Next England Manager: 10 Best Candidates To Replace Sam Allardyce
1. Eddie Howe
English? Check.
Young? Check.
Attack-minded? Check.
A successful underdog? Check.
Eddie Howe fits the bill in almost every category, with only experience working against him. Aged 38, Howe has only been a manager for eight years, with only one of those coming in the Premier League. Still, his underpowered Bournemouth squad survived against the odds last season, and he’s well-established as English football’s hottest managerial prospect.
He’s an early favourite, and rightly so. Howe’s managerial career is still in its infancy, and if he continues along his current development curve, he’ll either elevate Bournemouth to a new level, or he’ll be working for a bigger club before long. He’d be the youngest England manager in history, but there are few credible arguments against his candidacy.
Though he’s clearly happy on the south coast, the right deal would almost certainly lure him away from Bournemouth. The club struggled early in their first Premier League campaign, but Howe stayed true to the players and system that had got him there in the first place, and they played they way out of trouble. Such a strong will puts him in great stead for England’s high-pressure hot-seat, and his football is a joy to behold at times.
Inexperience bedamned. If the FA truly want to make the most of their next appointment, they should be banging Eddie Howe’s door down.