Pardew for England?

A trip to Poland and Ukraine is in store for Three Lions fans next summer after a 2-2 draw with Montenegro meant England finished top of Group G.

Whilst it may not be the holiday destination that many English tourists would have chosen, their tickets can at least be booked with a sigh of relief that Fabio Capello guided England through their last qualifying campaign under his command, relatively unscathed.

For when the Italian relinquishes control of his handsomely paid job after the conclusion of Euro 2012, it’s more than likely that the nation will again have a fellow countryman as manager.

A terrifying prospect for some after the reign of the last English manager Steve McLaren whose tenure is best remembered for an umbrella. However it is now the right time to back a home grown manager and also time for a controversial suggestion? 

Alan Pardew is not likely to be a name many people will mention when English footballs top job comes up but his Newcastle side have flourished under his leadership so far this season, unbeaten in seven, playing great attacking football more associated with the days of Kevin Keegan’s first spell in charge and all after losing several key players.

Since January of this year he’s had to watch the departure of the clubs best assets with Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Jose Enrique and most recently Joey Barton all cashed in on by toon owner Mike Ashley.

He’s crossed the channel for replacements and his French revolution is in full swing to the Geordies delight with new arrivals Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba, Hatem Ben Arfa, Sylvain Marveaux and Gabriel Obertan all impressing.

Whilst International management is a world away from club football Pardew is proving himself to be an astute tactician with impressive results against Arsenal and a super win over rivals Sunderland acting as evidence.

Harry Redknapp is the only name on most people’s lips when it comes to naming the next manager, and Pardew will most probably not get so much as 50-1 from Ladbrokes let alone any odds at all, although his CV is comparable and slightly better than many other home grown candidates.

Names like Sam Allardyce, Stuart Pearce and Alan Curbishley will be mentioned although the Magpies manager is the only one currently plying his trade in England’s top tier.

Promotions with both Reading and West Ham are on his CV along with taking the Hammers to the FA Cup final where the lost on penalties to Liverpool.

His sacking from West Ham the following season coincided with his career taking a turn for the worse suffering a relegation with Charlton before being harshly dismissed by Southampton despite winning the Johnstones Paint Trophy.

Now back from the depths of anonymity Pardew has so far made his mark on the Premier league once again with limited resources at his disposal.

And whilst the North East club currently occupy a top four spot, a top seven finish would be a spring board for unlikely calls of “Pardew for England”

Greg Styles