SAF: England Boss Should Be Experienced
Sporting Life: Sir Alex Ferguson has restated his belief that international management is a job for someone with experience.
The Manchester United boss has previously cited Jock Stein as someone who - at 55 years old when he took the Scotland job - was the ideal age to take charge of a national side.
It is a theory Ferguson is likely to share with Brian Barwick in person when the FA chief executive asks him for advice over the appointment of Steve McClaren’s successor.
Only this week, 48-year-old Alex McLeish quit Scotland for the day-to-day pressure of life at Birmingham, and while Ferguson understands perfectly why the FA would be interested in finding out whether 44-year-old Jose Mourinho wants the job, he outlined the problems with going for a younger man.
“I have said time and time again that experience is important,” he said.
“Being an international manager can create a problem. If you are young, there is an inclination to go back into club football, particularly if you are successful. That has been shown with Alex McLeish.
“I spoke to him a couple of times about his situation.
“He is a young man. The fact Scotland were doing so well has just given him the urge to be back in daily involvement again.”
Ferguson confirmed neither Barwick, Sir Trevor Brooking nor anyone else from the FA had been in touch, although he did pledge to do everything he could to assist.
“Obviously, I will try to help the situation,” he said.
“A lot of people want to do that because it is important to our game that England get the right man to replace Steve and try to drive the team on.
“It is not easy to get international managers. It is not an easy job and it is not an easy selection process.
“No-one at the FA has spoken to me and I don’t know if they will or not, but there is nothing wrong with them asking football people.”
However, Ferguson denied saying he would put Mourinho at the top of his hit-list, as was reported in some quarters earlier this week.
“Obviously, if Jose wanted it, he would be a consideration,” he said.
“But if Arsene Wenger said he was interested, he would be a consideration. If I said I was interested, I would be a consideration.
“First of all, it is about who wants the job and then who has the qualifications for it.”
