Sir Trevor Brooking's controversial interview in The Times yesterday has touched a raw nerve in the game, with Lord Mawhinney, the chairman of the Football League, stopping just short of demanding the dismissal of the FA's director of football development.

“Frankly, I don't have much time for people who go public and criticise their employers,” Mawhinney, who is on the FA board, said. “That doesn't seem to be a great idea. He's critical of coaching in the Football League, but who is responsible for coaching in this country?”

Brooking's complaints about the lack of funding for grassroots programmes and his comments about the poor quality of coaching at youth level in England angered Mawhinney, who said that questions needed to be asked about Brooking's future at the FA. “The way he is behaving and the scatter-gun approach of his criticism isn't justified,” Mawhinney said. “It is seriously starting to undermine our confidence in him. Trevor was a fantastic footballer. He was an iconic footballer, but none of us must assume that because we were very good in one job that we are very good in all jobs.”

The Football League works alongside the FA, the Professional Footballers' Association and the Premier League to oversee youth development at football league clubs through the Football League Trust. All contribute funding to the trust, which aims to turn promising players into professionals through coaching programmes.

“If the debate is about the inadequacy of coaching then it is perfectly legitimate to say that this is an FA responsibility, so let's ask some questions of the people in the FA who are responsible for coaching,” Mawhinney said. “This season Football League clubs will be putting into youth development something north of £13 million, the FA will be putting in £7.8 million and last year it was £4.5 million.

“Sir Trevor has been going on about age-related coaching, particularly five to 11-year-olds, but he has been in the job for five years. What has been happening over the last five years? Somebody has to ask who has been responding to him in the last few years, including his employers.”

Mawhinney said it was not for him to say whether Brooking should stay in the job. He did give warning, however, that the Football League is running out of patience with the former England player. The FA refused to discuss Brooking's comments last night.