There is a tantalising alternative history of English football in which Sean Dyche does not get offered the Burnley job in October 2012. Instead, he continues to plug away in the position he had started a month earlier, as an assistant to Stuart Pearce in the England Under-21 setup. Perhaps over the following years, it is he and not Gareth Southgate who emerges as the natural heir of English football’s new dawn.
The fields of St George’s Park resound to the gospel of 4-4-2. Danny Ings wins 100 caps and a World Cup Golden Boot. England beat Italy in the Euro 2020 final because let’s face it, there’s no way a Dyche side is letting Leonardo Bonucci get a free shot from three yards. The world feels like a simpler place, but in many ways a happier one too. Does Dyche forge the connection with England’s hardcore fans that Southgate never enjoyed? Does Brexit still happen? Does the “red wall” stay red?
