For England fans, Roy Hodgson was an odd appointment, with many expecting Harry Redknapp to be the main choice for manager back when Fabio Capello walked away. Indeed the former Liverpool and Fulham man was picked even though he was never truly in the running in many fans’ eyes, and has since frustrated supporters by not meeting expectations.
Although his stats aren’t awful, with 25 wins, 13 draws and five losses in 43 games, his win total is 58.14%, which is lower than Capello and Sven-Goran Eriksson’s and only slightly superior to Steve McClaren’s. Considering how quickly McClaren was run out of town, is it time for Roy to go too?
The problem is of course that there is a lack of worthy English managers in and around the Premier League anymore. The one person who had been linked with the job was Gary Neville, but he has since proven at Valencia that it’s too soon for him.
In terms of Englishmen, only Alan Pardew, Eddie Howe and Sam Allardyce remain in the Premier League, making a patriotic choice tough. In the past I have blogged about Pardew being the next manager, with his win rate at Palace sitting at 45.76%. Given his consistency in the Premier League, Pardew could be a good manager to have, especially given at Palace he has given Englishmen Joel Ward, Connor Wickham, Scott Dann, Wilfried Zaha and more chances. Though he has a fiery temper, Pardew could be an interesting choice. However his Eagles side have hit the skids of late, so maybe he’s not the man after all.
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Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe would be another interesting choice, especially given he has worked so hard to take Bournemouth to the top tier and to Premier League, what looks likely to be, safety. He has a 50% win rate on the South Coast, and has an English spine in the team, with young players such as Callum Wilson and Benik Afobe. Though Howe would be a great choice, he needs a step up to a bigger Premier League club before he moves into international management.
A name that has been mentioned, and would be yet another foreign manager within the England set up, is Everton’s Roberto Martinez. The Spaniard has been within English football for many years now with Wigan, Swansea and Everton. At Everton he has let English talent flourish, with the Toffees team being built around Ross Barkley. Although he is not English by birth, he certainly knows the league and could be a possibility.
Another foreigner that has contributed so much to the national set up is Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino, currently at Tottenham. Although he would be perhaps an unpopular choice in some sectors, his contribution to England football cannot be underestimated. He has given players such as Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose and Ryan Mason a big role in his squad, and could be an interesting choice. However, given the fact he is doing well at Spurs, he is unlikely to leave.
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