‘Frontrunner’ to replace Southgate as England boss named as two ex-Chelsea bosses ‘open’ to job

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is the current ‘frontrunner’ to replace England boss Gareth Southgate, according to reports.

The Three Lions faced a lot of criticism as they reached the Euro 2024 final with their performances far from convincing on the road to Berlin.

Southgate was criticised for his tactics and team selection but his defensive approach managed to get England to the final before they lost 2-1 to Spain on Sunday .

But there is now a widespread feeling that it’s probably time for change with many ready to see Southgate move aside for a more attack-minded manager, although he still has his backers.

And now The Guardian claims that Newcastle’s Howe is the ‘early frontrunner’ but they name another six possibilities, including former Chelsea bosses Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

The Guardian writes :

‘It is understood there will not be a shortage of interest should a vacancy arise. Howe, who has impressed at Newcastle since joining them three years ago, is an early frontrunner and Potter and Tuchel would be open to taking over.

‘Other candidates are likely to include the former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, Lee Carsley, the England Under-21 manager, and the former England internationals Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. Any hiring process will be overseen by the FA’s technical director, John McDermott, and the chief executive, Mark Bullingham.

‘A potential complication in any pursuit of Howe, who took ­Newcastle into last season’s Champions League, would be whether the FA can afford him. Southgate is thought to be paid about £5m a year, which is at the lower end of Premier League mana­ger salaries. The FA would need to convince Howe to walk away from Newcastle, where the former Bournemouth manager has enjoyed support from the board and fanbase.’

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Sir Geoff Hurst is one former player who is still backing Southgate to stay on for the next tournament and thinks he’s done a great job.

“My own view is that the FA will want him to carry on,” Hurst told the PA news agency.

“Why not, after what he’s achieved?

“But it’s a stressful job, being a manager. Look at Jurgen Klopp, managed a fantastic Premier League side, but he looked tired after all that happens at the top level. He decided enough was enough.

“The national team job can take an awful lot out of you as a person. I think if he (Southgate) feels up to it physically, then I would be 100 per cent backing him to carry on.

“Why would you want to remove somebody who’s got to two finals of a championship?”