England's 2-1 defeat to Greece has led to a new favourite for the permanent job to be installed by some bookmakers, with Lee Carsley's chances of taking over from Gareth Southgate on more than an interim basis taking a hit.
Speculation about who the FA might ultimately plump for has rumbled on since Southgate announced in July that he would step down having just taken England to a second straight Euros final.
The FA are taking their time over their appointment, but with no obvious outstanding candidate yet to come into frame in any serious fashion, here's the current rankings according to bet365.
The next England manager odds: 4=. Eddie Howe (8/1)
Howe has come to the Premier League the hard way, and had an excellent first season at Newcastle United after leading Bournemouth to relegation after an extended stay in the top flight with plenty of highlights.
Newcastle have started the season reasonably well, putting right a lot of the defensive issues that hurt them so much last season - but seemingly at the cost of their attacking output.
In FourFourTwo’s view, the clamour for Howe to get the job is more reflected of the paucity of outstanding English candidates than anything else.
4=. Graham Potter (8/1) (7/1)
Graham Potter was linked with several clubs in Europe during the summer and insisted he was “ready” to get back into the game after his dismissal from Chelsea in April 2023. Potter is that rarest of things: an English manager who has actually won plaudits for his tactical mind.
Things didn't work out for Potter at Chelsea, of course, which is a bit of a black mark on his CV; then again, things at Stamford Bridge didn't exactly immediately improve following his departure, either. Potter's achievements at Brighton and, to a lesser extent, Swansea are the big positives; there's a reason Chelsea wanted him in the first place.
In FourFourTwo’s view, Potter is the outstanding candidate if the FA are dead set on getting an Englishman into the chair - and far more likely than some of the rather fantastical alternative names that have been put forward. Names like...
3. Pep Guardiola (4/1)
We mean, come on. They have to ask the question, of course, but is there actually a chance in hell?
Guardiola's credentials speak for themselves. He's the best manager in the world, has won everything, and has changed the way the game is played the world over.
But could he actually be tempted to take the job - and could the FA realistically tempt him to come and work for them, given the Premier League are currently pursuing Manchester City on 115 charges of breaking their rules? For FourFourTwo, Guardiola for England will remain a fanciful until we are given a reason to believe otherwise.
2. Lee Carsley (7/4)
The prior favourite effectively by default, Carsley has been in caretaker charge since Southgate’s departure, stepping up from his role as under-21s boss.
Carsley initially impressed in the job with comfortable victories over Ireland and Finland, but an awful showing against Greece that featured a major tactical and selection backfire has already led many to have second thoughts. Such is the kneejerk nature of international football. (They really were dreadful though.)
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Carsley remains the most sensible option for the FA, who may actually admire the fact he was willing to have a gamble and try something different…as long as he is also able to see that it was a misstep and adjust accordingly.
1. Thomas Tuchel (6/4)
Often hailed for being on the cutting edge of football coaching, Tuchel is available after Bayern Munich announced in February that he would depart prematurely at the end of a disappointing domestic season – though they went on to reach the Champions League semi-finals before being eliminated by Real Madrid.
Tuchel is newly-installed as the favourite after months of speculation about Jurgen Klopp, whose new job at Red Bull seems to take him off the table (as if he was ever on it in the first place). The bookies have now switched their attention to the other big-name jobless German instead.
For FourFourTwo, Tuchel would be an extremely intriguing option, especially in light of his impressive cup record, which includes the 2021 Champions league with Chelsea. But having complained about being unable to work without his desired signings at Bayern, you wonder whether international football is necessarily right for him at this point.
