THE LONG PROCESS OF INTERVIEWING prospective England managers should come to a close tomorrow when Alan Curbishley is due to meet the FA for the second time. The panel will then start to thrash out its final decision, with an announcement possible by the start of next week.

The governing body had originally talked of a press conference after the end of the domestic season, but pressure from various clubs for clarification is likely to speed up the process.

The timing is particularly important for Middlesbrough given that Steve McClaren, one of the leading contenders to succeed Sven-Göran Eriksson, has a hugely significant fortnight ahead with semi-finals in the Uefa and FA Cups against Steaua Bucharest and West Ham United respectively.

Curbishley will have to give an impressive second interview if he is to come into the reckoning. The Charlton Athletic manager’s inability to cope with the scrutiny over the past couple of months, and his disgruntled comments last week about the lack of communication from the FA, have perturbed those leading the recruitment process.

The governing body interrogated Sam Allardyce, Martin O’Neill and McClaren last week with interviews at an Oxfordshire manor house and it is believed that Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian coach of Portugal and the man with the most impressive CV, has also been seen for a second time by the FA.

Of those grilled, Allardyce is said to have been the most impressive at interview. Support for the Bolton Wanderers manager was thought to have ebbed but, in what has been a drawn-out process, that revelation has provided yet another twist.

Opinion among those who make the decision is still split, as it has been all along, and the only thing that can be said with certainty is that some of the FA figures involved are strongly inclined to English candidates.

Middlesbrough’s surge has put McClaren to the forefront, particularly with his experience as Eriksson’s right-hand man and his work under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, although there will be more deliberations at the end of the week.

The debate is not only about the qualities of the candidates but about the role being offered. There is a feeling within the FA that Eriksson’s successor should not only win matches but help the governing body in developing the next generation of English coaches so that the national team never again look overseas.

It is not known whether O’Neill, who has previously worked closely with John Robertson and Steve Walford as his backroom staff, would be willing to work with other coaches, although reports yesterday that the Northern Irishman had dropped out of the race were misleading.

O’Neill has made it plain to the FA that he wants the England job but he will not be short of offers if he misses out. Newcastle United have already offered him the vacancy and Middlesbrough would be interested if McClaren was to leave the Riverside this summer. There could also be invitations from Fulham and possibly Aston Villa.

While in no position to demand an answer from the FA, each of the candidates will want an answer sooner rather than later. O’Neill is being put under pressure by Newcastle, while Middlesbrough, Charlton and Bolton want to know if they are in the market for another manager.

While each member of the panel is known to have their own opinions, it is understood that there is still much talking to be done. Five men will have a vote — Brian Barwick, the FA chief executive, Sir Trevor Brooking, the director of football development, and senior councillors, Dave Richards, David Dean and Noel White. Geoff Thompson, the organisation’s chairman, could have the casting vote if the committee cannot decide on one candidate.

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