Taylor: Sven successor should be English
Gordon Taylor claims the Football Association would be sending out all the wrong messages to today’s senior players if they appoint another foreign coach to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, believes a home-grown boss should be appointed to encourage any players considering a move into coaching that the top job is there for an Englishman to challenge for.
“If in fact a non-English coach or manager is appointed, I think it’s a big disincentive to all those former players who’ve taken up coaching and management who are aiming to prove themselves at the top level,” Taylor told PA Sport.
“The FA are in charge of the coaching programme and it’s their responsibility. We have a big input in that and it’s our responsibility to encourage players to go into coaching and managing.
“If the likes of Alan Shearer and Gary Neville want it, you have to give them the opportunity to reach the very top.”
The interim findings of a survey conducted by the PFA and the Independent newspaper revealed that of 28 England internationals past and present still playing in the Premiership, 19 wanted an English manager to be installed as Eriksson’s successor.
A small group of “experienced heads” led by Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick will pick the next manager.
Barwick will put his plan to the FA board next week, and he and other senior FA figures would like to have a man in place before the World Cup.
They may take into account the players’ views, with the survey of 300 respondents to the survey revealing 67% of English players in the top-flight support Taylor’s point of view.
“If the FA are serious about sounding out the views of the football family and particularly players, you hope they would take that on board,” said Taylor.
“I think Brian Barwick has already gone on record as saying if it turns out after all consideration that it’s an Englishman, then so much the better.”
The leading English contenders, according to bookmakers, are early favourite Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley and Steve McClaren, while foreign bosses linked with the post include Dutchman Guus Hiddink and Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari.
“Club football is cosmopolitan,” Taylor added, “but the fact we’re talking about international competition, in the same way that all players should be English, I believe that should follow though to the coaching structure as well.
“It’s much more of an English victory if the whole victory is English.”
