Would Alan Pardew succeed as England manager?

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew is currently viewed as a favourite to replace Roy Hodgson as England manager after Euro 2016, but is he the right man for the job?

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Hodgson’s contract expires at the conclusion of next year’s tournament, which will be held in France, and many people believe that he will not be offered a new contract and will vacate his position.

This has led to a number of bookmakers to place odds on who they believe will replace Hodgson after the Euros, with Pardew one of the frontrunners for the job.

SkyBet have place 9/1 odds on Pardew taking over from Hodgson, making him their second most-likely candidate with Gary Neville having odds of 4/1.

Paddy Power, however, feel that Pardew and Neville are neck-and-neck, giving them both their top odds of 5/1.

He has helped turn Crystal Palace into a strong threat in the Premier League, with the club currently sitting in 6th place after earning a 1-1 draw against Everton yesterday.

He has also been quite outspoken regarding the England manager’s position, suggesting that the job should be a tournament-by-tournament basis.

"“To give yourself the best chance the manager should be (appointed) tournament by tournament. You’re not building anything, you’re picking an instant best team to win a championship.” – Alan Pardew on the England manager job"

So if Pardew succeeds in achieving his goal of earning the England manager position, would be successful in his first tournament in charge?

If Pardew succeeds Hodgson after next year’s European Championships he would be tasked with improving England’s fortunes in the World Cup, with the 2018 tournament in Russia.

England failed to qualify past the group stages at the 2014 World Cup, which would make progression from the group stage in 2018 Pardew’s number one objective, assuming England qualify for the tournament without any issues.

Beyond that, a Quarter-Final appearance could be considered an achievement and fans would consider Pardew to have been successful in his first international tournament.

So what does Pardew need to have to bring success back to the Three Lions?

Passion is something that Pardew clearly has about football. His antics on the side-line have occasionally gotten him into trouble Premier League officials but his passion for the game can’t be denied.

Something fans feels is lacking from Hodgson is passion, with the England manager rarely showing too much emotion prior to, during and after matches.

Pardew has passion and emotion in an abundance and would certainly be apparent on the side-line during England matches.

Tactics are always important in football and Pardew seems to favour the popular 4-2-3-1 system, retaining possession often and attacking from a wide position.

He has also been shown to use a 4-3-3 attacking style that could give England a new look, with the Three Lions sticking with a 4-2-3-1 system throughout Roy Hodgson’s tenure.

Being willing to try new tactics and play to his players’ strength could see Pardew succeed with England, with him likely to look at players that fit a particular need for the team he is in charge of.

Players such as Wilfried Zaha, Jason Puncheon and Scott Dann have all flourished under Pardew as a result of him allowing them to play to their strengths, which have seen them all contribute to Palace’s strong Premier League position this season.

Pardew also has a wealth of experience on his side, having managed teams such as West Ham United, Southampton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace.

He has performed well when given the proper tools and freedom to work with his team, being voted the Premier League and LMA Manager of the Year for the 2011/2012 season.

He is also extremely popular with fans in England, which is not necessarily a pre-requisite to success, but it can certainly help to boost fan’s belief in the national team and seemingly renew interest from fans that have fallen out of love with England due to their failings in recent years.

Another aspect that can help boost fan interest is the fact that he is English and he is very clearly passionate about the national team.

Having a passionate man in charge of the country that he loves and cares about can give players a huge boost in the dressing room, helping to invigorate them during tournaments and give them that extra motivation to go out and impress the people sitting in the stands and watching back home.

The step up to international management is a difficult one and there is no telling if Pardew would truly be successful in the position of England manager.

But he has the passion, experience and ability to lead teams and he could be a breath of fresh air for the national team.

If Hodgson is truly destined to leave after Euro 2016 then Pardew just has to convince the FA that he is a better choice than Gary Neville.

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