"You also want the best coach" - Ray Parlour names Steven Gerrard and another Premier League manager as potential successors for England boss Gareth Southgate
Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has named two Premier League managers who could replace England boss Gareth Southgate in the future. He stated that Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter could be ideal replacements for Southgate.
England have gone on a poor run in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League, failing to win any of their four matches. They lost twice against Hungary and drew against Italy and Germany. They managed to score just one goal in four matches.
Their 4-0 loss at home against Hungary on June 14 was their biggest home defeat since 1928.
England have suffered their biggest home defeat since 1928.
No win in four games for Gareth Southgate, the first time since he was appointed manager. https://t.co/t824CPUWNt
After such poor performances, there have been calls from fans to sack Southgate ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, Parlour believes that he should be given a chance to take the team to the World Cup before deciding his future. He said on talkSPORT:
“It’s not ideal to lose 4-0 home, is it? That’s not a great result. It’ll be a situation where I’ll judge Gareth on the World Cup, I think you’ve got to give him a chance. But if he fails at the World Cup, then obviously his jobs up. That’s probably it.”
Southgate took England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, where they lost 2-1 against Croatia. The Three Lions also reached the final of Euro 2020, but were beaten by Italy on penalties.
Parlour was then asked for his choice to replace Southgate in the future. He said:
“In the future, someone like Steven Gerrard. Right now, you’d probably look at someone like Graham Potter, wouldn’t you ideally, you want an Englishman to manage England but you also want the best coach.”
Southgate's side will face Italy and Germany in September in the UEFA Nations League and hope to avoid relegation. They will also potentially look at these fixtures to build momentum before the World Cup.
Steven Gerrard and Graham Potter's credentials to manage England
Graham Potter has done some brilliant work with Brighton & Hove Albion since being appointed in 2019. He is known for quick, attacking play and possession-based football.
He took the Seagulls to their best-ever Premier League finish last season as they finished ninth with their best-ever points tally (51).
#BHAFCThe best of our boss! 💙🎥 #BHAFC https://t.co/9DeMGMXUPK
Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, did well with Rangers, winning the Scottish Premier League. He then joined Aston Villa in November 2021 and has been working on their rebuild.
Considering Parlour's statement of the Three Lions manager being English, these two could potentially be good choices for the job.