Gareth Southgate took on the England job amid a period of distinct bleakness in 2016. He departs just shy of eight years on having allowed a disillusioned nation to believe again.
England’s defeat in the Euro 2024 final was Southgate’s 102nd in charge of the Three Lions. It will prove to be his last.
The former defender is the most successful England manager of modern times by a considerable distance. He galvanised a mightily gifted generation in a way that grander names from yesteryear couldn’t, with the Three Lions reaching back-to-back European Championship finals under his watch.
Southgate couldn’t quite oversee the leap over the final hurdle, but his legacy in English sporting folklore has been cemented. His reign will be remembered with the utmost fondness. The summers of 2018, 2021, and 2024 will long be cherished by the nation, but this felt like the right time to move on.
So, for the first time in eight years, the FA are on the hunt for a new manager. Here are the candidates to take over…
Lee Carsley
The FA could down the Spanish route and offer current Under-21s incumbent Carsley the senior role.
Spain’s winning Euro 2024 coach, Luis de la Fuente, had previously led La Roja’s Under-19s and Under-21s to European glory before succeeding Luis Enrique in 2023.
Carsley’s sole experiences in senior management have come in caretaker positions, but his work with England’s Under-21s suggests a step-up to the seniors wouldn’t be the worst idea. He guided a talented crop of English youngsters to European Championship success in 2023, all while overseeing a style that the vast majority of supporters are desperate to enjoy.
It’s an appointment that would come across as uninspiring, but there’s no denying it’s astute potential.
Graham Potter
Potter’s reputation has taken quite the hit following a pretty disastrous spell at Chelsea. The former Brighton boss hasn’t taken a job on since his exit from Stamford Bridge in April 2023 despite receiving several offers from overseas.
The 49-year-old is objectively not a bad manager having earned the Chelsea job off the back of an impressive stint at Brighton. The Englishman was able to enhance the collective potential of his squad through sound, progressive coaching, but he struggled to deal with the bigger names of west London.
Potter would likely install a far more watchable brand of football as national team coach, but there are doubts as to whether he’d be able to build or at least retain the squad harmony cultivated by Southgate. He’s previously garnered rave reviews for his man management, but his Chelsea reign, given the size of that job, should offer a few concerns.
His tactical flexibility does suit the international game.
Mauricio Pochettino
Scarred from their travails with Fabio Capello, the FA will be hesitant in hiring a non-Englishman to succeed Southgate.
However, the foreign coaches available couldn’t pale in comparison to Capello more strongly. Among those reported to be an option is Pochettino, a likeable coach who’s on the market after departing Chelsea following an indifferent debut campaign.
Pochettino wasn’t able to maximise a talented Blues squad last season, but we shouldn’t overlook his previous Premier League work at Southampton and Tottenham. At Spurs, in particular, Pochettino built from the ground up, evolving a young and exciting outfit into title contenders.
In a sense, his reign in north London does draw comparisons to Southgate’s with England. Pochettino was able to restore belief among once-apathetic supporters and take that squad to the cusp of glory without getting them over the line.
The Argentine would work well with England’s majestic generation, but would you back him to bring football home in crunch time?
Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel is available having led Bayern Munich to their first trophy-less season in over a decade.
The stock of the former Chelsea manager isn’t exactly at an all-time high right now, and he may fancy taking more time off following a taxing spell in Munich.
However, Tuchel is a big-name manager that’d undoubtedly get many supporters excited. There’s no hierarchy to clash with over recruitment, and Tuchel’s tactical acumen is off the charts.
If England want to finally get over the line at a major tournament, there’s probably not a better man for the job than Tuchel. He thrives in one-off encounters. There’s no denying the boom or bust element with the combustible German, though.
Eddie Howe
Howe has essentially taken on Harry Redknapp’s role of relentlessly being linked with the England job.
The FA are certainly interested in Howe and the Newcastle manager is among the early frontrunners. Once bullish on the England position but seemingly less keen after replacing Steve Bruce at St. James’ Park, perhaps Howe’s interest has been reignited following a tough 2023/24 campaign on Tyneside.
Howe is no idealist and he does have a pragmatic streak. His Newcastle teams have been physically impressive (at the expense of greater injury risk, seemingly) and tactically adaptable. They can press high effectively and shun teams in a mid-block. Howe adapts to his opponents, and this would serve him well on the international stage.
This is a mammoth job to take on, but Howe’s serenity resembles that of Southgate’s and he should also supply the humility brought by his predecessor. He’s a great option for the role.
Jurgen Klopp
Having spent the best part of nine years on Merseyside, Jurgen Klopp is well aware of the idiosyncrasies and nuances of the English game. An honourary Englishman may be taking it a step too far, but Klopp surely regards Liverpool as a second home.
He’s the big name the FA once sought and deviated from by hiring Southgate, but it feels as if Klopp is the ideal manager to coax out every ounce of potential from this stellar group of players. A superb man-manager adored by the overwhelming majority of those who’ve played under him, it surely wouldn’t take long for English supporters to get fully behind him.
However, with Klopp keen to enjoy a lengthy break following the conclusion of his Liverpool tenure, the FA would have to do plenty of persuading to convince one of the all-time great managers.