Following on from a theme I explored last week, I’ve thought of an innovative use for social media:

England manager – who goes to Euro 2012? You decide!

With Fabio Capello’s resignation England have just four months to find a new manager before the Euro 2012 Championship begins. England could lead the way in using social media to elect our new manager.

FA Chairman David Bernstein was careful not to exclude any potential candidates from the shortlist being drawn up, but stated that he thought that the manager should be a ‘popular’ choice. Surely, what better way to ensure this than by a Facebook poll?

After all, you can’t walk into a pub at the moment without someone discussing their preferences.  Not only does every football fan in the country have an opinion on the matter, it’s usually more nuanced and carefully constructed than their opinions on the politicians that actually run our country. In fact, the process could become a model for future political elections. Well, it would increase the accountability of the manager at least.

Sure, you might be thinking this is a far-fetched idea – maybe it’s too risky when the interests and passions of millions are at stake. But the role of social media in election campaigns has precedent. The most powerful man in the world is a big advocate of social media for engagement and canvassing opinion and used it extensively in his election campaign: step forward, Barack Obama.

But what about those who couldn’t give a monkeys about football? I bet a lot of them would enjoy debating the voting system used to elect the manager; should it be first-past-the-post or AV?

If nothing else, and if England fail at a major international tournament again, it would quieten all those ‘fans’ who turn on the team the moment we lose and bemoan the manager for not being good enough.  You chose the man, it’s your responsibility.

So, who would you vote for?