Next England Manager: 10 Best Candidates To Replace Sam Allardyce

10. Alan Pardew

Alan Pardew as England manager is a hard sell. He broke countless negative records during his near-catastrophic tenureship at Newcastle United, and while Pardew’s backers still point towards his 5th-place Premier League finish in 2011-12, the years that followed were nothing short of grim. Pardew’s move to Crystal Palace was met with widespread jubilation, and it’s worked well for both parties.

For all his flaws, Pardew retains a great deal of media support. Even when his Palace side have struggled for results, Pardew has rarely faced any kind of backlash from the press, and his teflon-like ability to deflect all blame would serve him well in football’s most scrutinised managerial position. He was among the favourites last time around, and he’s among the favourites again. Like it or not, Alan Pardew is well and truly in the running.

Though he seems comfortable in his role at Selhurst Park, Pardew has expressed his desire to one day work within the national set-up, claiming he has “strong opinions” on the English team. Perhaps he’d benefit from a national job, which he’ll find a lot less hands-on, particularly when dealing with the minutiae of organising a football team.