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Talking point: Should the next England boss be English?
Harry Rednapp.
In the wake of the resignation of national football manager Fabio Capello the search is on for his successor in the England hot seat.
Harry Redknapp’s acquittal on charges of tax evasion seem to have cleared a path to him taking the job, backed by pundits calling for an Englishman to fill the post after two foreign appointments in recent years.
But how important is it for our national side to be led by one of our own?
Interviews by Neil Hudson, Rod McPhee and Grant Woodward.
‘One man for job’
Melanie Vauvelle-Don is the former chair of Leeds United Ladies football team and played in their first match in 1989.
“I think Capello feels he was undermined by the FA over the John Terry affair, which is something that should have been nipped in the bud when it happened.
“But there’s also the point that we should have done much better than we did. We have some fantastic players and you have to ask: did Capello get the most out of them? The answer is: no, he didn’t.
“I think we should have an English manager but I also think there’s only one person for the job: Harry Redknapp.
“If he turns it down, I don’t know who we will go to next, because I really don’t think there is anyone else who is English.
“There’s Stuart Pearce but I don’t think he’s quite ready yet and probably needs a bit more experience on the international stage.
“It’s a puzzle why we have a lack of talent in terms of English managers, especially given there are several Scottish managers in the Premier League and they go through the same coaching process.
“It might sound controversial but if we don’t get Harry Redknapp, perhaps the next England manager should be Scottish.
“If it had to be someone else, then I would go with Mourinho, for his charisma and the fact players like him but I think it would be a shame to bring him in when we have Redknapp.”
‘Capello never connected’
Gina Howard is landlady at The Owl, Rodley.
“All the lads in the tap room have been talking about how the next manager should be English.
“Personally, I think so too – they need someone like Harry Redknapp or Terry Venables.
“They talk about people like that being ‘diamond geezers’ but the thing is, they have a spark which appeals to players and that’s what the England team needs. There’s no getting away from the fact they can play football but their last few performances under Capello have been lacklustre.
“I don’t think he ever connected with the people of this country, let alone the players.
“In terms of bonding, how difficult must it be to go down the pub and have a pint with your manager if you have to get a phrase book out?
“What Harry Redknapp and others like him has is that he is the common man.
“He clearly likes the good things in life - the tax thing is a complete farce. He obviously lives, eats and breathes football and he’s proud to be British and I think that’s the difference, regardless of the qualifications someone has.”
‘It doesn’t matter’
Norman Hunter won 28 England caps and was a member of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad.
“I think the whole country would like an Englishman but in my opinion you’ve got to pick the right man for the job, regardless of where he’s from.
“With Capello and Sven Goran Eriksson they thought they were the best men for the job and they both came with good records, especially Capello.
“When I played foreign managers were never even thought of. I was fortunate to have Sir Alf Ramsey and then the boss, Don Revie, took over when I was a bit long in the tooth.
“I’m very patriotic and would rather have an Englishman, I think it helps to have a knowledge of our game and to have been brought up in it.
“But as someone who wants the best for the England team you have to appoint the right man for the job, whatever his nationality.
“For the first time in a while though we don’t have to go abroad and get a foreign manager.
“We’re fortunate because we’ve got two good English candidates in Harry Redknapp and Roy Hodgson, so we do have a choice.
“It’s up to the people in charge at the FA to decide who they want, but my money would be on Harry Redknapp.”
‘An Englishman should be boss’
Loiner Anthony Clavane is a sports journalist, Leeds United devotee and author of the football-based history/biography, Promised Land, which was recently named Sports Book of the Year.
“Absolutely, I believe the next manager should be English. No other big footballing nation, whether it is Germany, Brazil or Italy, would even contemplate having someone in charge of their national team if he wasn’t of that nationality.
“Getting a foreign manager was a real fashion for a while but turning to Sven and Capello felt like a symptom of how low we had sunk as a country. It’s not about xenophobia, it’s about having someone who cares as much about their national team as the England fans who support it.
“I’m not against big football clubs hiring foreign managers, but for the national team the manager should be an Englishman. I also think the problem with football is that people are paid so much that that becomes a large part of their motivation rather than the job itself.
“It makes a big difference to the morale of England fans as well. Just think how great Leeds United fans feel when they actually have some
‘Experience counts’
Owner of Garforth Town Football Club, Simon Clifford, is also founder of Leeds-based Brazilian Soccer Schools.
“I don’t think it should matter what nationality the next England manager is, all that matters is that he is the best man for the job.
“But I think the Football Association may give way to a wave of public opinion which always leans towards having an English manager. The trouble is we’ve been here before, swaying from a foreign manager to an English manager and then back again.
“Harry Redknapp, who looks to be favourite to take over the job right now, is a good man, but he doesn’t have as much experience on a European level in my mind. Someone with the necessary international experience might be someone like Jose Mourinho. In fact I think the British public could find a lot of affection for Jose, even though he isn’t actually British.
“The problem we have is that there isn’t enough money trickling down from the Premiership to grass roots football so we aren’t developing the next generation of top players and managers and that’s a terrible shame.
“I think what is playing in the minds of the FA is the memory of what happened with Brian Clough in 1977 and they won’t want to repeat that mistake again. Which is why I think they may well plump for Redknapp in the end.
“But, again, the question is this: is he the best man for the job? Maybe he is, but should be on the basis of his skills not just his nationality.”
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