Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce is the favorite for the job, having also been interviewed to succeed Roy Hodgson, who quit after England’s dismal showing at Euro 2016 where it suffered an embarrassing defeat by Iceland in the last 16.
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He was on the bench for the first half of the pre-season friendly with Hartlepool, which Sunderland won 3-0, but did not appear for the second period.
Former Manchester United and Everton boss David Moyes and current Burnley manager Sean Dyche are reported to be among the favourites.
Hull City’s Steve Bruce said on Tuesday he had been interviewed by the F.A. for the vacant England manager job.
According to the Telegraph, the FA’s three-man panel of technical director Dan Ashworth, chief executive Martin Glenn and vice-chairman David Gill approached the Frenchman but he was not prepared to break his contract with the Gunners.
The FA apparently see Allardyce as the ideal man for the job, as he is able to get all his teams playing a very particular brand of football, based around a “high work-rate and defensive resilience”.
“We need to understand it better”.
Apart from being well versed in psychology, the FA are adamant the new manager must not be a “short-term mercenary” as he will be handed a brief that extends well beyond the senior side.
“Naturally we are aware of the intense media speculation this evening, however, at the present time Sam Allardyce remains Sunderland manager”, said a club spokesman.
Glenn was quoted: “It’s been three weeks since the hunt started and we’re making good progress”.
If England have got their man, Allardyce’s exit will leave Sunderland looking for a ninth permanent manager in less than eight years just when they thought they had established a firm foundation following last season’s successful Premier League safety drive.
If the FA’s search for a manager is at an end, the Black Cats now face the task of finding a ninth permanent boss in less than eight years, although wheels have been in motion for some time.
“We are taking the appropriate amount of time”.
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But that will not stop Sunderland from their double-pursuit of compensation for Allardyce’s services, and his replacement.
