The FA has had no contact with Jurgen Klopp, Graham Potter, Eddie Howe or Thomas Tuchel in its search for a new England manager, increasing the chances of interim head coach Lee Carsley being appointed full-time, Sky Sports News can reveal.
Klopp, Potter, Howe and Tuchel were widely thought to be at the forefront of the FA shortlist to succeed Gareth Southgate, but it has now emerged there has been no approach from the governing body to speak to any of them, despite three of them being out of work.
Howe is the only one of the four currently in a job, but it is understood there has also been no attempt from the FA to contact Newcastle about his possible availability.
The news will further boost the likelihood of Carsley getting the England job long-term, after he was told he would take charge initially for the autumn internationals.
When Southgate resigned on July 16, the FA said in a statement: “The process for appointing Gareth’s successor is now under way and we aim to have our new manager confirmed as soon as possible. Our UEFA Nations League campaign starts in September and we have an interim solution in place if it is needed.”
That “interim solution” is former U21s manager Carsley, who impressed the FA hierarchy in his first two internationals in charge, as England beat Republic of Ireland and Finland, both 2-0, in September.
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Sky Sports senior reporter Rob Dorsett reflects on Carsley’s debut game as England interim manager after a 2-0 victory against Ireland in the Nations League
But it was the way Carsley coped with a media storm over his refusal to sing the national anthem which has further enhanced his chances of landing the top job. While two national newspapers called for him to be sacked before he had taken charge of his first game, the former Ireland international remained calm and measured in his response, explaining he had never sung the Irish national anthem when a player, either.
The fact that Klopp, Potter, Howe and Tuchel are not in the FA’s thoughts will come as a huge surprise to many, given the fact that the highest-profile coaching job in English football is at stake.
At the moment, there is nothing at all in terms of jobs. No club, no country. England? That would be the biggest loss of face in the history of football if I said I’ll make an exception for you.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott have been leading the process to assess possible candidates, but question marks will now be asked about how comprehensive that process is, if four of the biggest names in European management are not under consideration.
It is not clear which, if any, candidates outside the FA have been spoken to as part of the due diligence surrounding the appointment, or which coaches may have applied for the job before the August 2 deadline.
In the advert for the job, posted on the FA website, it said: “We are currently overseeing a highly targeted process to appoint the next head coach of the England men’s senior team.”
The post went on to say the successful candidate would require “significant experience of English football, with a strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions”.
Sky Sports News has approached the FA for comment, but it has declined to do so, reiterating its determination to maintain complete confidentiality around the recruitment process.
The impossible job? Carsley: I’m up for England role
The chances of Carsley getting the England job long term are increasing
Carsley, who takes charge of England’s games against Greece and Finland this month, insisted after the wins against Republic of Ireland and Finland last month he was “up for” the England manager’s position and said as far as he is concerned, the role is no longer the “impossible job”.
“I am up for it. I think I am up for it,” he said. “I think I’m very grounded. The most important thing about this job is the football for me, making sure we create a good environment for the players to perform in.
“It’s been a good week. I think like all these things, when you have such a build-up to it, you play it out in your mind on how it’s going to go.
“It definitely couldn’t have gone any better in terms of the way the players responded to some of the concepts that we tried to put in place, the way that the new players have gelled with the older ones. It’s been an all-round positive camp.”
The term “the impossible job” was coined in the 1980s and ’90s, when the tabloid press hounded the likes of Terry Venables, Graham Taylor and Bobby Robson in the role of England manager.
“I’ve not heard that one,” said Carsley. “I think it’s a really good job. It’s a job where you look at different opportunities and ask, ‘Can you be in a position to win?’ This job definitely ticks that box. We’ve got the players to be not only competitive but win a major trophy.”
England’s Nations league fixtures in full
Thursday October 10: England vs Greece – kick-off 7.45pm
Sunday October 13: Finland vs England – kick-off 5pm
Thursday November 14: Greece vs England – kick-off 7.45pm
Sunday November 17: England vs Republic of Ireland – kick-off 5pm