FA chief, Martin Glenn, claims that England doesn’t need an English manager amid claims that Arsene Wenger could take over at the end of the season.
When I first heard that Wenger could become England boss after Sam Allardyce’s clumsy fall from grace, I snorted. Even though his contract does run out at the end of this season; even though he’s been linked before Allardyce was handed the job… I just didn’t think it could be possible.
Now, his coyness combined with these latest comments from Martin Glenn have left me a little uneasy and now, I wouldn’t bet against it.
Speaking recently, Glenn admitted that although it’s preferable to have an English manager in charge of England, people shouldn’t become too hung up on it because they could see perfectly good candidates drift by.
He mentioned Wenger, as well as ‘others’, as a perfect for the position.
“He’d fit the criteria perfectly,” the FA chief said.
“Of course he would, as would a few others.”
He added, “I don’t think you have to be wedded to the fact he has to be English, I think that narrows the field too much and we want the best person for the job.
“Being English is a benefit — a bonus. But if we are saying he absolutely has to be English, then we narrow the field too much.
“If you look at the track record of success in international managers, they are usually older. They have had experience in the game and the average age of a successful manager is probably in their 60s. It’s a fact — but it doesn’t have to be an overriding one.”
I never thought this was a topic we’d be seriously discussing, yet here we are.