It’s the hope that kills you. But who can blame the FA for allowing themselves and England supporters to dare to dream.
News that FA bosses have sounded out the great Pep Guardiola about becoming the next England boss is quite something. Interim manager Lee Carsley insisted England needed a world-class manager. And they don’t come any better than Guardiola.
He’s the greatest of all time in my opinion - and the prospect of him taking charge of England’s current crop of talent is mouthwatering. Just imagine what he could achieve?
READ MORE: 'Lay off England players' says Lee Carsley as boss hits back at England critics
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If Gareth Southgate can lead the Three Lions to a World Cup semi-final and two Euros finals, some trophies would be a shoo-in with Guardiola running the show.
He loves English football and has come to work in a cold climate and given the domestic game a warm glow like we’ve never seen before. Some of his teams have been the best of all time.
He understands the culture and thinks outside the box, so fair play to FA chief executive Mark Bullingham for asking the question of Guardiola. I didn’t think he had it in him. Here we all were thinking the job was Carsley’s to lose.
That he was part of the St George’s Park pathway and the obvious fit. An English clone of Southgate who ticked all the right boxes. All he had to do was win six Nations League games against mediocre opposition and the gig was his.
But all along, Bullingham and his FA colleagues had been working and waiting on a much more exciting and ambitious plan. On the face of it, you would be a fool to suggest anything other than it is the right thing to do.
The generational group of talent England currently has does deserve to have the cream of the crop managing it., but there is a huge flaw in Bullingham’s bid to get Guardiola in place at the start of next season.
By this time, Guardiola’s huge reputation could also have a huge stain on it. His Manchester City could have been found guilty of breaking the Premier League’s financial rules and some of the alleged offences took place on Guardiola’s watch.
The English champions stand accused of serial cheating, basically. And even if Guardiola had no knowledge of the alleged offences at the time, if his club are found guilty then he will also be guilty by association at the very least.
The battle between City and the Premier League continues to rage and obviously, Guardiola is backing his employers 100 per cent. He believes there are people on a mission to take down City - and has launched numerous passionate defences of the Abu Dhabi-owned club.
But in doing so he has taken on the footballing establishment. He has pinned his colours to the mast and there is no more deep-rooted establishment in the English game than the Football Association.
So what sort of look would it be for the FA if they then went and appointed the bloke who has been such a fierce opponent of them? Not a great one, it has to be said.
We should all like to think Bullingham took this into consideration before picking up the phone to Guardiola’s camp. Which suggests to me the FA are happy to be linked to Guardiola, irrespective of whether or not he ends up in the hottest seat in English football.
Which probably won’t happen due to the number of obstacles to overcome. But never mind, eh? The FA would still look good. Like I said, it’s the hope that kills you.
