouth, but with nowhere near the amount of (top-flight) experience or proven prosperity at any other club.
What he does have, though, is plenty of promise as a head coach, and there is no doubt in the future he can go beyond the level of the likes of Bruce and manage top teams or even England.
The Cherries team have not got off to the best of starts this season under Howe, as they find themselves down in 15th after six Premier League games, but they have shown signs of improvement by beating an in-form Everton last time out.
It might be a bit too early again for Howe to be handed the England reins, but you can still take odds of 6/1 for him to do so.
Roberto Mancini – 10/1
England have tried and largely failed with foreign managers, but neither Sven-Goran Eriksson nor Fabio Capello had any previous experience playing or even managing in England.
Mancini, on the other hand, has done both, as he spent a short spell at Leicester City towards the end of his career while he was of course Manchester City boss for over three years.
If he was English, there is no doubting he’d be the best man for the job of the current names available having won numerous major trophies, but he’s still 10/1 to take the job.
The Italian is also a free agent after he was sacked by Inter Milan this past summer, so could a call for the 51-year-old be on the cards?
Alan Pardew – 7/1
Finally, we come to Pardew, who is perhaps the best choice of the current English names available, as he is the most in-form.
His Crystal Palace side are up in seventh place this season, just behind Manchester United in the table, while he also led them to the FA Cup final last term – losing against the Red Devils.
Pardew was also once runner-up in the same competition while boss of West Ham United, and at the age of 55 you’d think it’s the right time to appoint him now.
However, will he fancy leaving the Eagles after a promising start to the season? He’s 7/1 to take the England job next.
Other notable names
Gary Neville – 12/1
Jurgen Klinsmann – 12/1
Glenn Hoddle – 14/1
Claudio Ranieri – 20/1
Rafa Benitez – 33/1
Guus Hiddink – 33/1
Tony Pulis – 40/1
Arsene Wenger – 66/1
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