Click:Flexographic Printing Machine Manufacturer
Danny Murphy has suggested Aidy Boothroyd is the wrong man for the England Under-21s job, saying he was only appointed as manager due to his friendship with former FA chief Dan Ashworth.
Boothroyd’s future in charge of the Young Lions is in doubt after his side crashed out of the European U21 Championship after just two games.
England were one of the big favourites to win the tournament, boasting players with Premier League and Championship experience, but they have failed to make it out of their group following error-strewn defeats to France and Romania.
Ashworth, now at Brighton, was director of elite development at the FA when ‘Hoofroyd’ – a nickname he earned for his tactics as Watford boss – was first appointed U21 boss in 2017, after Gareth Southgate was promoted to senior team manager.
The pair have a close relationship which goes back years – first working together at Peterborough 16 years ago and then again at West Brom, where Ashworth was Boothroyd’s assistant in their youth set-up.
Ashworth then took his friend’s job at the Hawthorns after Boothroyd left, eventually becoming the club’s technical director in 2007 before moving to the FA five years later.
In 2014, after being sacked by Northampton with the club at the bottom of League Two, Boothroyd followed the mate to the FA when he was appointed England U20s boss.
And Murphy believes the coach’s was not based on merit and that Boothroyd is not the right fit for the U21s job.
The former Liverpool midfielder told talkSPORT host Jim White: “Bothroyd got this job at a time when Northampton were bottom of the league when he left, and then he got into the England U20s, then the 19s and then U21s.
“He is supposed to be a decent guy, and this it’s not a personal thing, but for me his relationship with Dan Ashworth [is why he got the job].
“Did he get the job on merit? No, not really. There’s a bit of nepotism there and we have to be honest with that.
“His nickname when he left Watford was ‘Hoofroyd’ – his football philosophy is not what he’s trying to do with the U21s.
Click Here: cheap kanken backpack
“If you’re trying to convince a group of players to play a certain way, when really you don’t want to play that way because nothing in your history as a manager suggests that’s your natural philosophy – that’s a problem.
“It’s because he’s working for the FA and they’ve told you to play that way.
“It’s not just about the tactics, though, it’s about the mentality of young players who are earning a lot of money and who are superstars and you need somebody in charge who understand that.
“Results aren’t that important with the U21s, either, player development is crucial. Player development and results, yes.
“I’m talking about the biggest picture, not this particular tournament.
“You’re talking about players responding to a coach, looking up to him, being inspired by him and being taught the right things.”