The England media, it seems, are in love with the idea of Arsene Wenger taking over as England national team coach for disgraced Sam Allardyce.
After the Gunners’ 2-0 winover FC Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday, Wenger was asked if he was flattered to be linked to the job that won’t become available until Gareth Southgate wraps up his stint as interimcoach after the October and November World Cup 2018 qualifiers.
“Of course,” he said. “But my priority has always been this club. Until the end of this season, I’m here.”
Does the 66-year-old Frenchman know the British anthem? Of course, he said, adding: “The English game is always full of surprises.”
Those responses prompted the Daily Mail to
The BBC’s Phil McNulty made the case for Wenger as England coach, suggesting Wenger’s”credentials easily outstrip those of the other candidates being touted as Allardyce’s replacement.” That may certainly be true as the favorites — Alan Pardew, Steve Bruce, EddieHowe — hardly inspire confidence about the state of English soccer.
McNulty argues Wenger, an avid student of the global game, is perfect for the job, having qualified Arsenal to theChampions League for 19 consecutive seasons. (It should be added that the Gunners have never won the title.)
The lamest argument is that Wenger is clean and won’t embarrass the FA likeAllardyce did, getting caught in a sting operation by the Daily Telegraph. “He has no skeletonswaiting to fall out of the cupboard,” writes McNulty.
If that’s the qualification, being smarter than Big Sam, we can go around the room and by a show of hands we’ll all acknowledge we’requalified for the England job.
The question isn’t, is Arsene a good fit for England? It should be, why would he want the job?
A surprise would be Wenger leaving Arsenal,where he has managed for the last 20 years, after his current contract expires at the end of the season.
The Gunners are 4-1-1 in the EPL after their 3-0 win over Chelsea and have fourpoints in their first two games in the Champions League. The sort of good start, you might say, that has set up Gunner fans for disappointment before but also will convince Arsenal management to keepWenger.
Well-observed. The most qualified candidates will run from this. Very high visibility, high stress, less wages than would be made at the club level. What England needs is a motivator, not some manager who has done a serviceable job avoiding relegation. Watch that Iceland match again, so see how the pressure gets to England’s best players. Beckham, Neville–one of those would do.