John Barnes has his say on England's next manager

John Barnes has say on England's next manager after Gareth Southgate and explains why he was sacked as Jamaica national team boss.

• "Lee [Carsley]'s had a great start, but I think that the FA will be after other people when it comes to replacing Gareth Southgate on a permanent basis. If they don't get who they want, then Lee will get the job. I don't think he's their first choice, though, and I think he understands that."
• "It doesn't matter who the number one choice is - you've got to be realistic in terms of who you think you can get. And, because we're England, we seem to think we can get anyone, but we can't."
• "International management is about allowing the players to do what they want, and massaging their egos... I wouldn't say they'd need to be subservient, but there's a lot of egos that need to be managed, and I think Graham Potter is good at that. I think England would suit him down to the ground, so for me, he'd be a great appointment."
• "I managed the Jamaican national team for 11 matches, won seven and drew four... we never lost one. But, of course, they decided not to renew my contract, for different reasons. Even though I didn't lose a game. Times have changed, most importantly for Steve, but when I was in charge, for political reasons, they decided to go in a different direction. In terms of the football, though, we never lost a game... but that's showbiz, when it comes to football."
  

Lee [Carsley]'s had a great start, but I think that the FA will be after other people when it comes to replacing Gareth Southgate on a permanent basis. If they don't get who they want, then Lee will get the job. I don't think he's their first choice, though, and I think he understands that. I don't know who they're actually looking at, or who is available, and they've done well to keep things very quiet. But Lee Carsley won't be their first choice... depending on what happens over the next three or four matches will determine things. 

My number one choice for the England job is simple; it's Jurgen Klopp, but he's not getting the job, because he's not going to take the job. You know, I could say Carlo Ancelotti, too; it doesn't matter who the number one choice is - you've got to be realistic in terms of who you think you can get. And, because we're England, we seem to think we can get anyone, but we can't. 

If you look at the top club managers, they're getting four times what the FA are paying, so you're not going to get the best managers in the world. With that in mind, I'd look at someone like Eddie Howe, although I don't necessarily think he'll leave Newcastle. For me, I wouldn't mind Graham Potter; I think he's got a good way of managing. He manages in a way that top players would like; he's similar to Gareth in that he doesn't scream and shout. He's not a Jose Mourinho, or Jurgen Klopp-type, who wants to shout and dominate everything. International management is about allowing the players to do what they want, and massaging their egos... I wouldn't say they'd need to be subservient, but there's a lot of egos that need to be managed, and I think Graham Potter is good at that. I think England would suit him down to the ground, so for me, he'd be a great appointment. 

I don't have a clue what's next for Gareth Southgate, because I don't necessarily think the top clubs are going to be looking at him. You know, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man United... none of these clubs are going to be interested, because he's very suited to international management. He could be a very good club manager, but I think club managers need to be strong in dominating players, and making sure that you're the most important person in the room, making hard decisions, dropping players, shouting at players... you know, you have to be the man in charge. And, at England, I don't think that was his character. 

So, then, does he leave England to go and take a mid-level Premier League job? Probably not. It will be up to Gareth, though; I don't know what his ambitions are in terms of management, but I don't necessarily see him getting one of the top jobs in Premier League football.

Quite a few people were linked with the Jamaica job - I think Dwight Yorke was even in for it - but Steve McClaren is obviously a very good coach, and he's someone who has travelled a lot, having spent time in the Netherlands and Germany. Jamaica has got a lot of potential, if you look at the players currently in the Premier League, mixed with some of the local players.

It's an adventure for McClaren, and I've already seen him in interviews, it's clear he's trying to ingratiate himself in with the people. The potential Jamaica has is huge... the difference is that they're up against some strong teams in North America, like Mexico, USA and Canada, but then you also have the central American teams... Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua... they're also very strong, as well. It's going to be difficult for them, whereas once upon a time, Jamaica were qualifying for World Cups because the central American teams weren't as strong. So, it's going to be difficult, for sure. 

I'm from Jamaica, and so when I coached the national team, I knew the players, I knew the people, I knew the hierarchy... I knew the country. Steve is coming from a completely different perspective; my mum and dad lived there, and I was brought up there. It's completely different, because times have changed, too. You know, I had a lot of the local players, whereas the advantage he has is that the vast majority of players McClaren has, are currently playing in England, or somewhere in Europe. While I largely had Jamaican players, he's got a lot of English players, if you like, who were born or brought up in England. It'll be easier for him, in that respect. 

If you know anything in terms of Caribbean football, you'll know about the politics out there. I managed the Jamaican national team for 11 matches, won seven and drew four... we never lost one. But, of course, they decided not to renew my contract, for different reasons. Even though I didn't lose a game. Times have changed, most importantly for Steve, but when I was in charge, for political reasons, they decided to go in a different direction. In terms of the football, though, we never lost a game... but that's showbiz, when it comes to football. Caribbean football is often more about the hierarchy; the chairman of the FA, and the board of directors, rather than the manager and the coach. 

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