F.A. Hope for an England Manager

The Football Association have devised a unique formula to enable them to choose the next England manager in succession to Sven Goran Eriksson.

First, appoint a small committee, ensuring that it does not contain anyone who might be described as a ‘real football man’. Then take your time – the next official meeting is apparently not for a couple of weeks, leaving Freddy Shepherd plenty of time to get in first in his hunt for a Newcastle United boss.

In the meantime, it’s OK for any of the aforementioned committee to make pronouncements giving his personal ‘take’ on the principles of the whole thing without reference to his colleagues. So Dave Richards has announced that the next England manager should be British and we aren’t quite sure whether the others agree with him.

This leaves us with plenty of time for speculation. Why did he say ‘British?’ Was it just to accommodate Martin O’Neill? And who, exactly, might be the ‘English’ candidates? Are Allardyce and Curbishley (two very different managers) really the front runners? Is Stuart Pearce in today, or out? What about Steve McClaren and Peter Taylor, both of whom have England experience – or even Glenn Hoddle or Bobby Robson, who have even more of it? Do we go on, to Bryan Robson (God forbid) or, more realistically, Steve Copple, an intelligent and thoughtful man who seems certain to become a premiership manager quite soon, or……..?

Arsene Wenger, once coveted by the F.A., has not only courteously ruled himself out but declared emphatically in favour of an English manager for the national team. It is a ringing endorsement of the patriotic solution from a much respected man. But when we contemplate the qualities and experience demanded of such a massive job and return to the list, we may be excused for asking – where is the talent?