Next England Manager Betting

So near, and yet so far: the same old story for England fans born after 1966. Gareth Southgate took us closer to a title than anyone since Sir Alf Ramsay, but back-to-back runners-up finishes in the European Championships failed to occupy any additional spots in the FA Trophy Cabinet. An improvement on previous managers? Yes. An extension to the ever-lengthening barren spell? Also, yes.

Time for Change

Since taking charge in 2016, Southgate received the support of the English fans for most of his reign and deserves credit for re-establishing the frayed bond between the national side and supporters. However, Euro 2024 proved the breaking point for many. Despite making the final, England yet again came up short and, for the vast majority of the competition, were incredibly dull to watch, leaving many to ask, if you can’t win, can’t you at least entertain us? This version of the England side did neither.

With the Southgate era over, the question is, who will replace him? What kind of manager should the FA look for to finally get a talented squad of players over the line?

What Does It Take to Win?

This isn’t a straightforward question, but perhaps we can gain some insight by looking at the sides who have managed to grab gold at the most recent World Cups and European Championships.

Beginning with the World Cup; the past three editions have been claimed by: Argentina (largely dull under Lionel Scaloni), France (pragmatic under Deschamps), and Germany (entertaining under Joachim Löw).

Turning to the European Championships, Fernando Santos’s Portugal outfit bored their way to victory in 2016, followed by defence-minded Italy in 2020. Then, of course, we have Spain, who provided a welcome breath of fresh air when riding a wave of attacking play to the title.

It seems there is no set recipe for success. Depressingly, the dour approach may even hold the edge. However, football is an ever-changing beast, and if turning to the club game, the dominance of Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool in England, and Bayer Leverkusen’s surprise Bundesliga title suggests that the high-energy, pressing game may be the way to win in 2024.

Cautious Approach Going Against The Grain?

Most significantly, the pragmatic approach isn’t the winning recipe for this squad of England players, and it isn’t hard to understand why this should be the case.

Looking at the England squad for Euro 2024, the outfield players hailed from Manchester City, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Brighton, Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Brentford, Aston Villa, and West Ham.

Of those clubs, Manchester City, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Bayern Munich, Brighton, Arsenal, Brentford, and Villa all play a modern, pressing game; Palace have switched to that style under Oliver Glasner, and permanently in-flux Chelsea had shown signs under Pochettino. Manchester United, Real Madrid, and West Ham are generally more pragmatic, but nothing like so cautious as the England side in 2024.

In setting up the side as he did, Southgate asked the squad to do something at odds with the style they play week in, week out, in the Premier League. With that (and the lack of trophies in mind) surely it might be worth turning to a more modern, front-foot manager, providing a smoother transition for the players and granting a bigger platform for the attacking talent to express themselves. If nothing else, they would at least be good to watch.

Candidates for the Job

As with most vacancies, every manager under the sun has been mentioned (you can even apply for the job yourself, should you wish)

, but if the betting odds are any guide, the following are the most likely to step into the hot seat.

Eddie Howe

In the eyes of many, the clear standout candidate for the job is Newcastle’s Eddie Howe. Having worked wonders in leading Bournemouth from the lower reaches of the Second Division to the Premier League, Howe promptly steered Newcastle to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years in his first full season in charge. His record stacks up, whilst his high-energy attacking philosophy fits the brief of what most fans want to see.

Few outside Newcastle would be disappointed to see Howe handed the reigns. In our opinion, Howe probably is the right man for the job, but possibly not this time. Still early in the Newcastle project, the 46-year-old has stated that the day-to-day routine is the aspect of the job he finds the most satisfying. He wouldn’t get that with England. On top of all that, having recently signed a multi-year extension, the FA would need to shell out a significant sum in compensation. That said, if the FA are willing to pay and Howe can’t resist the opportunity, it will be tough for the club to stand in his way.

Graham Potter

Making his name with Swedish outfit Östersund and moving on to successful spells with Swansea City and Brighton, Potter has long been admired as one of the shrewdest, most forward-thinking English managers. His spell at Chelsea didn’t go to plan – although, in fairness, he wasn’t given much time (hired in September, fired in April). Regardless, the Stamford Bridge episode has done little to damage his reputation. Reportedly ready to return to work following more than a year off, he comes without the compensation hurdle of Howe and rates an obvious choice.

Lee Carsley

Or perhaps England could follow the Spanish blueprint. Successful Euro 2024 manager Luis De La Fuente had previously led the Spanish Under-19 and Under-21 sides to European Championship glory before repeating the trick with the senior side. Step forward, Lee Carsley. Whilst overseeing the Under-21 set-up, the former Everton midfielder led the Young Lions to glory at the 2023 European Championship.

Carsley may be viewed as a safe and uninspiring choice by many (Southgate progressed from the Under-21s to the senior side) but would represent a smooth transition and is ideally placed to blend the emerging talent with the established stars.

Mauricio Pochettino

Plumping for an overseas manager is an unpopular option for many pundits and fans alike, with some suggesting the prerequisite of being English should extend to the manager. Regardless of where you stand on that argument, turning to a foreign coach is far from unusual, and the FA have shown a willingness to do so in the past.

However, those previous ventures (Fabio Capello – out in the Last 16 at the 2010 World Cup) and Sven-Göran Eriksen (no better than the quarter-finals at three major tournaments) suggest that looking further afield may not be all it is cracked up to be.

If the FA roll the dice on an overseas boss for only the third time in their history - and with Jose Mourinho only just settling in at Fenerbahce - the man deemed most likely is former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochetino. Fondly remembered in North London for leading the club back to the Champions League and almost to the trophy, his reputation took a dent with a relatively underwhelming record at PSG. However, he had Chelsea flying at the end of the most recent Premier League season before stepping down due to a clash with the hierarchy. Generally favouring a high-pressing, tactically acute style, and available, he seems likely to be on the shortlist.

Thomas Tuchel

Next in line is one of the men who preceded Pochettino in the Stamford Bridge hot/ejector seat – Germany’s Thomas Tuchel, for whom even winning the Champion’s League didn’t earn enough credit in the bank to avoid the Boehly axe. A league winner in France and Germany, Tuchel brings a more robust CV than many on this list but would arrive on the back of a disappointing season with Bayern Munich – ultimately departing amid a swathe of criticism regarding his tactics and man management.

Frank Lampard

Sticking with the theme of former Chelsea managers, we come to Stamford Bridge legend Frank Lampard. Undoubtedly one of the finest midfielders of his generation, the 106-cap international remains a popular figure with many supporters. However, it is hard to argue that his managerial efforts have come close to reaching his performance on the pitch. Last sighted winning one of 11 matches with a multi-million-pound Chelsea squad, he surely hasn’t yet earned a shot at one of the biggest jobs in the game.

What About Pep or Jurgen?

If the FA seek an attacking style merged with the ability to actually win something, then the man for the job is undoubtedly Pep Guardiola. Having now lifted 12 league titles across England, Germany, and Spain, there can be little doubt that the Pep system both works and produces wonderful football. It seems unlikely that Pep is bored of dominating the club game just yet - or would even be interested - but if he wishes to cement his legacy beyond all doubt, a major trophy with the England team would do the job.

Moving a little closer to the realistic, the tactics of the national side would surely benefit from a little heavy metal injection. The thought of a German managing the English team may be sacrilege to many, but if that man was Jurgen Klopp, many would be only too happy to accept it, and, unlike Guardiola, he is available.