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As England begin the search for their fifth new manager in ten years following their humiliating exit from Euro 2016, there appear more unemployed former holders of the job than serious contenders to replace Roy Hodgson.
Glenn Hoddle (1996-1999), Kevin Keegan (1999-2000), Steve McClaren (2006-2007) and Fabio Capello (2008-12) are all out of work while Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson (2001-2006) is experiencing a difficult time with Shanghai SIPG after a bad run of results in the Chinese Super League.
That list shows the many different approaches the Football Association has previously used in identifying the right candidate – from experienced foreign coach (Capello) through respected English club manager (McClaren) to passionate former player (Keegan).
Each time the demands of a job, which currently pays STG3.5 million ($A6.3 million) per year but which many view as impossibly difficult, have defeated football’s finest minds.
It is half a century since the country which gave soccer to the world last won anything – the 1966 World Cup.
While major nations such as Germany, France and Spain have been winning trophies in the last two decades, the best achievements England fans have celebrated were semi-final appearances at the 1990 World Cup and at Euro 96.
There appears no obvious successor to Hodgson, who has been pilloried in the British media after England’s embarrassing second-round defeat by Iceland on Monday which came 50 years after their only international success at the 1966 World Cup.
The search will be conducted by Dan Ashworth, the FA’s technical director, alongside chief executive Martin Glenn and Dave Reddin, the head of performance services.
England under-21 coach Gareth Southgate is the early bookmakers’ favourite.
But the 57-capped former England centre-half is far from a shoo-in and his candidacy was immediately dismissed by former West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur and QPR manager Harry Redknapp, who was pipped by Hodgson to the job in 2012.
“Why should he get it in front of [Hull manager] Steve Bruce and [Sunderland manager] Sam Allardyce, who are proven managers?” said Redknapp, who denied that Southgate’s familiarity with the FA and the “English system” was an advantage.
“Knows what system? The losing system? He knows the losing formula? I like Gareth Southgate, he’s a great lad, but what’s he done?”
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