England are looking for a new manager after Roy Hodgson resigned immediately following last night’s embarrassing Euro 2016 elimination at the hands of Iceland.
Here, CaughtOffside identifies five contenders who should be in the frame to replace Hodgson as the Three Lions aim to bounce back from this shocking new low.
SEE MORE: Roy Hodgson resigns: England manager steps down following shock loss to Iceland
Gary Neville
If England are considering promoting from within, they should be looking at Gary Neville rather than Under-21 manager Gareth Southgate, who may have more managerial experience, but does not have the personality to lead this group of talented young players back from such major disappointment.
Neville has already left the England setup alongside Hodgson. There is a chance that he could be tainted by this campaign, and his tough introduction to management at Valencia, but the Manchester United legend has plenty of credit in the bank and is popular among fans because of his punditry work.
Sean Dyche
‘The Ginger Mourinho’ is very highly thought of following his sterling work on a budget with Burnley, whom he has led to two promotions from the Premier League in the last three seasons.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Hodgson reign is that England did not have a method of playing. Dyche would make that his first priority. His Burnley side know exactly what they are doing from first whistle to last. It may be a big step up for the 45-year-old, but he is worthy of serious recognition.
Eddie Howe
Alongside Dyche, 38-year-old Howe is probably the brightest young English manager in the game, having taken Bournemouth from third-tier minnows to Premier League giant-killers in four years.
And the additional attraction with Howe is the entertaining style of football that he plays. Even if England’s results at major tournaments did not improve drastically, the fans would be more patient if their was an effort to play adventurous football, which could be suited to the current crop of players.
Manuel Pellegrini
While Dyche and Howe are our most promising young domestic managers, there would be an argument that it is too soon for either of them, and that England need a more experienced boss for this crisis.
That is why they may have to look beyond our own shores to find a short-term solution, and Pellegrini is a highly-qualified candidate who is out of work after leaving Manchester City. It did not work with Sven-Goran Eriksson or Fabio Capello, but the popular Chilean already knows the Premier League.
Laurent Blanc
Many English fans would be upset with the appointment of a foreigner as national team boss, but Frenchman Blanc, who left Paris Saint-Germain this week after three years, certainly ticks a lot of boxes.
He is a serial winner, lifting the World Cup and European Championship with France. He has experience of international management and major tournaments, and will command the respect of the players. But could his Champions League record at PSG deter the bigwigs at the Football Association?
SEE ALSO:
(Images) Top tweets and memes from England’s 2-1 loss to Iceland
England legend Gary Lineker calls Iceland loss ‘worst defeat in our history’
Alan Shearer rips Hodgson after Iceland loss, suggests he was ‘making it up as he was going along’