England coaches in danger amid FA job cuts
Paul Simpson, who led England U20s to World Cup glory in 2017, among those whose job is under threat
Tuesday 21 July 2020 20:56, UK
Paul Simpson and Keith Downing - England's U19 and U20 managers respectively - are among the list of top coaches whose jobs are under threat as part of the FA's cost-cutting plans.
Simpson previously managed England U20s to their World Cup win three years ago, while Downing won the Euros with England's U19s in the same season.
A number of senior football figures have told Sky Sports News there are real concerns over the development of young talent for the senior England team, if the proposals go through as planned.
They have also warned that Premier League clubs may be reluctant to allow their youngsters to join up with England training camps, if the quality of coaching is compromised.
Sky Sports News has exclusively uncovered details of how the FA proposes to restructure and save cash, after the governing body said publicly a £300m black hole has emerged in its revenues because of the coronavirus crisis.
But a number of senior people have told us these plans preceded the pandemic, with restructuring plans first outlined in February.
Gareth Southgate and Aidy Boothroyd have been told their jobs are safe, with all the coaching staff in the men's senior and U21s teams protected from any cutbacks.
The FA has stressed nothing has yet been decided, and they are in the middle of a legal consultation period over the future of 124 roles within the governing body.
Simpson and Downing - along with all the other managers and coaches of England's junior teams from U15s to U20s - were told on June 30 their jobs are at risk.
The FA's proposals would see only four of the six top jobs remain, with two "Phase Lead" coaches introduced to cover the shortfall - one working across the U15s-17s, the other focusing on the older players.
While still being responsible for one specific age group, the Phase Lead would also have a wider brief to oversee the "youth" phase, or the "professional" phase of development.
A likely outcome from the proposals would be that head coaches in the 17-20 age groups would have to double up, and also cover the youngest age groups (U15s and 16s) who often meet up for training camps at St George's Park outside of the main international windows.
Only two of the seven current assistant manager roles would remain - instead a number of "Coach Educators" would be employed, or re-deployed from the existing workforce - to work alongside the manager.
This is a particularly contentious suggestion, with one senior football official warning some Premier League clubs may bar their young players from joining up for training at St George's Park if the proposal goes ahead.
As part of the regulations for the UEFA A, B and Pro licence, Coach Educators deliver training courses and assess individual coaches in the work they do, rather than regularly working directly with the players themselves.
Another source said it was effectively the "death of the specialist coach model, which has been so successful for England's youth teams in recent years".
Sky Sports News has been told initial proposals to entirely scrap England's U18s and U20s squads have been shelved, because the FA has concerns that, with more and more youngsters having dual nationality, players in these age groups may be tempted to play for other countries for whom they are eligible, thereby meaning they could not play for England's senior team in the future.
He went on to say the FA's relationship with the top clubs is better now than it has been for many years, but could be jeopardised if the clubs feel the standards and resources available for young players on international duty cannot match what is available to them in the Premier League.
A final decision on what changes will be implemented by the FA is likely early in the autumn.
Employment law states any organisation making more than 100 redundancies must conduct a period of 45 days consultation with affected staff.
The deadline for the group consultation - for those who want to challenge or dispute the process - expired on Monday. Most of the coaching staff are expected to face interviews for their jobs in the next four weeks.
An FA spokesperson told Sky Sports News: "We are currently in a consultation period with our employees who have been affected by our proposals to reduce the size of our overall team at The FA, so it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage."
