England’s defeat to Spain in the final of this year’s EUROs sealed Gareth Southgate’s fate.
Although the 53-year-old was not sacked from his role as head coach of the men’s national team, his position became untenable in the aftermath of the 2-1 defeat to Spain.
Overseeing back-to-back EURO final defeats, Southgate was left with no choice but to resign, leaving the FA forced to find the former defender’s long-term successor.
And while a candidate has not yet been named, according to a recent report from The Guardian, CEO Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott, are working toward drawing up a shortlist of candidates with hopes of conducting interviews.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is considered a leading candidate with former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter also among the FA’s options.
However, there are two foreign managers also in contention to succeed Southgate.
Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel are both available after departing Chelsea and Bayern Munich, respectively, at the end of last season. The pair are viewed as ‘leading overseas candidates’ with the FA refusing to rule out the possibility of a foreign manager taking charge — something fans have not seen since Italian Fabio Capello was appointed manager in 2008.
The biggest obstacle facing the FA when it comes to capture either Pochettino or Tuchel is the pair’s salary demands. Southgate earned £5 million-per year while serving as England manager — a figure the aforementioned candidates are likely to want increasing.
England’s next match is one month away in the Nations League against Ireland. A permanent manager is unlikely to be in place by then sparking speculation that under-21 manager Lee Carsley will be asked to take charge on an interim basis.
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