Jamie Carragher, a former defender for Liverpool, feels that the FA should have chosen a different manager to succeed Gareth Southgate as manager of England rather than Thomas Tuchel. After the late Sven Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello, the former Chelsea manager who won the Champions League is only the third non-native manager to occupy the Wembley Stadium hot seat.
This week, as England attempts to bounce back from their devastating loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, the German will coach his first two games as captain of the Three Lions. In the opening round of 2026 World Cup qualifying, they will play Albania and Latvia, both of which will take place at Wembley Stadium under the lights.
But after Newcastle United defeated Liverpool 2-0 in the Carabao Cup on Sunday, Carragher thinks there is another man who is deserving of the position that Tuchel is taking. The retired defender bemoaned his want for an Englishman to lead his country to victory for the first time in 60 years and asserted that Eddie Howe is the best English manager currently in place.
Carragher Believes Eddie Howe Should Have Got England Job
He called the Newcastle boss “the real deal” after guiding the Magpies to glory
The Magpies stunned Liverpool on their route to a historic triumph in the Carabao Cup final thanks to a spectacular finish by talisman Alexander Isak and a thunderous header by boyhood Newcastle supporter Dan Burn shortly before halftime. It was Eddie Howe’s first significant piece of silverware and the club’s first prize in seven decades.
Howe, in Carragher’s opinion, ought to have succeeded Gareth Southgate, but Newcastle undoubtedly benefits from England’s loss.
“He’s done a brilliant job,” he stated (see the entire segment below). He seems like the real deal to me.
It’s not ideal that the England team does not have an English manager, even though Thomas Tuchel is an excellent coach. I said Eddie Howe was the finest choice as soon as the position became available. Why wasn’t he appointed by the FA? He most likely wouldn’t have done this today if the FA had appointed him.”
"He's the real deal"
Jamie Carragher's verdict on Eddie Howe, who he believes should have been appointed as England manager 🦁 pic.twitter.com/NURjiMRiJc
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 16, 2025
“It’s really, really important for an English manager to win a trophy, for an English coach to lead a team into the Champions League, for an English coach to be managing a top club, or for an English coach to be coaching a team that has won a trophy,” Gary Neville continued. “English coaching and English managers have been beaten up for a very long time and they don’t win trophies.
“I think Howe has done a fantastic job at Newcastle, and I couldn’t be happier for him. He has been outstanding since the day he entered. I’m hoping he can have a party.
The Eddie Howe Project Has Been Justified
Newcastle owe the world to their manager
Regardless of what the future brings, the Eddie Howe project, which many first questioned would endure under Saudi ownership, can now be considered an unquestionable success. Howe has won a significant title less than four years after he was hired in November 2021, when Newcastle was five points outside of safety in 19th place in the Premier League.
Additionally, Newcastle has returned to Europe under the leadership of the first English manager to win the FA Cup or EFL Cup since 2008. They are guaranteed at least a UEFA Conference League berth after the win, but with only two points separating them from Chelsea in fourth place, all eyes will be on them as they look to add more in the upcoming weeks.
Football success is measured by trophies, and Howe has brought Newcastle back to the top, setting the stage for a great future that many older Geordie generations have long envisioned. There is every reason to think that Howe, who is only 47 years old, may eventually move from the Magpies’ dugout to the Three Lions’ Wembley coaching position.
