The English assistant - the McClaren factor

So the FA have for once acted swiftly and approriately in appointing the 'world class' manager English fans have demanded following the disastrous reign of Steve McClaren.

In Fabio Capello, England have employed a man with a worldwide reputation as a winner - if not always a popular one - just ask Real Madrid fans.

But playing beautiful football cannot be England's first priority since we can no longer take for granted qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Those who called for an English appointment have been largely silenced - Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley, Harry Redknapp - all have little on their CV to compare to the nine league titles and European Cup that Capello can boost.

And besides it was little more than a year ago McClaren was put forward as the number one English candidate - and look how that turned out. The English managers do not have the experience or tactical expertise needed to manage at international level, and until they are given (and take) their chances at the top clubs in English football this is unlikely to change.

Much has been made of the appointment of an English coach - most likely current Under 21 boss Stuart Pearce - to learn under the guidance of Capello. However all this has a familiar ring. McClaren himself spent five years learning under the wing of Sven Göran Eriksson - and just look how that turned out.

Despite this surely the FA has a responsibility to nurture and develop young English talent to manage the England of the future? McClaren's reputation was already tarnished by the failure of the Eriksson regime - a losing coach taking over a losing team. If Fabio Capello fails to deliver in the World Cup in 2010, will a man like Pearce be able to step up and instill a new winning mentality to the national side?

Are young English managers not better off learning their trade club management - look at Paul Ince. Impressive at Macclesfield and MK Dons, the 'Guv'nor' is showing signs of developing into a winning manager. And he would rather continue to learn his trade through the leagues, than be shoe-horned into an England coaches job for a token Englishman to satisyfythe jingoists.

Now rather than sit back and pat himself on the back for the appointment of the promised 'world class' manager in Capello, Brian Barwick and his colleagues need to remember the other promise they made in the aftermath of the appalling qualifying exit at the hands of Croatia at Wembley - the "root and branch review" of the setup of the English game.

English football needs to be looked at from the grassroots up - go to the park on a Sunday afternoon and you will see fat men with beer bellies shouting at kids to "hoof it into the box" and "get rid of it". This is a cultural phenomen you will not see in the rest of Europe. The organised footballing academies of Holland for example, put to shame the tactically devoid approach of the English game.

Never mind the arrogance and "we invented the game" attitude - England must swallow their pride and not be afraid to look at their European neighbours and say - "If it works for them - how can we make it work for us?"

A full blooded review of the way the game is run from the very bottom is needed - an expensive Italian may deliver success in the short term, but if England want to qualify for the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and beyond, English football needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror and say - is this the best we can be?