[Football] Whose the best manager England never had?

[Brovion]

Definitely not Clough or Allison. There is no way their idiosyncratic, flamboyant and confrontational styles would have been suited to international management - although I accept the press conferences would have been exciting. I know that Clough at least wasn't picked because he pissed off the stuffed shirts at the FA, but it was a bullet dodged. However I also accept that we were so shit in the 1970s (still suffering from the delusions of inherent English superiority engendered by 1966) that they couldn't have done any worse, so yeah, it might have been fun.

Can't really think of anybody. Bill Nicholson maybe.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Graham Potter

 

[Pevenseagull]

Herbert Chapman.

 

[Stato]

The argument that Clough's appointment would have ended in tears because the FA leadership were self serving and terrible at their job doesn't alter the fact that he was the best coach / manager who wasn't appointed. The same shower failed to even respond to Jack Charlton's application letter. The FA's Conservatism*, lack of vision and muddled priorities has always been the main block to the success of the international side whoever was in the manager's job.

* - Capital intended, but the small c version also applies.

 

[zefarelly]

I'm convinced we'd have done a lot better in '98 if Tel V was in charge. He never got a full chance

Redknapp is a good call.

It'll be interesting to see how Gpot and Smugteds careers go in the next 3-4 years . . .

I've always been of the opnion national managers should be nationals

 

[Frankworthington]

Barry Lloyd

I claim my prize!

 

[Mackenzie]

Barry Lloyd

 

[5Ways Gull]

I do think club management and international management are very different. The better the manager is at club level the less effective at international level and vice versa. Hence not Clough for me. But I might be wrong!!

 

[KZNSeagull]

Salde. Sorry, SALDE

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think the main problem an international manager has is there's little time to instill a method of playing.

This is often said, so how do consistently good nations do it? Genuine question.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Although he was England manager, I feel Glenn Hoddle was the England manager we didn't have for long enough. Thought that team would have gone another step had he stayed for another couple of tournaments.

Hoddle is an average club manager as he used to rub the players up the wrong way and was better than the players he managed even when retired

He was much better suited to the international game with better players, he’s actually very good tactically.

 

[Horses Arse]

With the potential departure of another one, a good old fashioned football debate for us oldies


Cloughie is the obvious candidate, but in his excellent Biography of the England Football Team Paul Hayward states it would have been a recipe for disaster, with the way the FA was back in the 1970s, and probably would have similar to his public fall out with Sam Longson and eventual departure from Derby County.

My choice is a bit left field and might be a bit unpopular on here because of the Palace links, the England manager/coach role is unique, you choose your squad, there’s no transfer or wage issues with players, and latterly agents, it’s about a bag of balls, some bibs and cones and basic coaching.

Therefore my choice as ‘the one that got away’ is Malcolm Allison, lauded by many as one of greatest coaches this country has ever produced, El Tel and others have said his coaching techniques were light years ahead of anything else at the time.

No transfers, no contracts, just the best players on the training pitch.

John Smith






Sorry, wrong thread

 

[Is it PotG?]

Mike Bassett

 

[Rambo]

Bob Paisley

 

[nwgull]

Want you want here (imho) is a motivator first and foremost with a keen tactical edge when required, and with a ruthless streak - to win (at times) ugly and be ugly when required. Someone too, who is brave enough to play nearly every game with a cup final mentality... Keegan was in this mould, yet it didn’t really happen - why? Most likely he lacked tactical sharpness, but the result in Germany was the definition of motivation and passion.

So the one that got away ?

Neil Warnock. Ugly, ruthless, passionate.

I can’t help thinking we’d have beaten Italy with the wily old Warlock in charge. But then again, I’m rarely right about anything.

Hasn’t Colin either been relegated or sacked before he was relegated in every season he’s been a 1st Division or Premier League manager? Suggest that wily, ugly and ruthless only works up to a certain level.

 

[Mark61]

Jack Charlton

 

[Perkino]

I'd never wanted him at Brighton but Sam Allardyce had an ability to join a club and throw all ideas out the window to instill a disciplined format where keeping a clean sheet was their first objective. Once achieved his sides had inevitably had a couple of chances themselves and often pinched a win in his first game. In essence, if you don't concede than you cannot lose. Tournament football where there is little chance to develop quality and cohesion may have really suited him. The best international sides have an ethos that is deep rooted, we know exactly what Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands will each offer individually and although some have poor years they will all return to a natural (predictable) style under a new manager

 

[Brovion]

The argument that Clough's appointment would have ended in tears because the FA leadership were self serving and terrible at their job doesn't alter the fact that he was the best coach / manager who wasn't appointed. The same shower failed to even respond to Jack Charlton's application letter. The FA's Conservatism*, lack of vision and muddled priorities has always been the main block to the success of the international side whoever was in the manager's job.

* - Capital intended, but the small c version also applies.

I'm not saying Clough's appointment would have ended in tears because the FA leadership were self serving and terrible at their job, I'm saying it would have ended in tears because Clough would have found that he was totally unsuited to being an international manager. At the time though I admit I wanted him.

But good call on Jack Charlton, I'd overlooked him. I think definitely he's the biggest miss.

 

[The Fits]

I don't think good club manager equals good international manager. Southgate has done so well because he's managed the media so we'll and that seems to be the biggest hurdle here.

 

[Braggfan]

Alex Ferguson