Liverpool's Carragher says England are cheating

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher accused England off “cheating” by having a foreign manager in charge of the national team.
 
Fabio Capello took over the reins after Steve McClaren failed to guide England to qualification for Euro 2008.
 
England now look set to reach their second major tournament in a row, needing only a point against Montenegro on Friday to make it through to Euro 2012.
 
Football Association chairman David Bernstein confirmed on Wednesday Capello is certain to leave his role as England coach after Euro 2012.

While Capello having revealed his intention to step down after the finals in Ukraine and Poland, Carragher feels his replacement must be English.

The 33-year-old who was called out of retirement by Capello for last year's World Cup, insists his criticism is not aimed at Capello, he maintains that having a foreign coach is “embarrassing”.
 
“The next manager of England should be English,” said Carragher in an interview with talkSPORT ahead of the team's departure to Montenegro.
 
“I’ve got nothing against Capello, I went to the World Cup and got to know him, but that’s not what international football is.
 
“It’s like saying if our keeper’s not good enough, we’ll go and get (Gianluigi) Buffon from Italy.
 
“It’s a form of cheating in international football and it’s a bit embarrassing."

Carragher insisted that a country like England does not require a foreign manager.

He said: “It’s different for developing countries in Africa and elsewhere, who are trying to build the game up but, for England, such a big football nation, I don’t think we should have a foreign manager.
 
“Just because it didn’t work out with Steve McClaren, it didn’t mean we had to go for a foreign manager.
 
“We should have gone for the next best Englishman.”
 
Carragher also believes the lack of opportunities English managers get at top Premier League clubs is a contributory factor.
 
He added: “If every club had an English manager, someone would have to win the league! Someone would have to win the FA Cup! And then they’d accumulate these trophies.
 
“Capello had an aura and presence that maybe McClaren didn’t have.
 
“And it was the same with the likes of Benitez and Houllier at Liverpool, and Mourinho at Chelsea."

Bernstein also responded to the widespread belief that the FA will offer Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp the chance to replace Capello by admitting his organisation had not started the search for the 65-year-old’s successor.

“It is not something on our agenda at the moment. You can’t be half-pregnant at these things,” he said.

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