Hello, football fans! Welcome to another edition of my blog, where I share my thoughts on the beautiful game and its latest developments. Today, I want to talk about a topic that has been on everyone’s lips lately: who should be the next manager of the England football team?
As you know, Gareth Southgate decided to step down after leading England to their first major final in 55 years at Euro 2020, where they lost on penalties to Italy. Since then, there has been a lot of speculation about who will replace him and take charge of the Three Lions for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
Some of the names that have been mentioned are Brendan Rodgers, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and even Arsene Wenger. But there is one candidate that I think deserves more attention and consideration: Paul Warne.
Who is Paul Warne, you ask? Well, he is the current head coach of Derby County, who are playing in League One this season after being relegated from the Championship and entering administration. He joined them from Rotherham United, where he had an impressive record of three promotions and three relegations in six seasons.
Now, I know what you are thinking: why would England want a manager who has never coached in the Premier League, let alone at international level? Why would they want a manager who has more experience of going down than going up? Why would they want a manager who left Rotherham for Derby, a club that is in a worse situation than them?
Well, let me tell you why. Paul Warne is not your typical manager. He is a former player who started his career late and played for several lower-league clubs, including Rotherham, Oldham and Yeovil. He knows what it is like to fight for every point, to overcome adversity, to work with limited resources and to play with passion and pride.
He is also a manager who has a clear philosophy and style of play. He likes his teams to be fit, hard-working, aggressive and attacking. He likes his players to be humble, honest and hungry. He likes his fans to be loud, loyal and supportive. He likes his club to be united, ambitious and respectful.
He is also a manager who has achieved remarkable results with Rotherham and Derby. He took over Rotherham when they were bottom of the Championship and doomed to relegation. He rebuilt them in League One and led them to promotion via the play-offs in his first full season. He repeated the feat two years later after another relegation. He almost kept them up last season but missed out by one point on the final day.
He then joined Derby when they were in turmoil and facing an uncertain future. He managed to assemble a squad of 14 new players in a matter of weeks and has guided them to seventh place in League One so far, despite starting with a 21-point deduction. He has also won over the fans with his charisma, humour and honesty.
So, why not give him a chance with England? He has proven that he can work wonders with underdogs and overachievers. He has proven that he can motivate players and inspire fans. He has proven that he can adapt to different situations and challenges. He has proven that he can handle pressure and expectations.
He may not have the glamour or the pedigree of some of the other candidates, but he has something that they don’t: he is Paul Warne. And he could be just what England need.