Sven appointment 'the worst thing we did': Pardew
West Ham manager Alan Pardew believes the Football Association stooped to an all-time low when they appointed Sven-Goran Eriksson as England manager.
Pardew does not have personal issues with the Swede, but he considers the reputation of England managers to have been set back years by the appointment of a foreign coach.
Eriksson took charge in January 2001 when England’s World Cup qualifying hopes were receding, but he salvaged that campaign and took the team to the quarter-finals in the Far East, before again reaching the last eight at Euro 2004.
Such success and the emergence of Wayne Rooney has established England among the favourites for next summer’s World Cup, but Pardew remains frustrated the FA opted to look abroad for Kevin Keegan’s successor.
“It’s the worst thing we did because it put down English managers,” said Pardew.
“We’ve always done well internationally with coaches and managers, and people that have gone abroad have done fantastic jobs. That stopped because our standing in the football world went down when we took a national manager from another country.”
The former Reading boss, whose Hammers side face Bolton this week, believes Trotters boss Sam Allardyce has all the traits required to be a successful England boss when Eriksson departs.
The 57-year-old Swede is contracted until the 2008 World Cup, and chief executive Brian Barwick stressed the FA are keen for him to remain in charge until that time.
Allardyce has taken Bolton into the UEFA Cup on a tight budget, declining offers from elsewhere to stay at the Reebok Stadium where his achievements have been widely praised.
Pardew is delighted to hear Allardyce being touted a potential future international manager, with Barwick stating earlier this month that the FA would look for an English replacement when Eriksson departs.
“Of course he is and I’m glad he (Barwick) said that, as he’s absolutely right,” Pardew told the League Managers Association website, www.leaguemanagers.com.
“I’m a great believer it should be an Englishman, I think there’s enough talent in the country for it to be English and Sam certainly fits into that group.”
While Pardew is focusing on keeping newcomers West Ham in the Barclays Premiership, he also hinted at greater ambitions.
“I don’t want to think that I’ve achieved my goal by being a Premiership manager,” he said. “That’s not my goal, never has been.
“Your goals have to be higher than that and if they are not, you are going to fall and never going to win anything. So my goals are greater, I’m keeping them to myself, but they are greater than that. I want success and I want to bring success to West Ham first and foremost.”
