On Tuesday, July 16, Gareth Southgate announced his resignation as England’s manager after eight years in command.
The 53-year-old guided England to this month’s Euro 2024 final, where they lost to Spain. This resulted in the culmination of the greatest successful run of major tournament results since the Three Lions’ World Cup victory in 1966.
In the four tournaments that Southgate managed, England made it to two finals, one semi-final, and a quarter-final, but they were never able to win their first international championship since that victory 58 years ago.
The FA now have the responsibility of replacing the individual who brought about that triumph and revitalising the environment surrounding the England men’s squad.
These are all the candidates connected to taking Southgate’s place as England manager.
Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe is not only the FA’s top pick to succeed Southgate, but the Newcastle United manager is also very much open to the chance, as TEAMtalk has disclosed.
As a youthful manager in his 30s, Howe won praise for leading Bournemouth to the Premier League and helping the Cherries secure their spot in the top division by playing attractive attacking football.
Since his appointment by Newcastle in November 2021, he has led the Magpies to both an EFL Cup final and the Champions League.
After Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce were fired, Howe was once given consideration for the England position, but the former under-21 international was seen to be too inexperienced at the time. Howe, who is 46 years old, is now seen differently and has always wanted to manage the national team.
Newcastle’s Eddie Howe statistics
Potter, Graham
The fact that Howe is now managing one of the largest clubs in the Premier League complicates any decision to appoint him. Graham Potter, on the other hand, has not faced any such hindrance as he has not found employment since Chelsea fired him last year.
In his brief tenure as Swansea City’s manager from 2018 to 2019, Potter made an impression, but he left the Welsh team to take a chance on the Premier League as Brighton’s manager.
Potter led the Seagulls to their best-ever top-flight finish in three seasons at the AmEx Stadium. He did it by promoting an exciting style of play and proving that he could turn gifted young players into elite Premier League players.
Lee Carsley
Following the dismissal of England manager Sam Allardyce after just 67 days in charge, the FA went to Southgate, who was managing the under-21 team at the time, and inadvertently appointed their most successful manager in recent memory.
Furthermore, they may try to pull off the same ruse by substituting Southgate with current under-21s manager Lee Carsley, as TEAMtalk has disclosed.
Since taking over as manager of the under-21 team in 2021, the 50-year-old former midfielder for Derby County and Everton has led them to victory in the European Under-21 Championship last summer. It will work to his advantage since he has recently worked with several of the rising stars who have since established themselves at the senior level.
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Klopp, J.
Jurgen Klopp would undoubtedly be the ideal replacement for Southgate, even though it is reported that the FA would want to choose an Englishman.
After nine glorious years in command at Anfield, the German manager left Liverpool at the end of the previous season and is currently taking a vacation.
As one of the most admired and revered people in the game, Klopp possesses the tactical acumen and inspirational abilities to succeed in international management should he ever decide to give it a shot.
However, the former player for Borussia Dortmund reportedly turned down an American offer and wants more time off before choosing his next position.
Guardiola, Pep
Pep Guardiola is another ideal foreign appointment. The Manchester City manager is undoubtedly the most prominent coach in the league right now, and his influence can be seen all over the England squad thanks to his work with players like Phil Foden, John Stones, and Kyle Walker.
It is quite improbable that the Catalan tactician would consider leaving the Etihad immediately to seek the England post, despite speculations suggesting he might not stay at City much past the upcoming season.
Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino is a highly regarded foreign manager who is available, nevertheless.
Unexpectedly let go by Chelsea at the end of the previous campaign, the Argentine was connected to the Manchester United position prior to the Red Devils deciding to sign Erik ten Hag.
Although the FA might want an English coach, Pochettino is a well-known and esteemed figure in the higher levels of English football due to his extensive Premier League experience and his prior work at Tottenham, where he developed Three Lions stars like Harry Kane and Kyle Walker.
Sarina Wiegman
Although Sarina Wiegman’s departure from the women’s team would be seen as an odd choice for the England men’s manager position, there isn’t a strong enough candidate to replace the current England women’s manager with a track record of success in international football.
After taking home the same championship with the Netherlands in 2017, the Dutch coach led England to victory in the European Championship in 2022. Her Lionesses also advanced to the World Cup final the previous year.
Wiegman would become the first female manager of a men’s national team in history.
Frank Lampard
Since the conclusion of his second stint as Chelsea’s manager following the 2022–2023 season, former England footballer Frank Lampard has been unemployed.
As a manager, the 46-year-old has, at most, had mixed results thus far. He led Chelsea to an FA Cup final in his first job, but he left Stamford Bridge after just eighteen months, having previously led Derby to the Championship play-off final. He then had a miserable year leading Everton.
Although Lampard has long been considered a potential manager for England, nothing about his current performance suggests the FA is currently considering him highly.
Thomas Tuchel
Recent sources state that the FA is taking into consideration a different former Chelsea manager. One of the best tactical minds in football, Thomas Tuchel, is free agent after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the previous campaign. The German is said to be on the short list of candidates to replace Southgate.
As a 2021 Champions League champion with Chelsea, Tuchel’s resume surpasses that of several other leading candidates for the open England position. Though it’s unclear if the German is interested in the position, the FA may be concerned given his history of running afoul of his employers.
