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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Choose an English coach - Platini

Uefa president Michel Platini
Platini is concerned English football is losing its identity
Uefa president Michel Platini believes the Football Association should appoint an Englishman as successor to sacked national team coach Steve McClaren.

The FA has been linked with several high-profile foreign coaches since the dismissal of McClaren last week.

But Platini said: "If I am looking for the manager of England, I would try to find a good English guy who everybody trusts to make a good team.

"England is such a strong country that they have to take an Englishman."

Jose Mourinho, Phil Scolari, Guus Hiddink, Fabio Capello, Louis van Gaal, Jurgen Klinsmann and Northern Ireland's Martin O'Neill have all been linked with the England coaching vacancy.

Former England defender Tony Adams says the FA should seek the advice of past England managers as they look for a replacement for McClaren, who was sacked after the country failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

I would try to find a good English guy who everybody trusts to make a good team
Michel Platini

Adams, who won 66 England caps, said: "What Sir Trevor Brooking - and I have every faith in him because he is a good man - should be doing is speaking to people who have been there and canvassing their opinion, men like Bobby Robson, Glenn Hoddle, Graham Taylor and Terry Venables.

"I remember, when I was England captain, David Dein came to me before Kevin Keegan was appointed and I said the best man for the job was Venables.

"I said the same when he approached me about Sven-Goran Eriksson, but the point is they asked me.

"They should be doing the same with skipper John Terry, who has a fair bit of experience now."

Former England coach Eriksson believes the FA would benefit from speaking to former managers of the national team.

"It is a good idea," said the Manchester City boss. "But all we ex-England managers have been sacked by the FA, so I don't know if they want to talk to us or not.

"I'm sure everyone who had that job has strong opinions about what is right and wrong with the job."

Platini also feels the large number of foreign players in the Premier League is having a detrimental affect on the fortunes of England's national team.

"I like your football, I like the games, I like the fans and the passion, but I don't like the fact that it is too open in allowing in foreign players," said the Frenchman.

"In Arsenal now you don't have an English coach, English players, maybe not an English president soon.

"So why are they playing in England? Because of the fans, because of big business, because of the TV, because the clubs like that.

We run the Premier League and we are running it very successfully, in a way that is beneficial to the English game
Dan Johnson
Premier League spokesman

"When you lose with the national team, that is the soul of your football. It is my philosophy to protect the identity of the clubs and the country."

However, Dan Johnson, the Premier League's spokesman, rejected Platini's comments and said the Frenchman should "mind his own business".

Johnson told Radio 5 Live: "Uefa are a competition organiser and they should look after the Champions League, Uefa Cup and the European Championships.

"We run the Premier League and we are running it very successfully, in a way that is beneficial to the English game. That's our business, not Michele Platini's business."

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