So, Fabio Capello’s reign has finally come to an end. After just over four years in the England hotseat, the Italian has walked away from the job, tendering his resignation following disagreements with the FA over their role in the John Terry affair.
When I say John Terry affair, I refer directly to the race row between the Chelsea captain and QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, which will be resolved in court after the European Championships. In the midst of the storm, the FA stepped in and stripped Terry of the captaincy, consequently undermining Capello and leaving him with no choice but to walk away from the whole mess.
Capello met with FA chairman David Bernstein and general secretary Alex Horne at Wembley on Wednesday with talks concluding after an hour in a seemingly amicable fashion – the Italian departing with a handshake. Stepping into the frame in a temporary capacity is Stuart Pearce, the manager of the U21s side. Psycho will lead the troops out in their friendly with the Netherlands at the end of the month. In the meantime, the FA will draw up a shortlist of candidates who they feel will be eligible to lead England into battle.
Respected Premier League managers Alan Pardew and Martin O’Neill have ruled themselves out of the job, opting to focus on their respective clubs in the north east. However, there remains a name on everyone’s lips who would be overwhelming favourite to take over – one Mr Harry Redknapp.
On the same day as Capello’s departure, over at Southwark Crown Court, the Tottenham Hotspur manager was cleared of tax evasion in a unanimous jury decision ending his personal ‘nightmare’. A very strange coincidence, don’t you think? On the day an England manager departs, one potential suitor clears his name and possibly clears the path for his own passage into the hotseat. Footballers and pundits alike have all backed Harry to take over – Alan Shearer, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney have expressed their backing – but I would argue against this. And before I get my ear chewed off, allow me to explain why.
Harry Redknapp is everybody’s favourite for obvious reasons – aside from the fact he’s English (seemingly very important), he’s also likeable, respected and is a football manager in the most traditional sense; he believes in fast, incisive passing football. He’s proved his worth in the English game in every division, when he first started managing at Bournemouth in 1983 all the way through to his current successful spell with Spurs. Players believe in Redknapp and he in turn instills that belief.