Ever heard the saying ‘all publicity is good publicity’? It’s something the Football Associations PR’s seem to believe, although they’ve seemingly been proven wrong. In a move which, because of its sheer ridiculousness, has seen everyone shouting ‘PUBLICITY STUNT’, Phil Neville has been appointed manager of England Women’s Football team. Phil fucking Neville.
In case you’re not sure why this is so ridiculous (he did used to play for England himself, after all), he has zero frontline management experience. His ‘qualifications’ for leading the third best team in the world include coaching Manchester United, being caretaker of Salford City and backroom assistant roles for Valencia under David Moyes and his brother Gary Neville. Essentially, he has dabbled in management since his playing career ended. Dabbled.
This of course, has led to a media and fan reaction of WTF, especially after a series of sexist tweets was uncovered from 2011/12.
Phil Neville sexist tweets
The offensive comments range from general sexism to jokes about domestic violence. One read: ‘Relax I'm back chilled - just battered the wife. Feel better now!’
Another: ‘U women of [sic] always wanted equality until it comes to paying the bills #hypocrites’
Then comes the hilarious lads banter we know and love: ‘When I said morning men I thought the women would have been busy preparing breakfast/getting kids ready/making the beds- sorry morning women!’ … this one doesn’t even feel like a joke. It genuinely seems like he believes this to be real life. God bless his wife.
He has since deleted the tweets and his account, stating the comments ‘were not and are not a true and genuine reflection of either my character or beliefs’. Sure, hun.
Alas, there have been no repercussions for this, with FA Chief Sue Campbell stating: ‘Let’s be clear that I’m not even going to try to explain any of those (tweets),
‘He himself has apologised.’
Oh fab, job done. We shall place all our faith in you that he is still ‘the right man for the job’.
Why have the FA appointed Phil Neville?
According to Campbell, who hired Neville, he was the last of a long, long list. She allegedly looked at 147 candidates across 30 different countries before settling on Neville. Of the most qualified managers, everyone apparently dropped out over fears of media scrutiny after previous manager, Mark Sampson, saw his private life intruded upon by the media. Campbell told the BBC:
‘Many of them, having seen the way Mark's departure was dealt with by the media - whatever the rights and wrongs of that - were very nervous of the scrutiny not just for themselves necessarily but for their families.
‘Moving your family halfway round the world and then being subjected to what they thought might be massive intrusion into their private and professional lives was a risk they were not willing to take, and I respect that. These were not weak people, these are good people.
‘Many of them were interested in the role but they were not willing to put themselves into this very difficult - as they saw it - and challenging role.’
So, while there were plenty of qualified people for the job, notably qualified women who would have helped squash the gender gap of elite coaching and managerial positions in football, they were seemingly not prepared to take the role.
One of those was former interim manager of England Women’s, Mo Marley. Her name has been brought up countless times since Neville was appointed, with many people on Twitter pointing to her as the best person for the job.
Allegedly, she did not want a full-time position. However, there’s still a range of other talented candidates to choose from.
Qualified Managers They Should've Chose
Sarina Wiegman, who has experience coaching women’s and men’s teams, led the Netherlands to victory in the 2017 Euro title. Corinne Diacre, manager of France’s women’s team, is considered ground-breaking in the industry. Then there’s Silvia Neid, who took Germany to gold at the Rio Olympics or Jill Ellis, who managed the US team in 2015 Word Cup, to great success. These are just four of many successful women in the field. Are we really expected to believe none of them could be convinced to manage the third best team in the world?
Even if we look at this cynically, and go down the money route, there is surely a figure that could draw someone qualified over. If the FA are willing to pay England men’s manager, Gareth Southgate, £1.8 million – the lowest paid deal in 16 years- was there not some room to offer the England women’s manager more than the £150,000 Mark Sampson was previously paid? It remains to be seen what Neville is getting for the new position, but we can bet it’s nowhere near Southgate’s salary.
Whether the FA tried hard enough or not, we’re stuck with Neville until the 2021 UEFA Women’s Championships end.
As it stands, Neville’s appointment has brought the women’s game a lot of attention. However, that attention has been centered around undermining the team. Appointing someone under-qualified surely implies experience isn’t necessary for the women’s game, versus the men’s. Not only that, but bad management only cements peoples misguided opinions that the team is bad, or at the very least not to be taken seriously.
It’s yet another burden the women’s team have to face, working that much harder to prove their worth. Hopefully, Neville will prove us wrong as a manager, and this PR stunt could pay off, but right now I have more faith that the women will prove you don’t need a good manager to be a winning team.
Follow Georgia on Twitter @GeorgiaAspinall
Training for your own sports and fitness goals? Check out these delicious high protein snacks...
Grazia 20 Delicious High Protein Snacks
1 of 22Müllerlight Skyr Salted Caramel Müllerlight Skyr
That's right, your favourite yoghurt brand have entered the protein market and we could not be happier. This delicious Salted Caramel flavour yogurt is packed with 14g of protein and it's fat free! The thickness of a Skyr yoghurt coupled with the luxury of salted caramel...what more could you want?! Other flavours include Strawberry & Acai. We're drooling already.
2 of 22Halo Top Ice Cream
Just because you're eating to certain macros, doesn't mean you can't treat yourself. Luckily for us nutrient nuts, there are tons of health-conscious dessert companies. Our favourite? Halo Top ice cream. Not only do they have a dairy-free range for the lactose-free and vegan health conscious out there, they also have loads of flavours to choose from...
3 of 22Chilli Garlic Edamame
Boil your edamame for 5 minutes and rain, then heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 2 garlic cloves, sliced. Stir in the edamame after 1-2 minutes and you've got yourself some delicious peas to snack on.
4 of 22Hard Boiled Eggs and Avocado
They might not be the easiest snacks to make, but they're FILLED with protein at 13g per egg. Combine with some avocado for some healthy fats, it's both delicious and nutritious.
5 of 22Chocolate Protein Cake
The ultimate what can I do with this leftover egg problem solver, making a protein cake is as simple as mixing one egg with one scoop of protein power and microwaving it for 1 minute. It's not going to be the tastiest snack in the world, but it's something you can do in minutes when you really need your cake fill. If you've got some time to kill, or you want more than just a quick fix, try this recipe.
6 of 22Mixed Nuts
Almonds and peanuts have the highest protein content, throw them together and you've got yourself a snack you can pick at all afternoon.
7 of 22Chicken Bites
You could buy these in any supermarket, but make them yourself at home and you'll avoid that strong, strange smell in the office. Cut a chicken breast into chunks, fry with your seasoning of choice and pop into a Tupperware box for the next day. Easy, simple and protein packed.
8 of 22Prawn Skewers
Delicious and protein-packed, these prawn skewers will brighten up any dull afternoon. Find the perfect recipe for smoked paprika prawns here.
9 of 22Chia Seed Pudding
Mix 2 tablespoons of whole chia seeds with ½ cup of milk, whichever you like, and refrigerate for 3 hours minimum (overnight is best). Top with peanut butter, fruit, chocolate- whatever you want! With almond milk, this great dessert has 5g of protein per serving, but that will increase depending on what type of milk you use.
10 of 22Black Bean Hummus
Hummus itself isn't that great when it comes to fat and protein content, black bean hummus however has all the nutritional benefits of beans while still being the perfect carrot dip. If you fancy trying to concoct your own black bean hummus, try this recipe.
11 of 22Nut Butter Balls
Combine ½ cup of rolled oats, ½ nut butter of choice, 1 splash of milk and add 2 scoops of your favourite protein powder for an extra kick of protein! Roll the mixture into these teeny balls and you've got a tonne of delicious, healthy snacks for the day.
12 of 22Nutter Butter, The Low Maintenance Way
There's a reason you always see bodybuilders piling peanut butter into their protein shakes, it has a high protein content. Try it as a snack by scooping it on some fruit and veggies like apple or celery sticks.
13 of 22Protein Cookies
Beware of everything you can find on the market. Most things that say 'PROTEIN' in big letters have an average amount of protein and are supplemented by more carbs and fats. Go to protein specific websites if you don't trust your baking skills, but expect them not to be the same as the real thing… I've had my heart broken far too many times. Try out this recipe if you're a dab hand in the kitchen.
14 of 22Pumpkin Seeds
Having a handful of these in your bag will give you an 8g protein boost whenever it's needed. If you have time to make them a little extra, coat them in curry powder and roast for 20 mins at 175 degrees.
15 of 22Broccoli and Cauliflower
It might be a bit random to whip out some steamed veg at your desk, but with 10g of protein per serving they're worth the dodgy looks. If your worried about the blandness of it all, try making up some gravy. If there's ever a reason to add gravy to anything, you have to do it.
16 of 22Roasted Chickpeas
You can put chickpeas with any herb mix you like and roast them in the oven for 45 minutes at 175 degrees for an easy, simple snack for the next day. We like to coat ours is a mixture of cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, oil and salt and pepper for an extra kick (just whisk the ingredients together and coat your chickpeas in it before baking!)
17 of 22Sticky Beef and Cashews
It might sound more like lunch than a snack, but when you need to meet a certain protein intake, you've got to get it where you can. These little combinations of steak, cashew nuts and broccoli are nutritious and filling. Check out the recipe here.
18 of 22Tuna and Crackers
Random, we know, but combine your tuna with pesto or salad cream and slab it on some whole wheat crackers- you've got yourself a rival to the old cheese and crackers fan favourite. Well, maybe not a great rival, but a protein rival for sure.
19 of 22Mixed Bean Salad
Beans contain SO much protein, 15g per serving depending on what type you like. Combine three of your favourite types of bean in a bowl, we go for kidney, cannellini and garbanzo. Lash some of your chosen salad dressing on top and you have a mid-afternoon salad to boost your spirits during the 3pm slump. If you want to be a little extra, add some red onion, celery, spring onion and rosemary for more vegetable goodness.
20 of 22Mini Turkey Burgers
These will take a tad more effort, but a mini-serving of burger goodness HAS to surpass your usual midday pringles. Turkey has is higher in protein than chicken or beef, and has a better fat to protein ratio. Simply mix your ground turkey mix with some egg yolk and seasoning of choice, roll into mini burgers and fry for 5 minutes on both sides. You can eat the burgers alone, with mini rolls or if your SUPER on them gains make some lettuce wraps out of gem lettuce. Throw some salsa alongside it and you've got yourself a filling, nutritional mid-afternoon snack.
21 of 22Protein Shake
Easy if you need a snack on the go, throw a banana, spinach, milk and your favourite protein powder into a blender and your good to go. You can add protein high extras like peanut butter, Greek yogurt or oats if you want a thicker smoothie.
22 of 22Tzatziki Dip
Whether you want it on its own or with some fruit of choice, Tzatziki is a delicious mid-afternoon dipping snack made with Greek yogurt which has 10g of protein per serving. The highest protein yogurt is Skyr Icelandic style, (which you can buy in Lidl and Tesco!) with 16.5g of protein per serving depending on what flavor you buy. Follow this recipe to turn your yogurt into Tzatziki and you have the perfect dip for your veggies.
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.