Three English-born managers who missed out on job after Thomas Tuchel hiring
The Football Association has faced criticism from some pundits for failing to appoint an Englishman as the next England manager and going for Thomas Tuchel instead
Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as England manager has been met with a considerable backlash from pundits, with many believing the job should have gone to an Englishman.
Tuchel was confirmed as the next Three Lions boss on Wednesday morning, becoming the third foreign manager after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. He will start his 18-month contract on January 1 and will be paid £5million per year to try and win the 2026 World Cup.
The Football Association has been looking for a new manager since Gareth Southgate stepped down in July after losing the final of Euro 2024. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott were in charge of the process, which saw several other candidates interviewed.
"Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that,” Bullingham explained. “Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.”
Tuchel has won league titles with Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, and the Champions League with Chelsea. But the fact he was born in Germany has upset some, who think the role is best suited for an Englishman.
Former England striker Michael Owen tweeted: “Top quality appointment made with the new England manager. A proven winner with a great understanding of the English game. My only disappointment is that he’s not English.”
Gary Neville agreed, telling Sky Sports: “I think that he's a great coach, he's taken a job with a group of talented players and I think everybody in our country including myself will wish him all the best and hope we can get over the line and win a trophy, but I think there are some serious questions for the FA to answer in respect of English coaching. I do think we are damaging ourselves [by] accepting Thomas Tuchel is better than any of the other English coaches.”
Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp told Sky Sports News: “I’m very patriotic, I think we should have an English manager but obviously the field was very small to choose from.” Ex-England defender Danny Mills made a similar point: "In an ideal world I would like an English manager in charge of the England team but if there isn't a good enough candidate to do that, you've got to go further afield."
So which English-born coaches were in the picture? And how do they stack up to Tuchel’s CV? Mirror Football takes a look over the candidates the FA rejected.
Lee Carsley
Carsley became the interim manager when Southgate stepped down and has won three out of four matches in the Nations League over the past few months. He started well, delivering comfortable 2-0 wins over the Republic of Ireland and Finland, but a 2-1 defeat by Greece at Wembley on Thursday seriously dented his credentials.
The former Republic of Ireland midfielder, born in Birmingham, is highly regarded by the FA, having won the European Championship with the under-21s last summer, but he seemed to talk himself out of contention by suggesting he was content to go back to the under-21s. We now know that Tuchel signed the contract on October 8 – two days before the Greece defeat – so the FA had already made their move.
After going for the ‘safe’ option with Southgate last time around, it seems the FA wanted to go for a big and bold one this time around. The mild-mannered and understated Carsley doesn’t fit that brief. He will oversee the next two Nations League matches, against Greece and Ireland, in November before handing over to Tuchel and his coaching staff and heading back to the under-21s.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Would you have liked to see an Englishman get the job? Comment below.
Graham Potter
Potter is another coach who comes in the Southgate mould. The 49-year-old has been linked to lots of jobs over the past year, joining Tuchel on the shortlists for England and the Manchester United jobs. He has been without a job since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.
He has earned plenty of plaudits for taking the difficult route to the top of management via Ostersund in Sweden, Swansea City and Brighton. But his time at Stamford Bridge has undoubtedly dented his image, perhaps suggesting that he doesn’t have the force of personality or ego to take charge of a high-pressure dressing room.
England are gunning for the 2026 World Cup and wanted a manager with experience of winning big trophies. For all his qualities, Potter hasn’t done that. He hasn’t won silverware outside of Sweden and won just 12 of his 31 games in charge of Chelsea.
Eddie Howe
Howe is the most frequently mentioned Englishman in the debate. Last month, Neville urged him to quit Newcastle and go all out for the England job. “My point is for Eddie, it’s difficult [to get another Premier League management job]... To win with England, you’d have a chance of getting one of those top jobs,” he said. “I think it’s his next step up, and I think he would take that job. He’s got to be proactive and not wait for other people to determine his outcome.”
There has been some turbulence at Newcastle in the past few months, with friction between Howe and sporting director Paul Mitchell. But Howe did not take the gamble suggested by Neville and remains the Magpies boss. The 46-year-old has a good reputation from his time at Burnley, Bournemouth and Newcastle and could well be in the discussion for the England job once again after the 2026 World Cup.
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
