If the FA can lure Pep, it will be like winning the lottery

THE FA hope it isn’t a question that needs answering soon — but where do they turn if Gareth Southgate leaves after the World Cup? Here’s an idea: call Pep Guardiola. Is it realistic? Maybe not. But if you don’t ask, you don’t get and if the FA can somehow persuade Guardiola then it would be the equivalent of winning the lottery. Some will say: ‘But he’s not English.’ Is that important? He is a generational coach. Surely the FA should strive for that. Whether the Spaniard would entertain it is doubtful at best. Even if he did, he would be vastly expensive — he earns £19million a season at Manchester City, a sum way beyond the FA’s postCovid budget. Unquestionably it’s worth a call. His contract expires at the end of the season, but City are keen to extend it. Why not Mauricio Pochettino? Or Thomas Tuchel? Both are out of work, both know the Premier League and both are cheaper than Guardiola. Pochettino is close to captain Harry Kane, while Tuchel has won the Champions League. Or Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers, whose abilities as a coach are undoubted. The merits of appointing an Englishman are obvious. In an ideal world the England manager should be English. But the FA are limiting themselves, particularly when there is no obvious English candidate this winter should Southgate depart. Until three weeks ago, the FA had their eye on Graham Potter as Southgate’s successor. His work at Brighton was admired. But Chelsea’s American owners had the same idea. The FA will continue to monitor Potter, but he is a non-starter for now. Eddie Howe is another who is admired by the FA but he has a high-profile job at Newcastle. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are still cutting their teeth at the top level of club management. Lampard is doing an excellent job in rebuilding Everton. Gerrard is finding life at Aston Villa tougher but his pedigree means he would command instant respect from players. The pair probably need a few more years in club football. Steve Cooper is already a World Cup-winning coach in his previous guise as England’s Under 17 boss. He is highly regarded at St George’s Park — certainly by FA technical director John McDermott. It is not beyond the realms of possibility Cooper is available after the World Cup amid tensions behind the scenes at Nottingham Forest. But despite his England connections Cooper is Welsh and has little top level experience. An outside choice is Scott Parker, who implemented a clear philosophy at Fulham and Bournemouth prior to his sacking for non-footballing reasons from the latter last month. Ultimately, there is no obvious English choice for the FA if Southgate (below) chooses to walk away this winter. There was little surprise at FA HQ on Sunday when Southgate appeared to open the door to leaving after Qatar. Some suspect he may walk away regardless of how England perform at the World Cup. But while Southgate’s comments weren’t out of the blue, they should have sharpened the mind of those at the FA tasked with sourcing his successor.