England manager: Arsene Wenger & Mauricio Pochettino open to role
Last updated on .From the section Football
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Tottenham counterpart Mauricio Pochettino say they are open to managing England in the future.
The Football Association is searching for a new England boss following Sam Allardyce's departure after 67 days.
Asked about taking the job, Wenger, 66, said: "One day, if I'm free, why not?" Pochettino, 44, said: "Yes, why not? In the future."
Both said they are committed to their current clubs.
Allardyce, who replaced Roy Hodgson following England's disappointing Euro 2016, left by mutual agreement on Tuesday after the Daily Telegraph claimed he offered advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers.
Allardyce won his only game in charge, a 1-0 victory over Slovakia in their opening 2018 World Cup qualifier in September.
England Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate will take charge of the senior team for the next four matches, including three World Cup qualifiers, starting with Malta at Wembley (8 October), Slovenia away (11 October), Scotland at home (11 November) and Spain in a friendly (15 November).
Southgate could be an option for the permanent role depending on his success, while Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew and ex-Hull City manager Steve Bruce have also been mentioned as candidates.
Frenchman Wenger is the longest-serving - and most successful - overseas manager in England, having won 15 trophies during his 20-year tenure at Arsenal, including three Premier League titles and six FA Cups.
Arsenal, who are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions this season, play Burnley on Sunday at 16:30 BST aiming for a fifth consecutive Premier League victory.
Pochettino has earned a reputation as one of the brightest managerial talents in English football.
The 44-year-old Argentine led Southampton to eighth spot in the Premier League in 2012-13 before moving to Spurs in 2014.
Last season, he took Tottenham back into the Champions League with automatic qualification from a third-placed league finish.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche, 44, ruled himself out of contention for the England job because of a lack of experience.
"If you want to build a chance of being good at that kind of level, you need more years and layers of experience," he said.
"In the future, who knows? Maybe. But at the moment I think there are people better placed than me."
Analysis - 'Wenger the perfect manager for England'
BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty
The Arsenal manager's credentials easily outstrip those of the other candidates being touted as Allardyce's replacement.
At 66, Wenger might even share Allardyce's view when he was appointed that his age and experience make him the perfect fit for international management.
Wenger is the perfect next England manager with the ideal credentials and track record if the FA can formulate a plan to somehow attract him to what many now call an impossible job.
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they need a coach.
managers are so used to buying the players they need when one doesn't perform at a club level. you can't do that in international football!
so we need the best coach available to work with the players.
one who isn't afraid to drop "big" names and one who will find a TEAM balance rather the the best INDIVIDUALS at their position
Oh and as for the whole "the manager must be English" thing, well look where that got us.
However, if they insist, as long as Rooney never plays for England, then I'm good with that.
I suggest Barry Scott!
There is too much interference from the FA and too little enthusiasm from the players
Until there is fundamental change at the FA and success for the team becomes a priority over 'famous' players and advertising revenues, no-one will succeed in the manager's job
Please consider me for position of (temporary) England football manager.
I have not won anything, I can talk drivel and jargon, I look good in a blazer or a sponsored tracksuit.
I am better at penalties than GS, tactics than KK, not quite as strange as GH or as useless as RH.
I would prefer my payoff in unmarked notes in an holdall emblazoned with swag on it.
Thanks
Let the fans decide on the next manager by public vote
Radical Idea:
Let the fans decide on the next manager by
Lets the fans choose the squad
Let the fans decide the formations and player positions
Extreme Idea:
Let the fans have input to the team talk
Let the fans choose substitutions
Crazy Idea:
Let the FA continue to pick managers
"England dont need a manager - they need a coach."
I totally agree.
Why is the FA obsessed with recruiting a club manager when the role is so different?
The England manager does not have day today access to the same team. He sees them once in a while and has to gel a mixed bunch of players from different clubs.
The FA needs to find someone who best fits that need
There it is folks. Soak it up. The peak of Glen's one man Tottenham supporting band's resoundingly logical argument why Arsenal are inferior inside his infinitesimally sociable bubble
He would have players of limited talent who are, at best, ambivalent towards the England team and a media that actively undermines the team in order to sell newspapers.
Why would he need all that?
I'd rather just play it with my mates and have a laugh than sit in the pub listening to deluded fans of rival clubs get taken for a ride every week.
We just don't seem to have enough young home-grown talent in the game and we really should have.
Having slagged off Wenger for 5 years McNulty looks for other ways to make Liverpool a top 4 team.
Mancini - Won in England with English players in his team. Wants things his own way, FA says no.
Pochettino - Great young coach but don't think he's won anything yet.
Wenger - Good experience of the English game but tellingly doesn't seem to fancy English players.
Ranieri - Won the league with limited resources by getting the best out of limited players. He wins
4th place in a tournament would be much more desirable than being knocked out by a team where the keeper is a film director and the assistant manager is a dentist.