FA seeks manager who can build on Southgate's work

The Football Association had a plan in place for Gareth Southgate’s departure months before Euro 2024, since it was widely expected, and there is a view in football that managers like Graham Potter have turned down other jobs in anticipation.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

However, the reality of making decisions can be very different from the build-up.

The FA are now in that classic bind that comes with these situations where you’re replacing a figure so associated with a high-profile job. There’s what they can do, what they want to do and what they should do. Those aren’t necessarily all the same thing.

There is one priority that feels progressive but may prompt greater debate. The FA want a manager who appreciates the culture of the English national team rather than just being English. Understanding the role is more important than nationality or even CV.

There is, of course, a strong argument that the coach of major national teams should be from those countries, since it is in keeping with the spirit of the international game, while also promoting that country’s football culture. It is probably telling that Greece are the only national team to have won a World Cup or European Championships with a foreign manager – German Otto Rehhagel in 2004.

That isn’t an argument for England to have right now, though, as the wider game evolves. Those aren’t the rules and, if you are serious about victory, there is probably no point in limiting yourself. This is why the priority of appreciating the English team’s culture is so important and nuanced. That condition allows a more expansive scope but also limits the temptation for a “big name” and a modern equivalent of Fabio Capello. The Italian had the standing within football for the job but not the understanding.

FOREIGN COACHES TO WIN MAJOR MEN’S TOURNAMENTS

Jose Lago Millan (Spanish) – Argentina, Copa America 1927

Jack Greenwell (English) – Peru, Copa America 1939

Danilo Alvim (Brazilian) – Bolivia, Copa America 1964

Otto Rehhagel (German) – Greece, Euro 2004

Jorge Sampaoli (Argentine) – Chile, Copa America 2015