some can wait.
The search for a new England boss doesn’t have to be rushed as it was last time, we are repenting at leisure now. There’s nothing to rush for until the World Cup qualifiers next September but certain things have to be put in place now. It will give certain candidates the time to see out league or Euro campaigns.
The mothballed Football Centre at Burton should be resurrected immediately, after all Barwick bleated on about how great a year the F.A. have just had, well spend the cash where it’s needed not on sending lame duck managers on jollies to Hollywood, or the large number that no doubt will be heading out to South Africa for the World Cup draw.
That centre should also be the base for the England manager, where he can be involved with some day to day football activities, what better for the kids there than to be watched over and coached by the England manager – as long as he’s a decent one mind.
Those players in the full England squad who are eligible should also be made available for Stuart Pearce’s U21 side the likes of Micah Richards, Aaron Lennon, unfortunately Rooney is just too old for this campaign but it would have been good for him as well.
It shouldn’t be seen as a demotion or a step back as it is viewed in England to turn out for the U21s after you’ve been in the senior side. It isn’t seen that way in the likes of Brazil, Argentina, Holland, France etc where the youth competitions are viewed with importance, whereas here we get the likes of Bentley refusing to turn out in a major tournament because he wants to save himself for the full England side.
It’s something many of them need, international exposure and finding out what it’s like to be playing in a qualifying campaign and then, hopefully with the good start Pearce’s team have had, an actual tournament.
Playing in knockout phases, maybe having to go through on penalties, you’d be far more confident in a penalty shootout with some of those that lost 13-12 to Holland last June in the European Under-21 Championship semi-final than most of those that have failed in such shoot outs in the senior side.
All simple things that would be easy to implement but no doubt would have to go through numerous F.A. committee meetings wasting more time and money.
The only other major thing that has to be done is to stop this disturbing move to have Alan Shearer installed as the next England manager. I can understand Alan Hansen wanting it, after all he’s a Jock and he’d probably prefer it if he didn’t have to sit next to the dullard week in week out on MotD. I don’t know what’s worse the fact that he has support in the corridors of the F.A. or in the England dressing room.