Next England manager: How sudden Klinsmann availability complicates things

So, what has prompted this massive shift in Klinsmann odds? Well, across spells coaching his native Germany (2004-06) and the USA (2011-16) he has managed national teams for a whopping 132 matches.

To put that in perspective, it’s 33 times more international experience than Southgate’s four games in charge of the senior England setup. Even if you add in his 34 matches coaching the Under-21s, he can’t even boast a third of Klinsmann’s tally.

While Southgate steered the Young Lions to the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship where they finished bottom of their group, Klinsmann has six senior international tournaments as a manager under his belt.

Taking both Die Mannschaft (third place, 2006) and the Stars and Stripes (last 16 and eliminated in extra time, 2014) to World Cups, Klinsmann has made the semi-finals or better at all but one of those tournaments.

It may have been a decade ago, but his Germany side lit up the World Cup on home soil with a string of spectacular goals. Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger effectively launched their subsequently stellar careers on the international stage courtesy of Klinsmann.

Getting the best out of attacking talents

Another attractive quality about ex-Spurs striker Klinsmann is not only his knowledge of the English game, but an uncanny knack to squeeze the most out of strikers on international duty.

Take Jozy Altidore, for example. In Premier League stints with Hull City (2009/10) and Sunderland (2013-15), he could barely hit a barn door with a banjo based on a paltry two in 70, yet he scored 25 international goals in 60 USA caps for Klinsmann.

He was also bold enough to integrate young Bundesliga-based forwards Julian Green and Christian Pulisic into the Stars and Stripes setup, taking the former to the World Cup in Brazil.

England are still searching for ways to get maximum end product from Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane and Dele Alli when all are fit. Could Klinsmann be a better judge of how to do that than Southgate?

Now he’s available, it’d be irresponsible of the FA not to explore the option. Klinsmann has more experience both in preparing teams for tournaments and international management generally, and is clearly a superb motivator.

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