England
Euro 96 Generation England’s Best Hope
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Matt Oldfield
It is not a good time for English managers. England’s national team is coached by an Italian and the Premier League’s top four domestic sides are managed by a Scot, a Spaniard, an Italian and a Frenchman. Of the Premier League teams relegated, all three were bossed by young English managers. The reputations of Alan Curbishley and Sam Allardyce have declined. Last season’s most successful English manager was Roy Hodgson, a 61 year-old who has spent most of his career abroad. No wonder there are big worries over where the next great English boss will come from.
Most have pinned their hopes on the Euro 96 generation – Alan Shearer, David Platt, Tony Adams, Gareth Southgate, Jamie Redknapp, Paul Ince, Stuart Pearce – but so far no-one has lived up to the expectations, with many suffering under the heavy pressure. Why have none of the Euro 96 crowd stood out and staked a claim to eventually boss a big domestic club side, or even the national team?
Of Terry Venables’ 1996 England squad, eight players have entered management so far, with others such as Gary Neville likely to do so soon. Of those eight, Stuart Pearce has arguably been the most successful. Pearce took over at Manchester City in 2005, less than three years after ending his playing career. After a very promising start, Pearce’s City side flirted with relegation and the former West Ham player was sacked after just two seasons. However, Pearce has had more success as manager of the England Under-21 side, leading them to the semi-finals of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championships as well as to the final of this year’s competition. Although they disappointed against Germany, Pearce will have undoubtedly learned much from the experience.
The former Man City boss is also a coach with the senior England squad, a position which reflects a belief that he could be a future England manager. ‘Psycho’ certainly has a promising managerial career ahead of him but he is rightly taking his time, gaining valuable experience and learning his trade.
After Pearce, Paul Ince would perhaps be considered the next best young English manager following his success at Macclesfield Town and Milton Keynes. A big move to Blackburn last season turned out to be too much too soon, but the former Manchester United, Liverpool and Inter Milan player will certainly come back, hopefully with a decent spell at a Championship side. If things go well, ‘The Guv’nor’ will be ready to return to the Premier League in a few years where his additional experience should lead to success.
Alan Shearer and Gareth Southgate are two other promising young managers from the Euro 96 squad. Both saw their sides relegated this season, but both will learn from the experience and both have big futures ahead of them. Southgate’s task was difficult with a bad Middlesbrough squad but his transfer dealings were poor and cost the club dearly. However, the former centre-back is an intelligent and likeable character who just needs time to hone his managerial skills.
Shearer likewise lacks experience and had very little to work with last season. The Euro 96 Golden Boot winner only took over at Newcastle for their last eight games but the experience will certainly serve him well for his future managerial career. He is expected to take over on a permanent basis next season, as Newcastle try to bounce straight back up to the Premier League, and the learning curve will be steep but highly beneficial.
Pearce, Ince, Southgate and Shearer are the four leaders of the Euro 96 generation but others have tried and failed in management. David Platt and Paul Gascoigne are two former players who seem unlikely to return to management after unsuccessful spells. Platt followed an ill-fated spell at Sampdoria in 1998 with two years at Nottingham Forest where he achieved little and took the club into debt with a series of poor transfer dealings. His spell as England Under-21 manager was more successful but he quit after failing to qualify for the 2004 European Championships. He is now a commentator and columnist and seems happier in this role.
Paul Gascoigne took over as manager of Kettering Town in 2005 but only lasted 39 days, supposedly due to alcohol-related problems. Since then, ‘Gazza’ has battled with mental illness and alcoholism and seems unlikely to return to football in any capacity.
So what are the reasons for the dearth of top-quality young English managers in recent years? Well, an important issue undoubtedly is time and pressure. Most of the managers mentioned are under 40 years old and even Stuart Pearce is only 47. High-profile players are simply thrown into high-profile managerial roles when they are not ready. If they succeed, they are immediate heroes, but if they fail the disappointment can leave a lasting impression. It takes time to gain the necessary experience to successfully manage a top division side and the likes of Southgate, Shearer and Ince are still a few years away.
Managers must follow Ince’s example and work their way up through the domestic leagues, gaining experience and knowledge slowly. With the pressures of billionaire owners and expectant fans, it is now almost impossible to develop from scratch as a manager in English top flight football; you must arrive as a nearly complete package. Therefore, young English managers should be encouraged to progress upwards, rather than simply starting at the top. Championship football will undoubtedly benefit the managerial careers of Southgate and Shearer, as would managing abroad as Hodgson did and Steve McClaren is now doing. An awareness of different styles of football can only help young English managers looking to manage teams in European competition.
The rise of media work is also a major factor in the lack of young English managers. The allure of punditry has led the likes of Jamie Redknapp, Steve McManaman, Graeme Le Saux, David Seaman, Les Ferdinand and Teddy Sheringham to reject the tough coaching world for the time being. Redknapp in particular seems destined for an eventual role somewhere – perhaps in his father’s Tottenham set-up – but for now he is content with Sky Sports’ lucrative deal. It will be interesting to see if Sol Campbell, David James and the Neville brothers choose management or punditry when they retire in the next few years.
Despite mixed starts to their careers, Pearce, Ince, Shearer and Southgate all appear destined to be top class managers for years to come. It is simply a question of time, persistence, experience, and a patient, supportive chairman.
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