Why an English Manager Matters More Than Pep Guardiola for England

And we were talking in the break about mentality of players, and you said that Harry Kane is too nice. Mhm. But Jude Bellingham isn't. Yeah. Do you think that, you know, like when we watch We were talking about Argentina, the way they walked out the national anthem, the way they played, you know, the attitude that they had. Do you think that we're a bit soft? We're We're We are a very soft nation, and I think it's coming out of our football team. Like, you know, even if you look at the reaction to the way that Argentina won. Now, I'm gutted with the result, but to be totally frank, I don't

really have an issue with the way that they won. You know that little ginger bloke that charged on the pitch at the end, the substitute? Yeah, Barker or something. Barker, you're right. He charged on the pitch. Everybody's getting really upset about that. I would love that to be an England player. I would love us to score against them, and all of a sudden out of nowhere Kobbie Mainoo comes celebrating in the opposition's face. You know when Anthony Gordon scored, if Kobbie Mainoo charged on the pitch, just totally encapsulated by emotion, so much emotion that he couldn't help it. Charged on the pitch and celebrated in front of

Cristian Romero. I would love it. I would find it all a bit delicate. They fouled us. So what? Yeah, they fouled us. Yeah, they did. Like, I saw a clip of Romero celebrating like a nutter in front of Guehi, and Guehi sort of flinches out of the way. He's right to celebrate like a nutter. It's a victory over one of your oldest football rivals. If you think about Do you know I saw a clip, and it really It was actually, against with hindsight, but it's actually when you kind of knew that we weren't going to win. When England players are walking out onto the pitch, there's a clip of them. They're walking out, and like lots of players have got headphones in. They've got their They've got their headphones in. They're on

their phones, taking pictures, videoing themselves walking out onto the pitch. And you think they're They're happy to be there. You know, it's good for them. You saw Argentina then come out, and not a phone, not a phone in their hand. They just all sprint onto the pitch. Point to prove, job work to be done. They sprint out there. And then you look at the national anthems. You know, some of our players are kind of humming along. They're They're up for it, but they're kind of humming along. And you look at the way that the Argentine side barked at the national anthem. There was a lack of passion from us, and there was an abundance of passion from

them. Ultimately, losing wasn't an option for them. It feels like we were happy to kind of go down with a whimper in the end. And obviously, the manager has set the tone there. Do you think that's a mentality problem that in British football have or English football has? There's a I think there's a We're slightly weak, aren't we? Like mentally, we're slightly We are slightly weak, and you've seen that. Like the fact that we were 1-0 up against Brazil in '02, lost. 1-0 up against Croatia in '18, lost. 1-0 up against Italy in 2021, lost.

This 1-0 up against Argentina, lost. There is a running theme here, isn't there? That we're mentally weak, mentally fragile. And I mean, I feel like there should be more desperation to win, but you know that patriotism? How patriotic can you be when you've got a German manager? How much patriotism can a German manager instill in an English team? Like that's why I'm so keen on the English on the next England manager, which hopefully comes along very soon, being English. You know, I had a I had an argument with your old mucker, Mr. Condi.

Mhm. Because I was saying and he went to the extreme to try and make me look foolish, which is what he does. You might have seen him do that. You know, right? He went to the extreme. Right? And he was um We were talking about who should be the next England manager, and I said it has to be English for various reasons. And he went, "So, you turn down to Guardiola?" And I was like, "Well, kind of yes. I would say no to Guardiola because the point is it has to be an Englishman, in my opinion. It has to be English. We have 100 years of World Cups, 100 years of data to learn from. Nobody's ever won it with a foreign manager. Brazil have tried this tournament with Ancelotti, went out with a whimper.

We've tried, went out with a whimper. Like why are we ignoring 100 years worth of history that teaches you to go with it? And Condi was like, "So, you say no to Guardiola?" I'm like, "Well, yeah, I would." Because if you think about what Tuchel is doing in that dressing room, to try and make these lads up for it, winning for England. Like Thomas Tuchel probably wanted Germany to win the World Cup, didn't he? It would be mental in fact. In fact, hang on a minute. Thomas Tuchel obviously wanted Germany to win the World Cup. Like you know, if you offered me the Germany job, I'd take it. Especially if you offered me the money he's on.

I'd take it and I'd go, "Come on, Germany." But obviously I want England to win the World Cup. It would be nuts if I didn't. I think Tuchel How patriotic can you be when you're playing for a manager that isn't even English? I have to say I felt like the it was when I watched Argentina in terms of their mentality to win, Scaloni on the side, you know, like when they scored the second goal, it's like he wanted to cry his eyes out. Like the passion was filling up in him. The players as well, the way they react and the way they are, it is like winning at all costs. Like defeat is not acceptable.

No. It's not acceptable. And I feel like maybe we are a bit soft. Maybe we have got a bit of a soft underbelly, but I have to pull you up on the Pep Guardiola one. But No, I would like you can't tell me that you Pep Guardiola is Okay, he's not Lampard or Guardiola? In this circumstance, it would be Lampard. Because it has to be an English manager. Like I'm not for 1 second AJ. I know you're looking like despairingly at me. I'm not for 1 second saying that at the moment I believe Frank Lampard is a greater manager than Pep Guardiola. I obviously don't think that. I think Guardiola is the second best manager in world football.

Luis Enrique is the best manager in world football. Yeah. I don't want Luis Enrique either. I don't want Luis Enrique. In the way that if you asked an Argentinian who the best manager is in world football, he'd say Luis Enrique. He wouldn't want him to be the Argentine manager. Because there is a very particular set of skills that is needed that I just don't think you can have unless you understand the nation. And Thomas Tuchel, ultimately, he would have been more upset when Paraguay dumped Germany out than when Argentina Would Pep get to the final though if he was England manager?

Well, history has taught us no. History has taught us that a foreign manager doesn't win the World Cup. Would Pep have made that decision though to take off Eddie Gordon? Pep Guardiola would Look, almost definitely get it right, no doubt managerially. But you know, Carlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers to have ever lived. Ever. Like what he did at Chelsea even just here, you know, he's won He's a serial European Cup winner. He's won the domestic trophy in what five major leagues? Mhm. He's won it as a player. Like he's a football man, an icon.

He made a pig's ear out of the Brazil job. You know, it does go wrong when even when you're elite and there is no doubt that Carlo Ancelotti is elite. Even when you are elite, it can still go wrong in these circumstances. So do you think it's It has to be some sort of nation pride and patriotism to be in the manager? How can Thomas Tuchel team and mentality. Wait. Like we'd have had a situation where Paraguay beat Germany. Like the England players would have been like, "Oh, I hope the gaffer's all right."

It's nuts. Like It's a He can't have ever when he was young He can't have ever wanted England to win a World Cup ever. And suddenly he gets the job so he does He went He says he wants it. I just think that it should be an English Like it's weird, isn't it? Because this to me feels like such an uncontroversial opinion. I think the England manager should be English. I think the Italian manager should be Italian. I think the Spanish manager should be Spanish. And yet when I say it, people go, "Are you insane?" Like No, I'm I'm right. Is the rest of the world insane? He's like I think that the England manager should be picked from what we can offer. And it kind of comes down to Who would be your next England manager? I think you certainly

interview Eddie Howe. But even if that sounds underwhelming to you, it would be like going underwhelming. No, but even if you were to some If they interviewed Eddie Howe and Pep Guardiola, I'd want Pep Guardiola. See, I See, I don't even think Pep Guardiola should get an interview because I think what international football should be What is international football in your mind? It's a In my mind, international football, and this is why I love it. I love what it represents. International football is a representation of the best of what we can offer versus the best of what they can offer, and we go for it. So, the best of the

best of us is Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane and Marc Guehi and Anthony Gordon. That's what we've got. And then Eddie Howe. best of what of the best of what we can offer isn't Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel is the best of what we can afford, not the best of what we've produced. And therefore, I think it just has to be from within.