Graphic: Bill Edgar's tactical analysis

The FA will start another managerial search today, an announcement that is liable to make all readers crawl back under the duvet. You will remember the previous one as a farce that concluded with the appointment of Steve McClaren. Didn’t that turn out well?

The bad news is that this next hunt will be conducted by the same people who ran the last one. There isn’t any good news.

Martin O’Neill, the outstanding candidate, is understood to be reluctant to abandon Aston Villa. We must hope that he can be persuaded, but the former Northern Ireland player has always been his own man.

Expert View

English football has to be better than this; and, when it is not, the man in charge knows what to expect

Martin Samuel

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BACKGROUND

• McClaren sacked as England coach

• Dismissal is no compensation for England fans

• Jitters destroy England’s composure

• Turnip or terrific? Fans give answer to McClaren

BACKGROUND

• How England rated

• If O’Neill says no, will the FA call Klinsmann?

• Terry defends man in charge

• Why England will be sorely missed in finals

BACKGROUND

• Let’s not just blame the team, blame the Americans too

• Good riddance to fear factors

• Echoes of Bogota as Croatia official is accused of shoplifting

• Seven deadly sins

BACKGROUND

• McClaren: the buck stops with me

• Analysis: Gabriele Marcotti

• 'Not even prepared to get his hair wet!' - the fans' verdict

• Barwick: McClaren had to go

BACKGROUND

• England's qualifying horrors

Multimedia

• England fans: let off steam here

• How the drama unfolded

• Is McClaren a scapegoat?

Multimedia

• What you should do next summer

If he cannot be tempted, the next manager of England is anyone’s guess. Pick a name, any name. Sven-Göran Eriksson is doing well at Manchester City. Worth a shout?

Now that McClaren’s failings have been exposed one by one — and unless the umbrella was bullet-proof, that was not a good look to go out with — we must conclude that there is not a single Englishman worthy of leading the national team. As depressing statements about English football go, rank that as more embarrassing than too many foreign players, no left-footers, an inability to keep possession and no tactical nous.

It is at this point that supporters of Harry Redknapp, Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley pipe up, but McClaren’s club record beats all of them. He is the only one to have won a trophy, albeit the Carling Cup. He led Middlesbrough to the Uefa Cup final. His former club are a long way off that now.

If there was a Fifa rule demanding that every country must be managed by a national, McClaren would have been the leading candidate to succeed Eriksson. His fall has left us bankrupt.

We must presume that the FA will look overseas, but there is a dark horse in all of this: Alan Shearer, even though he has never coached a team except while studying for his FA badges. Nor had Jürgen Klinsmann when he took over Germany and he led them to the World Cup semi-finals. As a former goalscoring hero, Shearer would be a popular choice and the FA has always been a sucker for that.

But whereas Klinsmann never had to fret over qualification, Shearer would have a few friendly matches to learn the ropes before being tossed into tense, competitive matches. Something for him to think about if the FA does ask him to climb off the comfortable pundits’ couch.

And is the FA ready to take a risk on a novice, having seen McClaren fail to qualify at a loss to the organisation of at least £10 million. Or does it start scouring again for another foreign coach? Klinsmann is unemployed and waiting in California for a decent offer. He would not be cheap and would demand to bring a small army of coaches, but he would brighten up the place with his positive thinking. And the England fans probably would accept anyone if it turns around the team’s fortunes.

José Mourinho is also unemployed, but while he might have come to England’s aid for a six-month stint, he will surely wait for a big club in Spain, Italy or Germany to come calling. Marcello Lippi and Fabio Capello are out of work. Guus Hiddink? He has committed to staying with Russia, where he is a hero. Luiz Felipe Scolari, who qualified with Portugal, can probably be discounted, having been frightened off either by the English media or by Brian Barwick, the FA chief executive, last time.

Before we round up the usual overseas suspects, we have to round up the international committee. On second thoughts, don’t. It was its meddling that made such a mess of the previous search. Barwick had originally wanted O’Neill. How he must have been regretting that decision as England reached their lowest ebb for more than a decade under weeping skies last night.

The players wanted to do well for McClaren, but that is different from believing in him. His caution at critical moments in this campaign served only to fuel the dressing-room doubts. It was a job that required a big man, a bold man, someone capable of leading on the front foot — a quality required in the manager because the players so evidently lack it. He inherited a fragile bunch but has left players such as Steven Gerrard even more riddled with insecurities. That does not speak well of some big names, players who will be hero-worshipped in the Barclays Premier League this weekend. But motivating them was McClaren’s biggest challenge. Inevitably, he must carry the can.

Knowing that Arsène Wenger will not touch the job, Barwick’s first call must be to O’Neill. If the answer is no, the chief executive will have to set about a new search himself rather than relying on his chairman for advice.

In his programme notes last night, Geoff Thompson, the FA chairman, said: “Let’s make tonight a night that will live long in the memory.” In one way he was correct. We will never forget it. Defeat finished McClaren. Saviour of English football required — even if he is German.

Place your bets

Martin O’Neill, the Aston Villa manager, is the 7-4 favourite with Ladbrokes to take over as England manager. José Mourinho is 7-2, while Luiz Felipe Scolari is 5-1.