Football in England has become a game of contradictions. The English Premier League is vaunted as the best and most exciting league in the world, watched by millions each week.
It has made great strides since the “dark days” of the late 1980s when English clubs were banned from Europe after the Heysel Stadium riot in the 1985 European Cup Final.
There were also the stadium tragedies in Bradford and Sheffield that saw many fans die and urgently usher in the era of more modern stadia and improved spectator facilities.
The EPL was born out of the need for this change and domestically the English game, at least at the top level, has probably never been stronger.
Significantly, however, this resurgence has been due to the influx of supremely talented foreign players who have been adopted as heroes by fans of EPL sides.
Players such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira are icons at Arsenal and the way Robin van Persie is hitting the back of the net, he’ll be part of the eternally worshipped before long.
I doubt Eric Cantona would have to dip into his pocket for a drink in a Manchester bar and names like Ginola, Ronaldo and Drogba have enlivened the EPL over the years.
This is not to say English players haven’t shone in the EPL. No country that produces the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Alan Shearer, Andy Cole and Wayne Rooney could be said to be in the doldrums when it comes to developing talent.
But as England look towards the 2012 European Championships, they do so currently with no coach, no captain, and reports of a fractured squad, divided along lines of geographic locality (north and south) and simmering tensions due to well-publicised allegations of racial abuse.
Fabio Capello’s resignation as England manager was surely inevitable, having not been consulted in the decision to remove John Terry as captain for the Euro Championships.
How could a manager possibly have his position undermined in such a way, no matter whether one thinks the decision was the right one or not?
According to Barry Fry, current Director of Football at Peterborough United, the problems at the top in the English game are the fault of foreign managers taking charge of the national team.
In a rant last week on Sky News, Fry championed the credentials of Harry Redknapp as the new England boss. He said, “We’ve had enough of these foreigners – they ain’t got no passion, they ain’t got no commitment, all they want is the money.” Perhaps he thinks an Englishman will do the job for nothing.
In the next sentence, he went on to endorse Redknapp, who at the time was going through a trial which revolved around “wanting the money.” Thankfully for Redknapp and Fry he was found not guilty – the irony of Fry’s words had he been convicted would have been too much to bear.
Since the job was formalised in 1946, the English national team has had 15 managers. Only two have not been English. During this time, only one manager – Sir Alf Ramsey – has won anything at all, that being the 1966 World Cup, with his team of “wingless wonders.”
At the time, Ramsey’s formation and style were innovative. Had it not delivered the World Cup, he would probably have been hounded for changing an enduring style.
England have only got past the quarter final stages of any tournament twice: the 1990 World Cup under Bobby Robson and the 1996 European Championships, with Terry Venables at the helm.
There is a common thread between the two; they have both managed clubs outside of England, and they have both managed Barcelona. Robson was instrumental in advancing the careers of Jose Mourinho (who he took with him to Barcelona) and Andre Villas Boas, who he appointed to work with him at Porto when Boas was only sixteen years old.
In effect, England’s two foreign managers, Swede Sven Goran Eriksson and Capello, have had no less success than eleven of their English counterparts. Yet Barry Fry – and I suspect he is not alone in this viewpoint – feels the only way for England to succeed internationally is with an Englishman in charge.
This is despite the real or perceived failures of the likes of Glenn Hoddle, Kevin Keegan, Graham Taylor, Ron Greenwood and Don Revie.
There is debate as to whether the influx of foreign players to the English domestic game has had a positive or negative effect on the standard of the national team.
On the one hand, playing alongside or against some of the best from around the world, week in and week out, can only increase the skill level of English players.
On the other, foreign players fill the playing squads of many of the top teams, leaving English players to ply their trade in the lower leagues.
The corresponding debate hasn’t translated to the football manager. Currently in the EPL, only four Englishmen hold the top job at the twenty clubs. There are twice as many Scottish-born managers.
Fry’s call for an Englishman to take charge of the England squad ignores the fact that outside of Redknapp, the list of candidates is not inspiring. According to where their club is currently running, the next-best English manager domestically is Alan Pardew at Newcastle United, who are sixth in the league.
You then have to go to Tony Pulis at Stoke City, who are 13th. Just below in 14th are West Bromwich Albion, guided by Roy Hodgson. Of the current four, Hodgson has coached the most widely, guiding clubs in eight different countries, as well as taking the helm of four different national teams.
It could be argued his coaching credentials far outstrip Redknapp’s, but he has been unfairly labelled as not having the manner for a “big” club. His time at Liverpool was beset by allegations that the job was “beyond” him, and he didn’t do himself any favours by criticising Liverpool fans for not backing him.
While Harry Redknapp may seem to be the natural choice to steer England through the 2012 European Championships, his appointment should not be made on the basis of his nationality. Barry Fry may not realise it, but there is a whole world outside of the English borders, and football is played and coached everywhere.
And at least statistically, it’s being done better in a lot of places than it is in Barry’s beloved England.
Maroon Blood
Guest
@Stephen: Love the comment that English fans don't expect the national team to win. I have always described being an England National Team (only after Australia of course) supporter as the greatest form of sporting masochism there is. Even when they DO play well, they still find ways to shoot themselves in the foot, or have their players chuck tanties and get sent off, or lose penalty shoot-outs (unlike Australia!!) and the list goes on. The ridiculous media scrutiny doesn't help either, I'm sure the "best group since the Beatles" and "the EASY group" comments in the last WC didn't help the players psyche. No, expecting England to win a Euro or World Cup is like a Birmingham fan expecting more than two seasons in a row in the Premier League. It MAY happen in your lifetime, but not likely.
apaway
Guest
No need to apologise, Stephen, better you read, disagree and comment than not read at all!
Sky Blue Ram
Guest
Stephen Smith Best comment ever, thankyou.
Stephen Smith
Guest
Fair points, but I didn't see anyone from the FA being quoted as saying the only place they are looking is England? The 'Arry stuff has come from the media, and its understandable. He's been reasonably succesful, he's English, and for the media, Redknapp is pure gold, always available and quotable. It's the same as the Australian media who are comfortable with Kossie or Arnie. They're a known quantity, good copy and they're local. They're "one of us" and the English media feels the same about Redknapp. There is, as far as I can see, no assumption at all on the part of the FA that England is the only place they should look. Particularly as two of the last three coaches they chose were from overseas. Apologies for the short shrift in the previous answer, but like many English people, I do get tired with these incessant articles preaching about English football, many from whom have clearly never even been there. There are plenty of other countries with similar (or worse) problems.
apaway
Guest
Good point Futbanous, and Harry may well be that man, but personally I think Roy Hodgson answers those criteria you set out even better.
apaway
Guest
Well Roger, that depends on whether Arsene Wenger's reasons for thinking the next manager should be English were the same as Barry's. (And I should point out that the article never mentions the word "xenophobic.")
apaway
Guest
OK, Stephen, the article obviously hit a raw nerve, and thanks for the heads-up on Tony Pulis - I discovered his ancestory only after hitting the submit button. My bad on that one. Far from bashing the game though, I really like English football. I grew up watching it, have played in its league, and to this day will seek out the results of English games over any other league in the world. Harry Redknapp may well be the best choice for the England job but the FA would be wise to look as far afield as they can for a replacement for Capello and not assume that the perceived problems can only be solved by an Englishman.
futbanous
Guest
On the one hand maybe England is somewhat inward looking regarding football. However they did create the rules for a sport that is now a worldwide phenomena,so maybe they are entitled to a claim on knowing a bit about the game. A foreign manager cannot recreate the football landscape in England. English players come to him with an English way of playing football based on a deeper history than most nations on the planet. That has its negatives & its positives as in some ways other nationalities have developed a more creative style of play & in some instances(Brazil a classic example) been very successful. So in hindsight after a couple of foreign managers ,maybe just maybe only a quality English coach can get the best out of English players. Barry Fry perhaps has hit the nail on the head,but the difficulty is finding such a coach. An Englishman in tune with English players,but also a deep understanding of how other countries play their football.
Stephen Smith
Guest
Yet another "bash English football" piece. Some of these people really are becoming little Foster clones, and these articles are becoming very tiresome. How many do we need? Even Barcelona gets a mention! Poorly researched (Tony Pulis is Welsh, not English), and to use Barry Fry as the only example of English thought is akin to quoting Tommy Raudonikis on the merits of Holger Osieck's 4-4-1-1. The man's a buffoon from the last century, currently involved with the Australian equivalent of the New South Wales Winter Super League, and everyone in England knows it. The fake outrage over Don Fabio's disappearance (with the inference being he was right to walk), is totally wrong. Fabio Capello wasn't consulted on the Terry incident because the issue goes beyond football. There are some things that are more important than sport. "Only" Alf Ramsey has won the World Cup for England? Correct. In the same way "only" Aime Jacquet has won the World Cup for France, and "only" Vicente del Bosque has won the World Cup for Spain. World Cups are bloody difficult to win. England is not the best nation in world football by a long way, but to listen to Australian football "analysis" you'd think they were ranked somewhere between Papua New Guinea and the Cayman Islands. They're regularly in the top 10, reach major tournaments on most occasions, and the oft-quoted "hype" is due to a media which knows only too well that feeding the passion of fans in England is a sure-fire way to sell papers. Most fair-minded English fans don't expect the national team to win anything. In any case, the English media is at least hyper-critical when they fail. Contrast that to the awful cheerleading of the Australian media. I know which I prefer. Barry Fry should recognise that there's a "whole world outside Englands borders?" People like Fry never will, because the "outsiders" threaten his job - same as when there's a coaching vacancy in the A League, the clamour is for local coaches. It's called self-interest. You got one thing right though. A job should never be given purely on the basis of nationality. Pass that on to some of the members of the football media here in Australia won't you? And perhaps they too could recognise there's a "whole world outside England's borders" and write about something else for a change.
Mick
Guest
Robbie Slater would call Fry a racist for wanting an English manager
Matt F
Roar Guru
There's a massive difference between saying that it would be nice if the next manager was English and basically saying that any foreign manager has no passion or commitment and only wants the money..... I would have thought that you would look to appoint the next manager based on merit rather then whatever nationality they are. If they're English great. If not, so be it.
Matt F
Roar Guru
Whilst I do think that Redknapp would be a very good choice as England manager, I do agree that some of the views from some people about foreign managers is laughable. That guy isn't really a Director fo Football is he??? The fact that so many people seem to prioritise perceived "passion" over any sort of tactical nous is hilarious :) There's a great book for those who don't know called Soccernomics (basically applying an economic viewpoint to football) which describes in great detail how England are not actually perennial underachievers, rather they've just never been that good (or at least not as good as the media/fans think they are.)
Roger Rational
Guest
Arsene Wenger also thinks the England manager should be English, so presumably he too should be lumped in the xenophobic category alongside Barry Fry?