After Sam Allardyce’s disgraceful exit as England boss, the FA have appointed England U21’s Gareth Southgate as interim manager for their next four games. His temporary position is till the FA can appoint a manager permanently, and also, to see if Southgate is ready to take charge of the senior team.
Southgate isn’t the only man the FA have in sight for the job. Eddie Howe, Bournemouth's 38-year-old manager, and Arsene Wenger are also in the running for the big role.
Dan Ashworth, the FA’s director of elite development, is a big fan of Howe and is keen to see the Englishman take charge of the team.
Howe, the ex-Burnley manager said he was flattered by all the talk about him succeeding Allardyce but wholeheartedly committed to Bournemouth at the present moment.
Howe said, “The England job is the ultimate job but I’ve signed players very recently here and pledged my future to them this season and how it is going to unfold.”
With Howe sounding like he’s ruled himself out of the running, the FA need to take a closer look at the other men on the list. Many experts also feel that Howe may lack the experience to lead the Three Lions. While he may be a good prospect in the future, he still has a lot more to learn.
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Arsene Wenger, whose contract with Arsenal expires next summer, is seen to know England and English football well enough to take over as England manager. His experience in England is a massive recommendation in his favour. However, the Frenchman reiterated his dedication to the north London club once again and Arsenal is expected to offer him a fresh two-year contract in the summer.
Which brings us back to Gareth Southgate. The former England player had shown no interest in taking over after Hodgson’s resignation in June. But recent events have altered his opinion.
“It's obviously been a difficult situation for the FA, but it was important that there was some stability and continuity for everybody. From my point of view, it was important to step forward and give us the best possible chance to win these games. I'm looking forward to the challenge and I'm confident that we can get good results. We have an excellent group of players."
Keen to take over England’s senior team, for now, the question remains if he would like the job permanently. As former Chelsea player Pat Nevin said, the England job is known for breaking and not making a manager’s career.
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