Following more than a week of mounting speculation, the formalities were finally completed and Phil Neville was announced as manager of the England women’s team last night. His reign has already got off to a controversial start with doubts about his suitability for the role and the unearthing of sexist comments he had previously made on Twitter.
The more pressing issue is perhaps why he was even offered the job in the first place. It’s widely acknowledged that Neville didn’t apply for it and doesn’t meet several of the necessary criteria laid out by the FA. Preferred candidates, including interim manager Mo Marley, are said to have turned down the role in the first instance but Neville still represents, at best, a curious choice and yet more questionable decision-making.
Not long after the FA announced a new, and ostensibly more progressive, approach to appointing coaches, with the long-awaited introduction of the Rooney rule, it appears that old habits die hard. Certain figures always get fast-tracked, whether their achievements warrant it or not. Neville’s appointment as the new England women's manager shows that a high profile name and amenable character still counts for much more than relevant experience.
He has a UEFA Pro Licence and has previously worked as assistant manager at Valencia and Manchester United, neither of which ended well. His single match in charge of a senior team came at Salford City, the club he co-owns with other members of the Class of ’92. Neville has never been involved in women’s football before and seems to regard his new role as a stepping stone back into the men’s game.
References to it in interviews as important for his development were particularly galling. Being in charge of the third best women’s team in the world, according to current FIFA rankings, shouldn’t be seen as an opportunity to learn your craft and make mistakes. The championing of Neville does the game a continued disservice, confirming suspicions that nothing has changed and an amateurish approach still prevails.
More suitable candidates unquestionably exist, with far deeper knowledge and understanding of the players Neville will now be working with. Emma Hayes, Laura Harvey, John Herdman and Nick Cushing were amongst those considered by the FA but believed to have decided against taking on the job. The leap from there to Neville makes little sense except in the context of tired old boys’ club attitudes.
Unfortunately, this remains a major factor. Technical director Dan Ashworth, who previously appointed Mark Sampson as England women’s manager, and tried so hard to shield him from the controversies that eventually engulfed his career, has a dispiriting track record when it comes to handing out jobs to his friends. It’s an issue that the FA seemingly has little appetite to address.
Ashworth appointed Aidy Boothroyd, who was best man at his wedding, as manager of the England Under-20s, and later Under-21s, despite increasingly poor performances in club football and a reputation for favouring the sort of reductive style of play that the FA has been keen to get away from. It's a closed shop that plenty more deserving coaches are struggling to break into as a result.
After the disastrous unravelling of the Mark Sampson affair, including revelations of inappropriate conduct with players in a previous role and racist comments directed towards Eniola Aluko and Drew Spence whilst he was England manager, you’d imagine that the FA would be especially keen to get things right this time. To show that they take women’s football seriously and it’s not simply an afterthought. Regrettably, it still feels that way.
