The England Job: Where has all the passion gone?

By Joseph, Sub-Editor

Sam Allardyce’s forced resignation from the post of England manager shocked the country as he was said to have given advice on dodging FA regulations whilst earning more money in the process. So did he just take the job for the money? When was the last time that an England manager really engaged with his team and showed his emotions on the touchline? Where’s all the passion gone?

Coming off the back of one of the worst England performances at a Euros in some considerable time, the FA sacked Roy Hodgson and brought in Sam Allardyce, previous manager of Bolton and West Ham, in an attempt to bring England back to greatness. However, after less than 100 days in charge, Allardyce left in disgrace after being caught on camera offering advice into how to avoid player transfer laws. In exchange, Allardyce was being given extra money; however he was already earning a million a year from the England job. Was he just in it for the money?

In the last 20 years, there are been no great England performances in competitions on the world stage and there have been barely, if any at all, passionate managers in that time. Arguably, the last passionate manager that England had was Terry Venables, and that, coincidentally, was the last great performance for England in international competitions. So is a passionate manager the key to success at international level?

This is possibly the case as a passionate manager would invigorate the players and inspire them to perform well and give their all on the pitch. A passionate manager can make the players have more self-belief and that the coach is well and truly behind them as they fight for every ball, as if the manager is part of every player. This could, very perceivably be a way of motivating players before big games.

With this in mind, the FA are still searching for the next England manager after Gareth Southgate’s caretaker role is over, and their decision could change the future of our national team for better or worse. There is a wide range of candidates but there is a single characteristic that can make or break a team. Passion. Ferguson, passion. Mourinho, passion. Guardiola, passion. It can be argued that this is a needed characteristic in football, particularly at a national level, as it has the greatest effect there.

There are several main candidates. Alan Pardew is a possibility and performed quite well at Crystal Palace initially, however won only two games in 2016. Is he consistent enough?

Eddie Howe is another feasible option as he led Bournemouth to promotion to the Premier League and kept them up despite continuous injury to key players. His team also plays a lovely, passing style of football. However, is he too young to have the pressure of England manager on his shoulders?

Steve Bruce is another possibility. He steered Hull City to two promotions but left after disagreements with the owner. He has been in the Premier League for over a decade, but hasn’t always been successful. Has he got what it takes?

Alan Shearer and Glenn Hoddle are also possibilities. Alan Shearer has practically no managerial experience, however, would bring the passion needed in the England job. Glenn Hoddle would undoubtedly do the same, and has been England manager before, but would he come back for a second bite of the cherry?

Or could it be the caretaker manager, Gareth Southgate. That very much depends on his team’s performance in the three qualifiers left in his short reign. Does he have the passion, I hear you ask, well according to his celebrations against Malta he does.

There are many candidates with a chance of landing the job of England manager, and it’s fair to say there are lots of different personalities and styles of play too. The FA now have a big decision to make to see who will be the next England manager, as this decision could change the course of our countries fortunes on the world stage for years to come.