With Lee Carsley’s interim spell as England manager apparently at an end, where do they go now? A shocking performance against Greece was barely masked by a win in Finland during the Nations League games.
Is Pep Guardiola a Real Contender?

Many in the game have had their say on the England manager debacle of late. Roy Keane, for example, has said publicly that England should go now for Pep Guardiola but is he a live contender?
True, he has the top club job already, but with Man City he has won four Premier Leagues in a row. He’s 50/50 at worst to win another this year. Does he need to achieve more at club level?
Certainly, Guardiola is used to big-time players and managing egos which will be a pre-requisite for an incoming England boss. It was notable in fact that with only one more game to go, Lee Carsley said of the defeat to Greece that he wanted to go back to the under-21’s.
The papers have been speculating this week too about managerial merry-go-rounds. Both Man United and Tottenham are quoted with an interest in Newcastle’s Eddie Howe. That looks a complete non-starter, but it also has implications for England.
Howe was England’s top choice and the club essentially confirmed that they had been approached. They were not willing to let Howe go, and he made no noise about wanting the job. In essence, anyone else, especially from within England, would be second choice at best.
The two names all over social media, and some of the papers this week, are indeed Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel. There’s little doubt which one has achieved more at club level, but now it seems Tuchel is a very live contender according to the latest odds.
What Do the Odds Tell Us?
Current prices are a little false given that Howe is still listed, albeit drifting to bigger odds now, while Carsley remains second favourite. A look at them shows the lack of appealing options for the FA.
Thomas Tuchel – 8/15
Now odds-on, Tuchel is leading the way according to the bookies. He is clearly well thought of in the game but his achievements on the pitch so far don’t scream world class.
Lee Carsley – 4/1
The interim boss has said publicly that he doesn’t want the job and isn’t ready for it. Certainly, performances under him in the Nations League would back up that a permanent appointment for him wouldn’t be the wisest move.
Pep Guardiola – 5/1
Easily the best choice in terms of club achievements, Pep’s price would seem to indicate an unlikely appointment at this time. Had he offered any encouragement, another interim boss may be needed until the summer.
Graham Potter – 15/2
Another former favourite, Potter’s ill-fated time at Chelsea seems to have put paid to him being the England manager, at least for now.
Eddie Howe – 9/1
The previous favourite, his club and their supporters know that this was never really likely. Howe and close ally Jason Tindall are essentially ‘mid-project’ at Newcastle with exciting times to come. Since Howe took the Newcastle job, they are fifth overall in England on points and closing on fourth place. There is more to come.
Other Candidates – 25/1 bar
After that bunch, the others are all big outsiders. They include Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, Frank Lampard, Carlo Ancelotti and Steve Holland.
The choices don’t appear to be very appealing at all during a time when the country has an abundance of individual talent ready to be moulded into a successful team.