• European Championship

Who's next for England?

ESPNsoccernet staff
February 9, 2012
Harry Redknapp is the man in the frame to replace Fabio Capello © PA Photos
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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is the outstanding favourite to replace Fabio Capello as England coach but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is yet to comment on the future of his manager, who still has 15 months to run on his contract at White Hart Lane.

Redknapp was tipped to replace Capello after Euro 2012 but the Italian opted to quit his post as England manager on Wednesday following a disagreement with the FA regarding the decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy for a second time.

With just four months left before the start of European Championship the FA must move quickly to appoint a new manager, but the governing body is likely to install a caretaker boss for the upcoming friendly with the Netherlands at Wembley on February 29.

That would allow Redknapp, who was cleared of tax evasion charges this week that cleared the way for the Englishman to take charge of the national team, to see out the season with Tottenham before taking over as England boss.

The Contenders

  • Harry Redknapp (2/5)
    Ticks all the boxes; English, managed in the Champions League, won trophies, plays attractive football and has done so with Tottenham thanks to a core of English players, including captaincy candidate Scott Parker. Has to be the overwhelming favourite.

    Roy Hodgson (14/1)
    Was strongly fancied to replace Capello following the 2010 World Cup. However, before the FA made their decision, Hodgson plumped for an ill-fated spell with Liverpool. Now at West Brom, Hodgson has vast managerial experience and would be viewed as a safe pair of hands.

    Alan Pardew (20/1)
    After difficult spells at Charlton and Southampton, Pardew has re-established his reputation at Newcastle. Overcome a lot of scepticism to re-establish the Magpies as a top-flight force and not yet out of contention for a Champions League place after an outstanding campaign.

    Stuart Pearce (11/2)
    Long-time coach of the England Under-21 side and confirmed as boss of the Olympic team later this year. Pearce's fierce reputation as a player took a knock when he failed to curb the excesses of Joey Barton at Manchester City. Lacks experience of the club scene but many other countries prefer to appoint from within.

    Jose Mourinho (10/1)
    Impeccable CV and perfect grasp of English. One man who would have no problem controlling the dressing-room egos. Tipped to leave Real Madrid in the summer, his fiery temperament might be a big problem for the FA, in addition to his salary demands, which are sure to be high.

    Arsene Wenger (25/1)
    Hugely respected in England and his knowledge of the domestic game clearly an advantage. In the middle of a vast rebuilding exercise at Arsenal, where some fans have turned against him, so not impossible to believe he could be prised away. Never shown any liking for the international game though.

However, Spurs chairman Levy must be willing to release the man who led his side to the Champions League for the first time in their history in 2010, and is well placed to do so once more this season.

The Tottenham chief is yet to speak about the situation but former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson believes 65-year-old Redknapp should be the next head coach of the national team.

"I think Redknapp will be a very, very good choice. He's English; he knows his football," Eriksson told BBC Sport.

"[Redknapp] is doing a great job with Tottenham and has done a great job with every team he's had in the past."

The Swede managed the England national team between 2001 and 2006, and says the current Tottenham boss has the necessary CV for the role.

"You need to be an experienced manager used to dealing with the big names and some knowledge about international football would help. I think Harry has all these things."

However, other candidates have already emerged, with Guus Hiddink having reportedly expressed an interest in the position - perhaps in a similar 'caretaker' role to the one he took at Chelsea in 2009, where he took the club to FA Cup glory during a temporary spell in charge. Rafael Benitez is also said to be keen on the job.

The new manager will have to address the issue of whether Terry should be part of the England squad given the racism allegations against him.

After that, the new manager will have just two friendlies - assuming a caretaker boss takes charge against the Dutch - to work with ahead of the European Championship, against Norway on May 26 and Belgium on June 2. The first competitive match will be against France, in Donetsk, on June 11.

The FA has scheduled a press conference at 12 noon on Thursday to explain Capello's departure.

Click here to bet on the next England manager at bet365

Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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