The FA Urged To Appoint Pep Guardiola As Manager On Part-Time Basis

The FA have been urged to appoint Pep Guardiola as England manager on a part-time basis.

The pressure has increased on Gareth Southgate after a woeful winless run, including a 4-0 hammering at home to Hungary - England's worst defeat in 12 years.

Southgate received chants of "You don't know what you're doing" late on at Molineux last month, while plenty of fans on social media were calling for his head.

If you asked England fans, Brighton boss Graham Potter would appear to be the ideal candidate to take over after implementing an attractive style of play and guiding his side to ninth in the Premier League last term.

But former England pair Darren Bent and Jack Wilshere have a creative suggestion and believe Guardiola would get more out of the current crop.

"I think he could do more with them players, half of them play in his team!" Bent said on talkSPORT.

"Gareth is not a better manager than Pep Guardiola. Half the squad know Pep more than they know Gareth because they're with him all the time. You've got [Raheem] Sterling, [John] Stones, [Kyle] Walker, [Jack Grealish], [Phil] Foden - he's about to have Kalvin Phillips potentially - that's six."

Wilshere weighed in, adding: "I don't think we're saying anything bad against the current manager but Pep's the best in the world. I don't think it would be right now to do it but going forward I think that could be a thing. I could see it."

Southgate's deal with England had been due to expire after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year, but he signed an extension to remain as manager until December 2024.

Although he guided England to the semi-finals in the last World Cup, as well as their first final since 1966 in the Euros last summer, fans have grown frustrated with a perceived negative approach from the former Middlesbrough boss.

After his success with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Guardiola has won four Premier League titles at City since taking the reins in 2016 and has had a transformative effect on English football.

His deal with City is due to expire in 2023 and the Catalan has revealed a desire to manage an international team.

“Gareth Southgate is doing an incredible job and has just signed a new contract, so congratulations," Guardiola said in November.

"I don’t think about it, but when I finish here training it would be a pleasure to live a World Cup or a European Cup.

“I would like that. But normally it is not easy because there are so few positions. I would like it to happen, but if it doesn’t I will train a club. So no problem."