As questions swirl around Gareth Southgate’s future as England manager, here is a look at who could replace him if he quits after UEFA Euro 2024.
With Southgate staying on until at least UEFA Euro 2024 after initial suggestions he might quit after England’s World Cup heartbreak, it is easy to quieten down and enjoy the journey but England’s Football Association will know that Southgate won’t stay forever.
When the time indeed does come for Southgate to move on, there will be questions over who will eventually replace him because every manager has a self life with an individual team, meaning that eyes surely will be turning towards who could potentially replace him in the future.
With that in mind, here is a look at who could be in the frame to succeed Southgate as England manager come Summer 2024 at earliest.
Eddie Howe
Although prising Eddie Howe away from Newcastle will feel an “impossible job” for the FA, he has constantly demonstrated what he can do when given the right backing and players as seen throughout his time at Bournemouth then the Magpies.
Whilst Southgate has often favoured a balanced if cautious defensive style with quick counter-attacks, Howe would add extra attacking drive which would suit these young Three Lions – especially Jude Bellingham who has shown what he can do when unleashed on the attack.
Defence though has often been Howe’s weak area as a manager but he has definitely made progress since he took charge of Newcastle, with just 51 goals conceded in 45 matches with a defence who have pace and determination in and out of possession to close down their opposition.
One positive therefore is that Howe would inherit a defence largely packed with players who should suit his system – possibly except for Harry Maguire unless Maguire is willing to adapt and cut his backpass approach which has worked well under Southgate.
Howe also has a likeable personality like Southgate but seems more grounded and not afraid to rotate his squad and tactics if appropriate, with his current favoured 4-3-3 formation coincidentally fitting England’s current style.
In terms of youth development and promotion, Howe has shown at Bournemouth and Newcastle that he will hand youngsters chances on merit, which would certainly motivate players like Conor Gallagher, Jacob Ramsey and Folarin Balongun to impress more.
Quite simply, Howe at present feels like the perfect fit to take over when Southgate quits but with Newcastle flying high, I do feel that the FA would face an extremely difficult task to tempt him away from Tyneside.
Graham Potter
Whereas Howe is a fairly established name within the domestic game, Graham Potter surely has to be a strong alternative because he knows the international game – through his technical director role with Ghana Women at 2007 Women’s World Cup then managed Sweden’s Ostersunds from 2011-18.
Potter’s flexible style of play and tactics also would make this England team more unpredictable for opposition to work out how to beat, which would certainly appease fans who have been criticial of Southgate’s decision making throughout his reign.
Youth has been part of Southgate’s evolution of England and his approach is clearly shared by Potter, who did an excellent job of promoting young talent like Robert Sanchez, Ben White, Alexis Mac Allister and Evan Ferguson to name a few whilst at Brighton.
It is also worth noting that Potter isn’t afraid to make big decisions concerning squad selections in order to develop his team, which is another criticism that has often been aimed at Southgate – as seen by debate concerning James Maddison and other in-form players.
Potter though like Howe at Newcastle is in the early throes of a long-term project following his move to Chelsea in September, making him another difficult target for the FA to tempt away from club football.
Thomas Tuchel
Ex Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel has already expressed his interest in the England job, having settled in the country and does boast international success after guiding the Blues to Champions League success during his tenure.
Several of his former Chelsea players also have played under Southgate plus faced many of his previous oppositional players at club level, so Tuchel will be well aware of the talent that he would inherit within the squad.
There would be opposition to employing a foreign manager following England’s success under a home-grown manager, whilst previous experiments with Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello didn’t exactly work out which makes Tuchel a risk.
Tuchel however has previously managed in the English game and enjoyed positive success unlike Eriksson nor Capello when they took up the role, so I wouldn’t be quite so critical because that surely serves as a distinct positive for the German compared to Eriksson and Capello.
Although we didn’t really get to see Tuchel’s ability in terms of youth development at Chelsea, he wasn’t afraid to give youngsters opportunities where possible as evidenced by outings for players like Lewis Hall and Harvey Vale during last season which offers hope for what he can do with England’s youth.
Quite frankly, Tuchel would be the ideal fit if can’t lure Howe or Potter, even if he is a stop-gap whilst the FA hunt a permanent home-grown successor – should no ideal fit emerge at time of Southgate’s exit.
Pep Guardiola
Althoough Pep Guardiola might seem like a crazy wildcard, he has a proven record at each of his previous clubs with an aggressive entertaining style of play, whilst adapting to the ever-evolving favourable style of the moment over the years.
England therefore would offer a fresh challenge with a young hungry squad who have the potential to excel under someone like Guardiola, especially Jude Bellingham who in my opinion has the potential to be a key player for the Three Lions under a top-quality manager.
In terms of youth development – Guardiola hasn’t been afraid to give talented youngsters a chance when they’re in form which has often seen players like Sergio Busquets and Phil Foden quickly establish themselves as first-team regulars under the Catalonian over the years.
Talent and form though are two aspects that England fans can easily scrutinise within squad announcements but with such a competitive young generation, Guardiola probably has that skill in making tough decisions on promoting or dropping players to give a team the best chance at success possible.
The 51 year-old also has amassed over six seasons worth of experience in the English game so would be a familar name to take the reins, in terms of experience and ability, even though he like England hasn’t always had the best luck on international stage which would make him a bold gamble.
As for the foreign aspect, I would be surprised if there are many grumblings given Guardiola’s pedigree but his failure to win the Champions League with Bayern Munich nor Man City might be the sticking point for fans, amidst his proven record in that competition.
Luring Guardiola away from Manchester City though would be a fierce feat especially given that he has recently recommitted his future to the club, albeit until summer 2025 although he could be tempted to depart 12 months earlier if England comes calling.
John Herdman
Whilst some have suggested promoting England Women’s manager – Sarina Wiegman following her success, the FA perhaps should take a look at Canada boss – John Herdman who has successfully adapted from the women’s to men’s game.
Although Herdman might seem a bizarre pick to many given his lack of playing experience, he has proved himself as a solid coach – initially within the women’s gameand in a way is similar to Southgate in terms of his youth development following Under-20s success with New Zealand.
Herdman also has the experience of taking teams to the next level which he demonstrated throughout his tenure as Canada Women manager, despite falling short in 2012 then 2016 Olympics with a pair of third-placed finishes which nevertheless marked huge progress.
He even went on to replicate that ability by leading Canada Men’s National Team to only their second World Cup in his first attempt as manager since taking over in 2018, underlining why he deserves to be in contention because he knows how to raise teams to the next level.
Now if consider where England currently are in terms of quality and potential, Herdman could well be the man who could lift them to that top-level to claim trophies if he can have the same effect that he has achieved at other teams across his managerial reigns.
Ex Canada striker, Melissa Tancredi even once described Herdman as a manager who excels when he has “his back against the wall,” which is something that he certainly would have to handle as England manager, in-turn making him a solid fit to inspire this squad to rewrite history like his former teams.
Herdman’s 3-4-3 formation might be seen as bit of a challenge for England but this Consett-born manager knows how to adapt his formation and style when needed, which has been a criticism that many have leveraged against Southgate at various times over recent years.
Like Howe and Potter at Newcastle and Chelsea respectively, Herdman though has his own long-term project with Canada – who are co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup – which adds another headache to the FA’s plans for Southgate’s successor.
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