Picking the next England coach is becoming quite the delicate affair (duh). So delicate in fact that the English Football Association are calling upon “expert opinions”, to avoid making the same mistakes again (read: Steve McLaren and missing out on qualifying for Euro 2008). So, it seems that FA chief Brian Barwick will consult a host of leading figures in the game, in his search for a “world-class manager” for the Three Lions.

Or, the “12 Wise Men” as thisislondon.co.uk has tagged them.

Here’s the consultant list:

• England captain John Terry
• Wales boss John Toshack
• UEFA chief Michel Platini
• German legend Franz Beckenbauer
• Managerial legend Roy Hodgson
• England midfielder Steven Gerrard
• Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger
• England legend Sir Bobby Charlton
• England legend Sir Bobby Robson
• Man Utd manager Sir Alex Ferguson
• Formed England manager Glenn Hoddle
• Formed England manager Graham Taylor

Barwick said that he is not working to a deadline because “England’s next competitive match is months away“, hence “it is more important to get the best man for the job“.

The FA insists no shortlist has yet been drawn up, but former Chelsea boss José Mourinho is the current favourite for the job.   

Ex-England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, now in charge of Manchester City, said he could understand the clamour for Mourinho but warned he would be taking on “the biggest job in football”. “Mourinho has already shown that he is big with Porto and with Chelsea, so if he has been winning trophies for them, he can do it with England as well“, said the Swede to BBC Sport. 

“But to be the England manager you must win every game, not do anything in your private life and hopefully not earn too much money” added Eriksson. ”They are the only qualities you need and if you have those, you are perfect. (…) I don’t want to say that I am supporting Mourinho, because I support everyone and it is not my job. But the biggest football job in Europe and in the world is to be the England manager. The Champions League is big and it is fantastic, but to compare it to the World Cup? No chance. The World Cup is, and will be forever, the number one.”

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