Arsene for England!
MATT BELL says the FA should thought give serious to what some would consider unthinkable choosing a Frenchman – as Three Lions boss…
WHEN Sam Allardyce was sacked in late September, many were wondering just who could save English football from the brink of destruction.
After such a public act of stupidity, England were back to square one, having to decide: Who is the man to take the team forward, and allow them to live up to the hype the media and fans set?
The baton has been passed onto Gareth Southgate for now, a man who seems too controlled by the FA, and would never break any rules or regulations.
He has been handed the reins for four matches, as the FA examine their options on who to hire next.
For the fans, Southgate is not the option at all, with his U21s often providing underwhelming performances at tournaments, much like the senior squad. Other names like Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe, Crystal Palace’s Alan Pardew and former Hull boss Steve Bruce have been touted for the job.
But is there a bigger name people should consider?
I have often been a critic of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in recent times.
Winning two FA Cups in 12 years with no Premier League title since 2003/04 is a meagre haul, especially considering how successful he was in his early days with the Gunners.
However, there is no denying how influential the Frenchman has been in the last two decades on not only Arsenal but the Premier
League. He has consistently earned the north London club a place in the lucrative Champions League and always produced football pleasing to the eye. However, Wenger’s time at Arsenal is under question, with one faction of the fans calling for him to call it a day, another for him to move up into a director role and others wanting him to stay as manager. The 66-year-old has made it known that he is scared of retirement, and maybe the England job is the opportunity for one last big challenge? The FA aren’t looking for somebody who can deliver success straight away, but put them on the right path. Wenger fits the bill. You only have to look at his early days at Arsenal and the legacy he created. He helped develop players like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Cesc Fabregas, and made them legends. And when you look at the trophies he has won – admittedly many a long time ago – taking Arsenal to two domestic doubles and multiple FA Cups, he should be considered.
There aren’t many other managers in this country that have a better experience of the English top flight than Wenger, who know what the standard is and know other players and leagues equally as well.
That’s not to forget to mention the English talent he has helped to mould - Ashley Cole, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere to name just four.
His experience in the top flight means he knows exactly what it takes for players to succeed and helps make him the ideal candidate.
It’s understandable, of course, that the FA want to hire an Englishman – it is the England job after all.
But given his services to English football and the ever-presence of Arsene Wenger as a top manager here for two decades, he could almost be considered as English!
Heavy French accent aside, Wenger could be the man to take English football further forward.
Given this is a man with great experience, he could help mould future English managers at St George’s Park and encourage English football to grow. Wenger could help put a certain Va Va Voom back into English football, and the FA would be stupid to overlook
his credentials.