Wenger wants to go English

Gunners' French tactician thinks looking abroad would be wrong

By James Pearson   Last updated: 6th December 2007   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Wenger wants to go English

Wenger: Backing English talent

I think it has to be an Englishman.

Wenger
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants an Englishman to replace Steve McClaren as coach of the national side.

An intense search is currently on for a new man to fill the hot seat following McClaren's sacking as a result of England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

A number of names are in the frame for the post, with the leading contenders hailing from abroad in the shape of Jose Mourinho and Fabio Capello.

Mistake

However, the long-serving Gunners boss thinks it would be a mistake to appoint another foreigner and believes an Englishman should land the job.

"I will give him my opinion, which I do not hide. I have said that many times," stated Wenger.

"I think it has to be an Englishman because it is English football and the English football federation.

"You know what makes me sad? I am more nationalistic than you because you want to go for (Jose) Mourinho, for (Fabio) Capello - I am the only one who goes for an Englishman."

Comments (15)

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Geez Er says...

Harry Redknapp and Tony Adams are my (English) dream team, no foreigners, and certainly not Mourinho, after all, he aint gonna have the money to get the talent he had at Chelsea... he's had his day, lets give 'arry and Big Tone their chance, they wont let us down, and even if they did, at least they would have given 110%.

Posted 23:42 6th December 2007

Claydon Brimmer (Chelsea fan) says...

Unfortunately if the English public want Jose Mourinho and the FA know that then they're probably going to get him. The trouble is it's only the women who think he's brilliant. Yes he gave Chelsea the best 3 years in their history but what we're all forgeting is that the 2 years we won the premiership Man Utd and Arsenal were rebuilding and not at their best. (looks abit different now) I'm not denying he's a good man motivator but I think we need more than that and tacticly I think he's lacking. I don't think he'll be able to inspire the current crop of players England have to offer, judging by what we've seen recently. They shouldn't need anyone to motivate them to step up to the plate when it's needed. If Jose really is the answer then we're in a worse state than all of us ever thought. Bring on the boring football.

Posted 18:21 6th December 2007

Chris Finnegan says...

I think I agree with Wenger. As he put it when someone asked if he would ever consider the job, 'England plays France - which anthem am I singing?'. I think we need a manager who can command a bit of respect, preferably somone who had a decent playing career. Ince and Adams as a partnership spring to mind. Redknapp (senior please - junior would just talk over people and sate the obvious like he does with his punditry) is also a distinct possibility. In answer to Ben Edwards question - Arsenal speak English in the dressing room. It was one of the first rules that Wenger instated at the club. There are also 4 English players in the first team squad, and many more out on loan getting experience. Have a look at the Under 16's England squad (2 players), U17's World Cup squad (3 players), U18's (2 players), U19's (2 players), U20's (1 player). Check out the same stats for United before you start shouting about Arsenal ruining English football's future.

Posted 15:59 6th December 2007

Valentine Agu (Chelsea fan) says...

Please since when did Wenger start supporting England.It is easy to critise people but if he really care about English football,he should be in the postion to field some English lads in his team.rather he likes going else where to get his young stars. People keep saying that there are no longer talented players in England.The bottom line is that we still have more than enough personnel to win the world cup.we have many young lads who can do the job.I don't like the likes of wenger saying we should't get a forien Manager. Apart from Hoyte and Theo who else is an English player in his team.Doeas it mean that the likes of Agbonlahor,Ashely young ,Tom Hudlstone,Stephen taylor and co are not signs for brighter tommorrow.Any way I will go for Jose at all cost.but if must be an English man then i go for Harry Redknapp.first choice is Jose.

Posted 15:42 6th December 2007

Kev Lovin it (Celtic fan) says...

Is this not the funniest thing ever? Lets face it you have neither good managers or good players. Ohhh...the realisation!

Posted 15:32 6th December 2007

Adam Gardner (Manchester United fan) says...

Everyone is still going on about how the fact the previous England manager was English is the reason we didn't qualify for Euro 2008.Let's get real,we always complain how players don't produce their club form for England,& the main reason is the difference in tactics,adaptability & pace of the game&players at international level.McLaren is the last English coach to win the European cup,a lot of people discredit him for being Fergie's right-hand man the year of the treble,& if the media and public discredited him no wonder the players failed to gel,they all probably felt they had an excuse if they failed.People suggest Mourinho, no offence but what football players has he bought to Chelsea that other clubs didn't look at?The only reason he got them was because he had more money behind him.Am not arguing with his knowledge of Portuguese and Spanish football,but England won't be playing Spain and Portugal every week to qualify. Harry Redknapp or Fabio Capello are the stand-out candidates purely because of their knowledge of world football.Capello made AC Milan,Real Madrid & Roma league winners with recognised world stars though too,so I'd favour canny Redknapp.He knows more players from obscure parts of the globe without having to just refer to scouting reports,knows the England players better than they know themselves,& who predicted Benjani would be top-scorer so far this season-what other manager in the PL would have stuck by him?He also picked up one of Croatia's best and most promising players, Krancjar, for Portsmouth when no-one else really knew much about him, and helped Campbell and James become a part of the ENgland set-up when others said they were past it.His experience of looking at lower leagues and so-called quality levels the past 20 years make him ideal for preparing our so-called superstars and making them understand who they will be playing against, and maybe helping them to gel a whole lot better.

Posted 15:11 6th December 2007

Alex Smollen (Liverpool fan) says...

Lets get this straight. There isnt a single englishman good enough to take the england job, and besides the players are useless when it comes to international football. Im begining to wonder if we have become so accustomed to playing with these fancy foriegn players so much, that when we play with a team of englishmen, what we get is 11 players who havent a clue what to do. Oh and on a side note: Only one man can save England and that man is Jose Mourhino. GO JOSE

Posted 12:07 6th December 2007

Martin Greenhill (Arsenal fan) says...

I think we should have stuck with Mclaren. Once he got the team he wanted we played good footie and won games well. Ok he didnt have the best start and injuries forced a different team for the last couple games but it takes managers time to get a good team. You dont walk straight in and win a world cup. When heskey etc were playing we played well BUT pressure from the fans would have picked the team when rooney came back. Gerrard and lamps dont work rooney and owen dont work its either or but too many fans scream for both if we lose!

Posted 11:57 6th December 2007

Gary Wilkinson (Manchester United fan) says...

Why does he say we need an Englishman to be manager and not have any examples of who could fill the role? The answer is there is no one! The FA are looking for a "world class" manager. If anyone says we have a "world class" manager then they must be mad! It's got to be Mourinho. Reasons for this: 1.) The media love him so that would let him get on with his job! 2.) The players will respect him as a top manager, especially the Chelsea lads 3.) He's worked with our England captain for a long time and they know each other's thinking by now. 4.) The fans like him no matter how we thought of him when he was Chelsea manager. He would be my choice for Man Utd manager if Fergie went. 5.) Ok he's Portuguese and people think he won't show as much passion for England as he did Chelsea. But when he left Chelsea i remember him saying he loves England and the people and he loves English football. 6.) The guy knows English football like the back of his hand. He has been involved in English football for long enough to know which English players are best.

Posted 11:53 6th December 2007

Stian Pride (Arsenal fan) says...

Alan Pardew is the best English choice who's likely to be available. Big Sam wont leave, nor will Curbishley. Paul Jewell could've been good, but he's not going to quit Derby now. Go for a Welshman, go for Chris Coleman!

Posted 11:32 6th December 2007

Daniel Bailey says...

Wenger's right, appointing a foreign manager would be wrong. Any success they may bring England, wouldn't be England's success. We gave football to the world, and we can't even find an Englishman to lead our national team, it's embarrassing! The FA should appoint Roy Hodgson, a man who is credited for transforming Swedish football in the early 90's, a man who's managed at the highest level with high profile players - Inter Milan, a man who's had many successful cup runs, a man who took Switzerland to their first major tournament in 30 years, a man who gained more points than England managed with FINLAND - narrowly missing out on Euro qualification in a group containing Portugal, Poland, Serbia and Belgium! Hodgson would be my choice, with Paul Ince as his assistant. The England set up simply HAS to be English!

Posted 11:30 6th December 2007

Ben Edwards (Manchester United fan) says...

How can Wenger actually say an English man should get the job? He is working in England, managing an English club yet he has one english man in his whole squad- Walcott. What language does in speak in the dressing room? surely it cant be English with all those foreigners. I would love to see an English man take the England job. In reality that just cannot happen- look at McClaren; he was a flop. As the FA have said; the best man should get the job regardless of their nationality. There is not enough good English managers about. The fact that Howard Wilkonson was the last English man to win the top division with Leeds in 1991 shows how crap English managers are.

Posted 11:25 6th December 2007

Jonathan hall Hall says...

Easy solution to new England manager. Get Arsene Wenger to change his nationality to English and give him the job ....Sorted

Posted 10:56 6th December 2007

Darren Richards (Arsenal fan) says...

Arsene Wenger is absolutely right, but which englishman is up to the job?

Posted 10:55 6th December 2007

Rich Smalley (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Maybe Wenger is right, only he wants an English manager to head-up the English national team. We have to face facts and notice that not only are we producing substandard players for our national team but also substandard managers and coaches. An example is Gary Megson, who has brought limited success to Bolton by reverting back to anti-football of old. Maybe we need to rethink the whole set-up.

Posted 10:50 6th December 2007
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