Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has urged England bosses to hire a “win-win” replacement for Gareth Southgate in the form of rival Premier League manager Pep Guardiola.
Southgate left his position as the Three Lions’ superintendent on Tuesday after he failed to bring football home against Spain, despite being his nation’s most successful manager since 1966 and helping them reach two consecutive European Championship finals.
Following eight years in charge that saw him at the helm of 102 games across four major tournaments, the 53-year-old believed it was “time for a change”. In turn, this has given the FA an uphill battle to replace him. But while names such as Eddie Howe and Graham Potter have been touted, Scholes appears to have hinted that he would like to see Manchester City’s boss take the hot-seat.
Scholes Votes Pep Guardiola For England
He took to Instagram to rally a “win-win” situation
Pep Guardiola is entering the final year of his contract at Manchester City, and while his future remains uncertain, many believe the one thing missing on the Spaniard’s CV lies within the realms of international football. For this reason, alongside the fact the England post has come at a perfect time, the prediction surrounding a move to international management isn’t impossible.
Among those calling for Guardiola to take charge of the Three Lions is Paul Scholes, who took to his Instagram page to share his thoughts on the managerial situation and posted a picture of Guardiola with the caption “win-win”, as per the Sun. This comes after Micah Richards also tipped the FA to go big to bring in the six-time Premier League winner.
What’s more, according to The Independent, The FA have decided that Guardiola is the man that they want, and clues are scattered across their Southgate announcement, which clearly states that they have an interim choice waiting in the wings should they need additional time in their hunt for an heir.
Scholes’ Reasons For Wanting Guardiola
United icon may wish for Guardiola’s City departure as much as his England arrival
While a hire such as Guardiola would be a huge coup for FA bosses, a reason why Scholes might view it as a double win would be the stripping of the Premier League’s best coach away from City, as well.
Guardiola has guided the Cityzens to an unprecedented four English league titles in a row, while just two years ago, he was able to steer Kevin De Bruyne and Co to a treble. Only Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have managed to topple City in the last six seasons, while Chelsea won the league in the Spaniard’s debut season back in 2016/17.
Because of this, Scholes may see the removal of the 53-year-old from the City bench as a positive for his old club Man Utd, who he would no doubt be hoping could capitalise on the power vacuum. With Erik ten Hag keeping his job amid a hierarchical revamp over at Old Trafford, the new dawn will hopefully look a lot brighter for the Red Devils, and it might finally be time for that so-called ‘end of an era’ to come into effect.
Guardiola has previously expressed interest in managing a national team, saying: “I would like to train a national team for a World Cup or a European Championship.” If the FA play their cards right, then they could end up appoiting one of football’s best ever managers in the coming months.