Southgate will keep England job... if the Scots are humbled
THE FA will announce who is to be the permanent England manager before Christmas, with Gareth Southgate excepted to get the job if he beats Scotland on Friday.
No candidates have been formally interviewed yet, with FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn to begin the recruitment process after the friendly against Spain on Tuesday week, which will complete the four games for which Southgate was asked to stand in.
England do not play again until taking on Germany in March, so in theory they can take their time settling on the successor to Sam Allardyce, who left after just 67 days having being caught in a journalistic sting telling investors how to circumnavigate FA rules.
Southgate is still expected to get the job with FA chiefs saying he is a strong candidate though in the summer they also interviewed Steve Bruce and RB Leipzig’s director of sports, Ralf Rangnick, a favourite of FA technical director Dan Ashworth.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers would only be available from next summer and Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe has previously been discounted as too inexperienced. Given the lack of available candidates and the FA’s need to appear decisive, Southgate looks to be assured of the job should the team perform well over the next week.
Jack Wilshere is expected to be back in the squad that Southgate names today given that he is now playing regularly on loan at Bournemouth and appears to be back to full fitness.
Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, though, will be sweating on his place, having been left out of Allardyce’s and Southgate’s squads and dropped by club manager Ronald Koeman in the interim. He will be wondering if Monday night’s good performance against West Ham will be enough to merit inclusion, as his role in yesterday’s 5-0 defeat by Chelsea was not so positive.
Selecting Ross Barkley in the England squad should be a nobrainer. Instead, when Gareth Southgate finalises his 23-man party at St George’s Park today, the interim England manager will agonise over the Everton man’s inclusion.
Based on talent, the England team should be built around Barkley. .
Ahead of yesterday’s clash, England great Stuart Pearce, in his role as talkSPORT pundit, questioned Barkley’s in-game understanding.
His international future looked so bright 12 months ago when he played a leading role as England recorded a perfect Euro 2016 qualification campaign.
Bournemouth right-back Adam Smith is also being considered and though he may not make this squad, he is expected to join up if there are injuries to Kyle Walker or Nathaniel Clyne.