So with Hiddink and Scolari out of the frame, it would appear that we're down to Big Sam, Curbs, McLaren and (I'm praying) Martin O'Neill. So many people would foolishly prefer an English manager, the FA included, but shouldn't they go for the best candidate, foreigner or otherwise?
Curbishley strikes me as being singularly unsuited to the pressure of international management, while Boro's yo-yoing form worries me. Big Sam is the best of a bad bunch, but Bolton's lack of recent form perhaps suggests that Big Sam might not be so capable of turning things round if they aren't going to plan (a criticism frequently aimed at Sven). So Martin O'Neill is the best option really, but more on him soon.
However, quite why the FA have ruled out Big Phil is beyond me. This is a man who took Portugal to the final of the European Championships and won the World Cup with Brazil. Surely the choice should be simple? Yet, the FA still have Alan Curbishley on their shortlist, a manager who has done precisely fuck all. It's like asking whether you'd prefer Ronaldinho or Darren Bent to be in your team.
Detractors might argue that the language barrier might be a problem and that any manager could win the World Cup with the embarrassment of riches that is the Brazilian first eleven. But they're forgetting that Big Phil had the inept Roque Junior in his team and made him play like a world-class defender. Surely, the sign of a true genius?
