Following the departure of Gareth Southgate from the England national team, we look at the potential candidates to replace him.
1. Lee Carsley
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 58-year-old looks to be the favourite to succeed the former England manager. He won the Under-21 European Championships with England in 2023.
Carsley’s squad included the likes of Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer. They were also part of the senior squad for Euro 2024. Given that Southgate was also the Under-21 manager before taking charge of the seniors, this may not be a bad option.
During the European Championships, Carsley deployed a fluid 4-4-2 system. The players would rotate in and out of areas all over the pitch. He also had a double pivot in midfield. This consisted of Liverpool’s Curtis Jones, and Angel Gomez from Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille.
If we look at the midfield options we have with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice & Kobbie Mainoo. This system may help England transition from defence to attack more fluidly. Carsley seems likely to take charge of the two Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in September. Why not give the job to him full-time?
It worked with Southgate, so who knows what Carsley could go on to do with the talented group of players.
2. Graham Potter
Embed from Getty ImagesIf the FA seeks an English manager with tactical nous, the former Brighton and Chelsea boss might be the perfect fit.
His first full-time job came at Östersunds FK, who were in the fourth tier of Swedish football, in 2010
It took them just three seasons to get into the Allsvenskan and finished eighth in their first season.
In 2017, Potter won the Svenska Cup, which is the Swedish FA Cup. This achievement qualified them for the Europa League in the following season. But Arsenal knocked them out in the Round of 16.
Potter took charge of the Seagulls in May 2019. It took him three seasons to make them a club that was challenging for Europe. In 2021-22, Potter guided Brighton to a ninth-place finish. This was their best season in the Premier League in terms of points (51) and goals (42).
In September 2022, he replaced Thomas Tuchel as the Chelsea manager,. But his eight months at the Bridge only brought seven wins from 22 games. The Blues job seemed too big for him, as the results didn’t impress the fanbase. They expected Chelsea to deliver success regularly.
Nevertheless, the England job could allow him to prove himself as a top tactician. Especially with a highly talented group of players.
3. Frank Lampard
Embed from Getty ImagesAs Southgate himself played for England at three major tournaments, perhaps a midfielder who represented the country in two World Cups and Euro 2004 would benefit the squad.
Lampard is seventh in the list of England players with the most caps(106) and has scored 29 goals.
He began his managerial career at Derby County in 2019, on a three-year contract.
He spent just one season at the club, where he guided the Rams to the Championship play-off final, where they lost 2-1 to Aston Villa.
That was because Chelsea had offered him a three-year contract, which he simply could not turn down.
He guided the Blues to a fourth-place finish and an FA Cup final in his first season in charge.
Unfortunately, his second season in charge did not go as planned, as the Blues were in ninth place in the last week of January.
It was also reported that Lampard was not happy with the club’s transfer policy, and was dismissed from Stamford Bridge, after a falling out with the previous owner, Roman Abramovich.
Lampard’s next job was at Everton, where he guided them to safety on the final day of the season, after replacing Rafael Benitez in January 2022.
The Toffees managed to avoid relegation, following a dramatic 3-2 win at home to Crystal Palace.
However, in his first full season at Goodison Park, he was sacked in January 2023, with the club in 19th place.
Since then, he has been looking for his next job.
Ex-players such as Gary Lineker and Paul Merson have also tipped the former Chelsea man to be the next England Boss.
Will he take the opportunity to do so?
4. Mauricio Pochettino
Embed from Getty ImagesIn terms of any foreign candidates, the former Chelsea Boss has held an interest in becoming the Three Lions’ Boss.
Pochettino had three stints managing Premier League clubs. Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea.
He also won the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France with Paris Saint Germain in 2021.
He also reached the 2019 Champions League final with Spurs, as well as the 2024 EFL Cup final with Chelsea, but lost on both occasions.
Given the fact that the 52-year-old thrives in developing young players, this may not be a bad option.
The only issue some fans may have with the appointment is due to historical reasons, as Pochettino is Argentine, and the football history between the two nations, has not been very good.
Some England fans are still aware of the Diego Maradona handball incident in 1986, so they might think that the FA hiring an Argentine to manage England, could be a bad omen.
But this is hyper-theoretical as the former Blues Boss is regarded as one of the most humble human beings in football.
5. Thomas Tuchel
Embed from Getty ImagesThe former Bayern Munich Boss also seems interested in the job. Tuchel has achieved an awful lot in his time in Germany, France and England.
He won the DFB-Pokal with Borussia Dortmund in 2017, before moving on to Paris Saint Germain to win two successive Ligue 1 titles.
He then joined Chelsea in early 2021 and won the Champions League, as well as reaching the FA Cup final, where they lost to Leicester City.
Thomas Tuchel also led the Blues to the FIFA Club World Cup, which they won in February 2022, after beating Brazilian side Palmeiras 2-1 in the Final
After being dismissed from Stamford Bridge, Tuchel became the Bayern Munich Head Coach, replacing Julian Nagelsmann in March 2023.
He guided Bayern to their 32nd Bundesliga Title in that same season, before stepping down as Head Coach, due to his inability to consistently bring the team to a higher level.
When England was knocked out of Qatar 2022, Tuchel did seem keen on taking the England job, before being appointed by Bayern.
Unfortunately, the FA decided to stick with Southgate for the European Championships.
Can he persuade them to fulfil his desires?
So these are the four leading contenders, who would you like aa the Three Lions Boss?