Few takers for homegrown bosses in England

The Premier League is touted as being the best league in the world. By and large people accept it, although there are two contrasting views. It’s a league in which any team can beat anyone as the disparity between the haves and have-nots isn’t huge. It’s also a fact that world-class players prefer to go to Spain, Germany and France — specifically PSG — despite EPL’s reputation. Among managers, however, the converse is true as the best in the business flock England.

Just look at the line-up next year: Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Antonio Conte at Chelsea, Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Louis Van Gaal or Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. This is without Claudio Ranieri (Leicester), Mauricio Pochettino (Spurs) or Slaven Bilic (West Ham) who have all done exceptionally well this season.

Another big question is: where are the English managers

Of all the bosses who were in charge at the end of the season, only three were English among the seven British: Eddie Howe, Alan Pardew and Sam Allardyce. The number of homegrown managers in Spain was 14 and it was 11 in Germany. Why should the EPL be different

The influx of incredible sums of money from the TV deal affords EPL clubs a chance to bring in foreign managers who are perceived to be advocates of attractive and new generation football. Perhaps the stigma of 4-4-2 and long balls, although not many play that way anymore, has certainly hurt the chances of English managers.

Money power talks as even mid-table teams in England are able to attract managers who are thought to be elite in other top leagues in Europe.

With opportunities fewer and fewer at the top, English managers burnish their credentials in lower divisions. The likes of Allardyce, Howe and Pardew aren’t likely to receive offers from EPL clubs in the Champions League, meaning that a homegrown replacement for England boss Roy Hodgson is impossible to find. Perhaps the national team may want to take a different route but it sure is a difficult time to be an English manager.