JURGEN’S A STRONG SHOUT FOR ENGLAND
So will England have a slice of this high flyer of the football world? There is a strong argument in favour of England’s next manager being English. And if the FA revert to the foreign route after Roy Hodgson’s resignation, having previously employed Sven Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, how would a German be received by the fans? It would be a big call, given the countries’ historical rivalry, both on battlefields and football pitches. But there is something intriguing and exciting about German legend Klinsmann, 51, managing England. As a player he won both the World Cup and European Championship and had two spells with Tottenham, where he was one of the Premier League’s most popular and successful foreign imports. As a head coach he took Germany to a third-place World Cup finish and with the USA, his current job, Klinsmann won the CONCACAF Gold Cup and achieved a recent semi-final appearance in the Copa America. He is credited by current Germany boss Joachim Low with changing the mentality of t heir national game and team. You know, the one wh e r e by Ger many generally get it right when it matters – in major championships. England could certainly do with some of that. Low, Klinsmann’s former assistant, said: “The team idea is what strikes people about Germany. “Jurgen laid the foundations in 2004 and we h a v e continued with that idea. “With Jurgen, a new era began. He altered decisive things at the youth performance centre which still resonate today. He introduced managers, psychologists and American fitness trainers.
“Without the changes he made we wouldn’t have enjoyed the success we have today.”
There are strong English candidates for the role after England’s pitiful performance in France, culminating in the worst defeat in our history – against Iceland.
Glenn Hoddle has had and lost the job before. He was sacked for what were regarded as strange and offensive non-football views. But he is a talented coach who should be considered.
So, too, should Sunderland’s Sam Allardyce and Hull’s Steve Bruce.
Interest in them from the FA would not be welcomed at their clubs, although it would be understandable if they wanted to be considered for the England role.
But the FA says it is looking for the best man for the job, regardless of his nationality.
I wouldn’t argue with, for instance, the FA deciding that man is Big Sam.
But I do think serious consideration should be given to the charismatic Klinsmann.
And whoever it is, he’ll have to decide on England’s best line-up for the upcoming World Cup qualification campaign.
Despite Euro 2016, there won’t be many changes. Basically, England’s best players were in France.
But next season Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck will eventually be fit again after knee surgery – and he was missed in France.
And if John Stones moves, as expected, to Manchester City from Everton for £50million, it will be fascinating to see his development under Pep Guardiola.
A fit Jack Wilshere will also be an asset – he clearly wasn’t 100 per cent in France after his injury issues.
So maybe for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers we’ll see an England team with more pace in a 4-2-3-1 formation, on these lines:
Hart; Walker, Stones, Cahill, Rose; Dier, Wilshere; Townsend, Rooney, Welbeck; Vardy or Kane.