On a crazy day of leadership history I thought you might like to be reminded of people who "ran the country", even if only for a short period! Here are England's "managers".
1. Walter Winterbottom - 139 games (16 years) The first "independent" manager overseen by the FA!!
Greatest achievement: England's longest serving manager of all time. You might look up what happened before Sir Walter's appointment. Win percentage: 56%
Sir Walter Winterbottom sat on the throne for 16 years, and was England's first ever manager. He led the Three Lions to four World Cups from 1950 to 1962, but struggled on the big stage.
Still, he's a trailblazer in his own right, and a man we must thank for his contribution to the sport. Had dinner with him once, nice man, who lived in Cranleigh, Surrey!
2. Alf Ramsey - 113 games (12 years) Greatest achievement: The only manager to win the World Cup with England. Yeah, no little jokes needed for this one. Win percentage: 61% There is nothing left to say about Sir Alf Ramsey. The man guided England to their first and only World Cup success, and it remains the only major trophy in their cabinet. Those achievements only grow in stature with each passing failure. Thank you, Alf. Greatest achievement: Channelled productivity from Gascoigne. Win percentage: 50% Met mim on Liverpool Street Station late on a Saturday afternoon.
3. Bobby Robson - 95 games (8 years) Sir Bobby Robson was a legend of our game, and one of the best man in the sport. He came as close as anyone has ever come to reaching a World Cup final, but once again, penalties were England's undoing. The emotions were immense at the time, but those who witnessed Italia 90 can just about look back on that tournament with a wry smile. What might have been.
4. Gareth Southgate - 70 games and counting (5 years & 9 months)Greatest achievement: Inspired half the British male population to grow a beard and buy a waistcoat in the summer of 2018. Win percentage: 69%, so far. A memorable 2018 World Cup and a run to the final of Euro 2020, Southgate has been delivering the goods for the Three Lions. With Qatar just around the corner, can Southgate get England dreaming again?
5. Sven Goran-Eriksson - 67 games (5 years) Greatest achievement: Remained a sex icon despite taking the physical form of Mr Burns. Confidence is key lads, take note. Win percentage: 60% This was a bit of a failure really, wasn't it? Sven Goran-Eriksson had all the tools and the greatest crop of players imaginable to win a trophy, but couldn't get past a quarter-final. He suffered some bad luck with penalty heartbreak, injuries or red cards along the way, but it remains a missed opportunity in the history books.
6. Roy Hodgson - 56 games (4 years) Greatest achievement: Allowed an entire nation to enjoy its greatest ever moment... That nation was Iceland. Win percentage: 59% Ah, Roy the boy. Hodgson is such a nice guy, that we all wanted it to work out for the gent. Unfortunately, it didn't. His England team were pretty uninspiring at Euro 2012, worse at World Cup 2014 and then disastrous at Euro 2016. The 2-1 defeat to Iceland will go down as one of - if not the worst - moment in the Three Lions' existence and Hodgson was sadly front and centre of that catastrophe. Met him at an FA Coaching course, when he was at C.Palace.
7. Ron Greenwood - 55 games (5 years) Greatest achievement: Went unbeaten at World Cup 1982 (England didn't win the tournament). Win percentage: 60% Ron Greenwood guided England to their first World Cup in 12 years back in 1982, and most significantly, handed the first ever cap to a black player in the nation's history, Viv Anderson. It was a groundbreaking moment in the world of football, and an important step forward for society.
8. Fabio Capello - 42 games (5 years) Greatest achievement: Allowed adults up and down the country to unlock childhood memories of Postman Pat. Win percentage: 67% I'm not saying Fabio Capello was the strictest control freak in England's history, but he banned tomato ketchup from the training camp, and tried to stop Ben Foster from attending the birth of one of his children. On the pitch, England were as dull as dishwGreatest achievement: Told a racist to do one when abusing John Barnes.
9. Graham Taylor - 38 games (3 years) Win percentage: 47%
One of the sour notes in England's history is undoubtedly the media treatment of Graham Taylor as the national team coach. He tried to bring some attractive football to the international scene, but it never really got off the ground. Later culminating in one of the most boring World Cup games ever during a goalless draw with Algeria, and a humiliating exit at the hands of Germany. Greatest achievement: Went unbeaten at World Cup 1982 but England didn't win the tournament, obviously. Win percentage: 60%
10. Don Revie - 29 games (3 years) Greatest achievement: Got the phone call which never arrived to Brian Clough!!! Win percentage: 48%. Leeds United legend Don Revie left the Whites to become England boss in a move which eventually suited no one. Leeds suffered without their talismanic leader, and Revie couldn't get the Three Lions to buy into his methods like the lads at Elland Road. Failure to qualify for the 1978 World Cup was his legacy.
Then there was Glen Hoddle 28 games, Terry Venables 23 games, Kevin Keegan 18 games, Steve McClaren 18 games, Sam Allardyce 1 game.
Apologies for editing...chaos!
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