During the Renaissance, England imported an assortment of Italian humanists in various disciplines and now are poised to do the same in soccer.   

One by one international foreign coaches are turning down the chance to manage England. It really is bizarre to watch the bumbling and clueless FA (yeah, yeah we know the birthplace of codified soccer) search for foreign managers. Oh how the sun has set on this splendid island!

What does this say about the quality of available English coaches?

Does anyone have Eriksson’s number back in Sveeden? Questions: did Eriksson in fact have England playing to their full potential? Are the expectations on the English side simply unrealistic relative to the talent?

The latest ‘tactician extraordinaire’ to say, thanks but no thanks, not in a million years’ is Jose Mourinho. Mourinho pulled himself out of the running after “deep and serious thinking.” How deep and how serious was not revealed.

Regardless, Mourinho is rumoured to take over from Carlo Ancelotti at AC Milan.

That leaves Jurgen Klinsmann, Martin O’Neill and a couple of Italian’s Fabio Capello and Marcello Lippi. Each brings their own pros and cons to the table. The latter two, though yet to be contacted by the FA, have emerged as the leading contenders for the job.

Let’s speak about Capello and Lippi.

The self-promoting Capello has expressed keen interest in the job. He certainly has mentioned enough times on Italian television how much he admires the English game. At any moment, listening to him one gets the feeling that Capello can inadvertently shout, “By George, I think he’s got it!” he’s so interested in England.

Then again, Capello’s international experience is non-existent but he was a champion with AC Milan, AS Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid.

For his part, Lippi has more international experience as revealed in 2006. The way he handled and managed the Azzurri was nothing short of brilliant. The team faced a lot of adversity including the scandal, attempted suicide of Gianluca Pessotto and an unsavoury depiction of Italians published in the popular German magazine Der Spiegel. Through it all, Lippi was a pillar of leadership as he kept his squad focused.

So, what could England expect with Capello or Lippi?

For starters, careful calibrated tactical soccer hinged on team work. Where Capello is far more cemented in his strategies, Lippi is more adaptable and a skillful motivator.  The question is which fits the English personality better? Which of the two would match English soccer sensibilities best?

In Lippi, players have to be prepared to play in many formations and styles. To anyone who paid attention to Lippi at Juventus and the Italian national side would see this clearly.

Capello is a coach, like anyone in Italy, who makes decisions predicated on getting results. Function comes before form. In other words, winning with style is not necessary. In this way, he would demand, as would Lippi, that English players pay careful attention to detail all over the pitch. For hockey fans among you, Capello is a guy who could shut down a game using a trap if need be.

What about their characters? Well, to begin, they are Italian. Let’s just say there’s a never dull moment with them. Both are passionate and sophisticated on how they approach the game. “Don” Capello is highly articulate, intelligent and with an outspokenness that teeters on arrogance. “The Iceman” Lippi measures his words more, is calm, cool and collected.

They share intolerance for egos on any squad they control. Both are known to be combative with the press. Given the tabloid obsessed British papers this may be a problem. Then again, neither Capello or Lippi have a strong command of the English language. This may serve as a buffer for a year or two as they familiarize themselves in a new environment.

However, I would give the edge to Lippi for one reason: he’s a motivator and this may fit well with the English mentality. He tends to be less confrontational and has more international experience. On the other hand, Capello’s enthusiasm for the English game must not be discounted and his managerial style may find supporters in England.