“He’ll go mental” - John Obi Mikel explains why Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp would never agree to become England head coach
John Obi Mikel has explained why managers like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp can't take up the new England manager's role. Gareth Southgate has stepped down from his spot following the Three Lions' loss in the Euro 2024 final against Spain.
Several big names like Mauricio Pochettino, Graham Potter and more have been linked with taking over the role. Mikel has now shared his take on the matter, saying on The Obi One Podcast:
"If not Carlo, obviously Jurgen [Klopp] is not coming back [to management] anytime soon. I don't see Jurgen taking the job, definitely no. He's a manager that loves a day-to-day kind of job. And Pep as well, he breathes football."
Mikel added:
"You can't tell Pep to sit months and months without doing anything. He'll go crazy, he'll go mental. We know how much he lives and beathes football."
Watch Mikel talk on the England manager topic (11:10):
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are two of the best managers in the Premier League's recent history. Klopp was in charge of Liverpool until the end of the 2023-24 season. He also managed Borussia Dortmund and FSV Mainz during his career.
Guardiola, meanwhile, has become a legend at Manchester City. He has also taken charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich during his career. However, neither man has ever been in charge of a national team.
Glen Johnson explains why Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp won't become England manager
Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson recently explained why Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp won't find the England job interesting. Johnson echoed Mikel's stance, claiming Klopp and Guardiola would be bored in a national team.
Johnson added that both Klopp and Guardiola like a day-to-day job and they won't have that chance at international management. Johnson told Betfred:
"I can't really see either of them being England manager. Both of them wear their hearts on their sleeves, they're super passionate and ultimately, I believe both of them might find the job a bit boring to be honest. It's clear that they both enjoy the day to day work that comes with club management and that's something they won't get at international management."
Johnson would rather roll the dice on someone like Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard, despite the fact they are in the very early days of their managerial careers.