Rangnick: No England approach
Former Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick says there has been no fresh approach from the FA over the vacant England job.
The 58-year-old is director of sports at Bundesliga side Red Bull Leipzig and was interviewed by the FA before the job was handed to Sam Allardyce in the summer.
Sky sources understand FA technical director Dan Ashworth - who tried to appoint him at West Brom in 2012 - was impressed with Rangnick and is keen to speak to him again about the role.
But Rangnick told Sky Germany on Friday: "At the moment there has been no contact - no approach.
"It's right that I received a phone call from Dan Ashworth a few days after the Euro 2016 finals. He wanted me to become the England national team coach.
"I went there and it was a good meeting. But on the one hand they told me that the board preferred an English coach."
Rangnick, a fluent English-speaker, took Schalke to the Champions League semi-finals in 2011, where they were beaten by Manchester United.
Since his first managerial role in 1983, he has managed Stuttgart, Hannover 96, Schalke twice, Hoffenheim, Red Bull Salzburg and took RB Leipzig to the Bundesliga last season.
Gareth Southgate is in temporary charge of the national team, and FA chief executive Martin Glenn has said he is a "genuine contender".
Glenn also said that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who on Friday revealed he would be prepared to manage England "one day", would "fit the criteria perfectly".
Redknapp makes betting claims
Harry Redknapp has claimed that players at a team he managed gambled on the result of one of their matches.
Betting on __football by current professional players in England is prohibited by the __football Association, with a worldwide ban on doing so enforced since August 2014, toughening up existing rules.
Redknapp says he was unaware at the time that his players were betting on the outcome of the match and denies any wrongdoing.
The Daily Telegraph, whose undercover reporters filmed Redknapp without his knowledge as part of an investigation into British football, does not identify the match or players in question, or the year in which the fixture occurred.
The newspaper claims Redknapp's team were odds against to win a match but secured a comfortable victory.
Redknapp is shown saying in a video that the opposition "murdered us early on", and adding: "At half-time I took (a player) off and put, erm, (another player on) and they're all looking at me, all the lads, 'cause I didn't know they'd had a bet, 'cause they was (sic) all choked, they'd all had a spread bet and everything."
The 69-year-old has managed a string of teams in a long career, starting at Bournemouth and taking in spells with West Ham, Tottenham, QPR, Portsmouth and Southampton. His last job was a brief spell in charge of the Jordan national team earlier this year.
The Telegraph says Redknapp met with undercover reporters, who were representing a fictitious Far East firm, and football agents Dax Price and Pino Pagliara at a London private members' club.
When contacted later by the newspaper, and told that betting by players was against the rules, Redknapp reportedly replied: "Oh would it? Oh, okay. But not at that time I don't think it was, was it? They weren't betting on the other team, they were having a bet on their own team."
Asked about his remarks about the players gambling on the game, the Telegraph claims he told the newspaper: "Unbeknownst to me. No, not a spread bet. It wasn't a spread bet. I think they had a bet on the game, but it wasn't, that was nothing to do with me...after the game I'd heard the rumour the lads had had a bet that day...I'm not in control of whether they go and have a bet or not."
There is no suggestion Redknapp may have broken the law. It is not known whether he informed the FA about the gambling.
Price is quoted during the filmed members' club conversation as saying a player, who is not identified, had been in touch about the match in question and urged him to bet on a victory for Redknapp's side.
Price reportedly said the player from Redknapp's club "phoned me and said remortgage your house 'cause the odds were mental, they were 5/2 at the time."
Price, according to the Telegraph, also claimed players on the losing side had bet on Redknapp's team winning the match.
Bilic: Zaza needs time
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says patience is the key for Italy international Simone Zaza.
The striker, who signed on loan from Juventus with a view to a permanent club-record £24m transfer next year, has yet to score for the Hammers.
He has struggled so much that reports in Italy have claimed the Hammers could cancel his loan deal and send him back to Turin.
But Bilic insists Zaza will come good and compared his slow start in England to that of Arsenal icon Dennis Bergkamp
"He is definitely a good player who came from a big club to a new country," said Bilic.
"New players need time. If we go back and think about Bergkamp, who needed - I don't know - a year?
"The problem now is, and it is quite common with even the best players from abroad, they need time.
"Plus he wasn't a regular at Juventus and didn't have match fitness. It takes time sometimes, and unfortunately we don't have that time."
Zaza's struggles have mirrored those of his new club, who have lost five of their six Premier League matches so far to lie in the relegation zone.
And Bilic concedes his immediate task is turning their season around, starting with Saturday's visit of Middlesbrough.
"I am concerned. It's a very bad start," Bilic said.
"It's not only about __football then. If it's like that then people start talking about non-football things that are happening.
"It's not only that. We are talking about the last five Premier League games, and it's simply not the way we expected it to be.
"It's definitely no good and that's why the only thing we are thinking about is the game on Saturday against Middlesbrough."
Allardyce could face ban
Sam Allardyce could face __football Association charges and even a ban following the controversy that brought his England reign to an abrupt end.
Exiting Euro 2016 at the last-16 stage to Iceland should have been the Three Lions' lowest ebb this year, yet Roy Hodgson's successor managed to add another embarrassing chapter.
Allardyce's dream job came to an end after just 67 days as the Daily Telegraph released secretly-filmed footage of him making controversial remarks about a variety of subjects, including side work and circumventing Football Association regulations.
It was a galling end to the briefest of spells and one which FA chairman Greg Clarke said would be investigated, with chief executive Martin Glenn announcing charges could be brought against Allardyce.
"It is realistic," he said when asked if charges could follow. "I am pleased that the Telegraph are releasing (the full transcripts) to the police first because that is what has to happen.
"Once we get access to that, we have a separate integrity unit. It's very good.
"We've treated Sam as an employee. Sam's role as a participant in the game will then be, potentially, part of this next process, if there is one.
"It's not for me to call but once the evidence is clear, the decision will be based on the merits of the evidence.
"You could guess probably bringing the game into disrepute might be one, but I can't comment on it because we do have a separation of powers within the FA, we have a separate charging unit I can't interfere with."
When asked what potential sanctions Allardyce could face, Glenn said: "It ranges and it depends.
"It could range from a fine to a ban - that's what the history has been on those kind of things. But it will be for a tribunal to decide, an independent tribunal."
The FA has to wait to receive all the Telegraph's transcripts from its wide-ranging investigation into British football, with police being given first access.
Glenn says the sooner the affected parties get the information the better, although he underlined that as football's regulator in England the FA can only work within certain parameters.
The chief executive was unable to confirm whether, as has been reported, Allardyce received a payment upon departing, but was more forthcoming when it came to his emotions surrounding the decision.
"(Do I feel) personally let down? I do," Glenn said. "I have asked myself a lot about this.
"The easy decision was actually to keep him and tough it out. I do feel let down because I genuinely think for __football reasons, he was a really good choice and just what we needed after the Euros.
"Yeah, we knew he was a man of the world, we knew there had been a Panorama programme a few years ago."
Allardyce denied the allegations regarding illegal payments in that BBC programme, which was screened 10 years ago.
"He was a guy who had a senior position on the League Managers Association, known in the game, we referenced him widely," Glenn said.
"He's Sam, he's loud, he's brash but he is in the middle of the fairway in terms of behaviour, so I think that the reason I felt let down was I guess the surprise factor of it."
Glenn confirmed Allardyce "wanted to stay" but the decision was unavoidable following senior-level group meetings before and after seeing him.
It was decided that a parting of ways was "in the best interests of the FA", with his exit and Gareth Southgate's interim appointment confirmed on Tuesday evening.
Glenn admits he would still hire Allardyce if the facts were the same as in June, but the "colossal mistake" put paid to his time in charge.
"I think it is important in a crisis to keep a cool head," Glenn said. "But I did have a reaction on the Monday, thinking 'I really want to keep Sam'.
"We've hired him, we think he is the right guy for the job. His football credentials were good, his leadership credentials were excellent.
"My instinct on Monday was to say, 'Let's look at it but let's see if we can find a way of making it work'.
"But as the events unfolded and in the cold light of day, (we) judge that it was going to be a compromise to the FA."
Glenn highlighted the importance of the FA being a role model and influencer, along with how keeping Allardyce would be thrown back at them regularly when it came to enforcement and sanctions. He felt the implication that an FA employee would help circumvent their third-party rules was the "pivotal thing".
"I remember specifically saying to him just after he was hired, 'Look, we've both got to work together. I've been at the FA 18 months, you've not done an England job, here's what I've learnt'," Glenn added.
"Everything you say is going to be under a lot of scrutiny, your decision-making is like doing it in a goldfish bowl and crucially, anything you say to anybody, just feel comfortable that it might be printed the next day."
Pulis keen to retain Berahino
West Brom boss Tony Pulis says he will welcome contract talks with striker Saido Berahino.
The Baggies are keen to offer the 23-year-old new terms with his current deal expiring at the end of the season.
There is a desire from new chairman John Williams to show Berahino how he could star in the new era at The Hawthorns after Albion were bought by Chinese businessman Guochuan Lai this month.
Talks with Berahino are part of the club's plans to tie down their players with Jonny Evans and Darren Fletcher also in line for new deals.
Although nothing is on the table for the England U21 international, Pulis is keen to see the situation change.
"It's only my opinion but it would be brilliant for Saido," he said, ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Sunderland.
"Personally, I'd love him to stay. I'd love him to sign another contract and get himself fit and get himself fit and up and running again and clear everything away from him.
"He's had a couple of years - four or five transfer windows of uncertainty and that has affected him.
"For him to settle down and sign a new contract would be brilliant for everyone concerned at this __football club and personally, for him as well.
"That's important as anything else. I'm sure Saido will come and see me at some stage."
If Berahino signed a new deal, it would represent a u-turn after he threatened to strike in 2015 when the club turned down several bids from Tottenham.
Crystal Palace and Stoke made bids of £20m this summer but Albion refused to sell as they failed to find a suitable replacement.
Berahino scored just four league goals last season with Pulis continuing to insist his mentality was not right after netting 20 times in 2014-15, earning a call-up to the England senior squad.
Thierry Henry, Jamie Redknapp and Jamie Carragher on Arsene Wenger and England
Arsene Wenger will want to "finish a job" at Arsenal, says Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry is doubtful that Arsene Wenger will become England manager, and believes the Arsenal boss is aiming to "finish a job" at the Emirates.
Henry was talking to Rachel Riley and Jeff Stelling on the Friday Night __football sofa when the discussion turned to the vacant England job and whether Wenger was right man to replace the departed Sam Allardyce.
"I just think that Arsene likes to be out on the field on a daily basis and he has a job to do at Arsenal, we all know what it is - finally winning the league," Henry said. "I don't see it happening in all honesty.
Wenger admits he could manage England one day
"Who would want that job right now? No disrespect, but it's just a very difficult job.
"I remember myself when I was a player, I was looking at all the stories and everything that was coming up and I was like 'wow, do you really want that job'.
"It's a job that you might want because it's your country - obviously not if you're Arsene Wenger - but why would you want that job if you're safe where you are and you're trying to finish a job at Arsenal."
Fellow pundit Jamie Rednapp agreed with Henry that the England job - occupied for such a short time by Allardyce - is a poisoned chalice.
We’d need to get a Buddhist monk probably to manage the English team. That’s the only chance we’ve got.
Jamie Redknapp
"Who would want the job after what's happened of late?" Redknapp said. "I think there's a lot of managers now thinking 'no way do I want to touch that job'.
"We'd need to get a Buddhist monk probably to manage the English team. That's the only chance we've got."
Alan Pardew, one of the managers on show on Friday Night Football as his Crystal Palace side travel to Everton, "has got the ego to handle" the job, added Redknapp.
Alan Pardew "has the ego" to take the England job, according to Jamie Redknapp
"I mean that in a nice way," the pundit explained. "He's extremely confident."
The Football Association has appointed consecutive English managers to the national team job following the Fabio Capello era.
However, a dearth of quality candidates could see a foreign coach appointed next, and Jamie Carragher believes that domestic managers aren't doing enough to show that they're worthy of the biggest jobs.
Watch the Ryder Cup on NOW TV
Get a NOW TV Week Pass for £10.99. No contract.
"If we're being totally honest, whenever they've got a big job, it hasn't worked, it's failed," the Sky Sports pundit said.
"So you've had Steve McClaren with the England job, Sam Allardyce - it wasn't football, it was off the pitch - Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, David Moyes at Manchester United.
"Now, they're not getting as many chances as foreign coaches, but when they get the chance they have to take it. Look at Roy Hodgson."
Watch every minute of the Ryder Cup, plus Premier League __football and the Malaysia Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price!
Also See:
- Wenger: England, why not?
- Poch focused on Tottenham
- Caretaker coaching
- Rooney remains England captain
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)