FA may turn to Special One if Steve McClaren fails to reach finals
José Mourinho would be allowed to take the England head coach’s job, were defeat in Russia to spell the beginning of the end for Steve McClaren. The conditions of Mourinho’s termination agreement with Chelsea, which left him unable to respond to interest from Tottenham Hotspur last month, would not apply were he to work in international football, even with England.
As part of his settlement on leaving Stamford Bridge, Mourinho agreed that he would not work for another Barclays Premier League club until next season, but the terms did not cover all posts within English football, leaving him free to be employed by the FA, if England’s European Championship qualifying campaign was to suffer a severe setback in Moscow.
Defeat at the Luzhniki Stadium tomorrow would leave McClaren’s job hanging by a thread. Although the FA would not remove him until after the European Championship campaign was officially concluded with the match at home to Croatia on November 21, even McClaren privately admits that his position would be untenable if England failed to qualify for next summer’s tournament in Austria and Switzerland.
And while defeat by Russia would not guarantee England’s elimination, it would leave McClaren’s group E rivals in the box seat. Russia would be required to win in Israel and then at home to Andorra to make certain of qualifying, the six points expected given the circumstances. Whatever England achieved against Croatia would then be irrelevant.
The FA would not make any moves officially in the aftermath of a reversal of fortune in Moscow but, internally, informal discussions regarding McClaren’s successor could be taking place as early as this week, if the result went wrong.
Mourinho’s name would be certain to feature heavily in conversations within and without Soho Square, were that the case. He is readily available and has a tremendous track record in English and continental football. Winner of back-to-back Premier League titles with Chelsea, the FA Cup and two League Cups, he previously landed an unlikely Champions League triumph with Porto, dominated the Portuguese league and has an excellent reputation as a motivator and coach. Unlike other foreign coaches who have enjoyed success in English football, he has not rejected a future move to the international game and working with England could appeal. He was known to be supportive of the national cause during his time with Chelsea.
When he left Stamford Bridge, the executive management insisted on the termination clause preventing short-term employment in England as a way of stopping private information becoming available to a rival. Mourinho would have an intimate knowledge of transfer targets, pay structures, contractual agreements and other sensitive material. In time, the worth of this information would devalue, hence the embargo on his ability to work for another club for only one season. If Mourinho became England manager, Chelsea’s concerns would be entirely irrelevant, and there would be no objection from his former employers were the FA to make a move.
Brian Barwick, the FA chief executive, has reiterated his backing for McClaren on a number of occasions but, while the head coach would still have more than two years to run at the end of this qualifying campaign, if England did not make the finals, it is unimaginable that he would be asked to continue, particularly after failing to negotiate a qualifying group that, while tougher than many thought, should not have presented a serious problem. Scotland’s performances against Italy, France and Ukraine have also presented England’s struggle in a poor light.
Graham Taylor was the most recent England manager to fail to reach a leading tournament and he left the job soon after the failed attempt to qualify for the 1994 World Cup finals. Bobby Robson did not make it to the 1984 European Championships and lasted another six years, but he did not have an unemployed Special One breathing down his neck.
FA may turn to Special One if Steve McClaren fails to reach
Moderators: BillShankly, arxidi, Judge Judy, Forum Admins
-
Fred Goldstone
- Squad Player
- Posts: 1078
- Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:55 pm
-
Crazy-North
- Promising Junior
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:02 pm
-
ComeOnYouBlues
- First Team Regular
- Posts: 1884
- Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:52 pm
-
ozzie owl
- Coach
- Posts: 22132
- Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:42 am
- Has thanked: 234 times
- Been thanked: 67 times
England
Better to play like Chelski and win, than play like they do under Mclaren and lose!!!LFTWNG11 wrote:wuold you really want to watch England play like Chelski?!?!
Would be an interesting side,might see Lampard replace Gerrard!!!