ROY KEANE has urged the FA to appoint Pep Guardiola as England’s next manager.
Despite returning to winning ways with a 3-1 Nations League win over Finland, the question of who will succeed Gareth Southgate as the Three Lions’ next permanent manager continues to loom.
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Interim boss Lee Carlsey appeared to distance himself from the position in the hours and days after the humbling 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday, when his tactics and team selection backfired.
Carlsey then sparked more confusion last night, after appearing to rule himself out — then back in again minutes later.
Thomas Tuchel, Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Guardiola have all been named as possible targets to take England forward into the 2026 World Cup.
But former Manchester United captain Roy Keane believes Guardiola, who has won six Premier League titles with Manchester City, trumps everyone.
Keane insisted England should “go for the best” as they hunt for a coach to go one further than Southgate and pick up some silverware.
Keane, 53, told ITV: “Go after Pep Guardiola, go for the best. Pep’s contract is up the summer.
“The FA have to go for the best guy, I don’t know if finances will play a part in it.
“If Lee obviously rules himself, and isn’t interested, and that seems to be the noises coming out, then the FA better get busy and get the right man.”
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Intriguingly, when asked about whether he would be staying at Man City beyond this season, Guardiola said this month: “I’m not going to talk about this subject. What’s going to happen is going to happen.”
Carsley continued to be bold in his selections, with Dean Henderson handed a first cap in four years and Trent Alexander-Arnold deployed in left-back for the first time in his career.
With a more conventional setup England cruised to victory in Helsinki, with goals from Jack Grealish, and Declan Rice either side of a sublime free-kick from Alexander-Arnold.
Carsley was first asked at full-time about reports that he is not interested in his role being made permanent.
He said:”This job deserves a world-class coach who has won trophies and I am still on the path to that.”
But when later pushed on whether the permanent role was too soon for him, he said: “Definitely not. I tried to make it as clear as I could.
“My remit was for three camps. I’m not part of the process but it deserves a top coach.”
Carsley’s latest cryptic answers came after Thursday’s claim that he would “hopefully be going back to the Under-21s” in the wake of the shock defeat to the Greeks.
Lee Carsley simply doesn’t sound like an England manager
By Dave Kidd
After three months of uncertainty, it is now absolutely as clear as mud.
Does Lee Carsley want to be England’s permanent manager or not?
And why is he so reluctant to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to such a simple question?
Following a team selection which brought a welcome return to common sense — and an England victory which restored a certain amount of pride — came another chaotic round of post-match interviews in which Carsley contradicted himself several times.
And given that communication is such an important part of the England job, it does not help his cause when you feel as if you are disappearing down a rabbit hole every time you speak to Carsley.
He is a likeable man and a gifted coach — but he simply doesn’t sound like an England manager.
There simply isn’t enough authority or clarity about him.
At the age of 50, Carsley has never been the full-time manager of any senior football team and it shows.
That is irrespective of the tactical car crash of Thursday’s 2-1 home defeat by Greece.