Next England manager predictions: Potter preferred for England job
- Newcastle boss Eddie Howe favourite to succeed Southgate
- Graham Potter, Lee Carsley and Mauricio Pochettino among candidates
- Recommended bet: Potter to be England boss on 1/9/24
Eddie Howe and Graham Potter are among the early frontrunners to be named the next England manager following Gareth Southgate's decision to step down after Euro 2024.
Southgate led the Three Lions all the way to the final in Germany this summer, losing to Spain 2-1 in the Berlin showpiece, but then opted to walk away from the job after nearly eight years in charge.
Now the search is on for his successor. Newcastle boss Howe is at the head LiveScore Bet's special 'to be England manager on 1/9/24' market at 2/1, but there are a host of other well-known names also on the list.
Howe heads market
Howe has previously claimed he would be interested in managing England and he has plenty of admirers, both at the FA and in football generally for the way he has gone about his business in charge of the Magpies and, previously, while Bournemouth boss.
Howe ticks a lot of the FA's boxes. He is English for a start and the 46-year-old is seen as the best English coach in the Premier League, someone who has spent years learning his trade in the lower divisions before now shining alongside the elite.
His 11 years in charge of the Cherries, across two separate spells, saw him guide the unfashionable south coast club all the way up from League Two to the top flight.
He was named Newcastle manager in autumn 2021 and oversaw an impressive top-four Premier League finish in the 2022-23 campaign to enhance his growing reputation.
Even though the Magpies' hierarchy seem determined to keep him — publicly at least — the man himself may decide to ask to be relieved of his contract at St James' Park as he will know England rarely come calling twice.
Potter a leading contender
Potter did an amazing job at Brighton, building on a fine reputation he had carved out for himself while first working abroad at Swedish outfit Ostersunds and then when he returned at Swansea City.
He left the Seagulls after guiding them to the club's highest-ever top-flight finish of ninth in 2022 and, while his short spell at Chelsea in the 2022-23 season did not go to plan, he has enough credit in the bank to be seen as an ideal man to lead the Three Lions.
Like Howe and Southgate, Potter, who is 5/2 with LiveScore Bet to be England manager on 1/9/24, would lead the national side with honesty, dignity and humility, and he is not the sort of character to be fazed by the huge media attention, but likely to be someone who would embrace being in the spotlight and conduct himself in the right manner.
Could Carsley make step up from U21s?
Carsley is also in the frame due to the fact he is the current England Under-21 boss and if he were to be promoted, the FA would be following the successful path they took when handing Southgate the reins back in 2016.
However, the former Everton and Birmingham midfielder does not have an extensive managerial CV and, while he would be a safe pair of hands who knows how the FA operates, he seems unlikely to be trusted with the full-time job.
Carsley could, however, yet get the job on an interim basis if other options like Howe and Potter decide the role is not for them and he is 10/3 to be in charge of England at the start of September.
Foreign bosses among outsiders
There are several foreign managers also on the odds list to be next England boss, including former Liverpool chief Jurgen Klopp at 10/1, ex-Tottenham and Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino (11/1), current Manchester City leader Pep Guardiola (20/1) and former Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel, who is available at 16/1.
While all would seem to be a good fit for the England job and all four clearly have the experience, nous and capability of dealing with such a high-profile role, at this stage it looks like the FA want Southgate's successor to be English.
Klopp is believed to want at least a year away from the game anyway after leaving Liverpool in May, so the German does not look like a contender, while Argentinian Pochettino, who is thought to be interested in taking over, may not be entirely welcomed by the Three Lions' fanbase.
Tuchel would be a bold appointment by the FA after he left Bayern at the end of the season and it would be a big surprise to see the ex-Chelsea chief given the reins.
Prediction
While Howe is the frontrunner, the smart money might just be on Potter to eventually be named next England permanent manager.
Unlike Howe, he is currently out of work, so it would be a much easier appointment for the FA to make and even though things did not go well for him at Chelsea, Potter is held in the highest regard, with his canny work over his three years at Brighton surely marking him out as a future England boss in waiting.
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