SO England are looking for a new manager just months before this coming summer’s European Championship finals.

It’s not the best position to be in, but at least the FA now have an opportunity to get the appointment right.

I was never the biggest fan of Fabio Capello, and something had to give following his disagreement with his employers over their handling of the John Terry captaincy situation.

From my point of view, I have always believed we should have an Englishman in charge of the national team.

The way the FA hierarchy are talking that’s not necessarily going to happen – but I hope we end up with an English coach permanently, whenever that might be.

We all know who everybody wants – Harry Redknapp – and I think that’s because he is the outstanding candidate of the moment, a proud Englishman everyone believes could do the job.

He has done so well for Tottenham that it would be a major surprise if he didn’t get a call, but whether or not he takes it is another matter.

If I had my choice I would definitely go for Redknapp and I think most people in the country – apart from the Spurs fans! – would do the same.

Spurs under Redknapp may well, in the next few years, have a genuine chance of winning the Premiership title and that’s not something they will want to give up lightly.

They seem to be going from strength to strength with a quality squad and, for them, the England job could not have become vacant at a more inappropriate time.

I am not one of those, however, who thinks the England job can be done on a part-time basis.

Come the end of the season, though, maybe Redknapp could be drafted in to oversee our Euro 2012 tournament and maybe go forward from there.

He knows the players well, so that’s not a problem, although ideally you need your manager to be watching people week in and week out so he’s got a good idea of their form on that basis.

While it would be great if the FA made their minds up now and Spurs let them appoint Harry so he can prepare for the Euros, it’s at the next World Cup in two years’ time where I really want to see us make an impact.

AS most of you know, I love my cricket.

And it’s been a very sobering experience to see England – the No1 Test team in the world – beaten 3-0 by Pakistan in the latest series.

The one-day series gets under way today and I am obviously hoping for better things, especially with our Yorkshire lads Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan in the squad.

England will have to address the problem they’ve had in the batting department when they next play Test cricket in Sri Lanka at the end of next month.

My own belief is one which Andy Flower hinted at in his comments after the third defeat in Dubai.

England had too long a break before they went to the UAE and the batsmen, in particular, were horribly out of touch and form.

While the bowlers did superbly, some suitable cricket should have been found by the ECB after the India home series.

I AM really looking forward to the home meeting with Sheffield United tomorrow night.

With both clubs going so well at the top of the League I table, it’s a great game for us to be hosting and there will be a tremendous atmosphere.

United will bring plenty of backing with them and our fans will also be in great voice, supporting the lads to the full.

We are on a great run of form, another solid unbeaten sequence, and a win against Danny Wilson’s side would go down really well, especially ahead of our enforced blank weekend when we should have been playing Stevenage.

There will be many twists and turns before the end of the season, as the gaffer (Lee Clark) has rightly said, and it’s important we keep plugging away.

The performance against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in September was one of the most memorable of the season so far and, if we can replicate anything like that then everyone will be very happy.

As I keep reminding anyone who asks, we have got a very good squad here and we are more than capable of keeping the pressure on our rivals at the top and seeing the job through come May.

The people in the team know that if they don’t produce the goods then others are queueing up to take their places, and that’s exactly what you want as you look to keep putting points on the board.

The two new lads we’ve recently brought into the squad – Kallum Higginbotham and loan man Sean Morrison – really look the part and they have added to that competition, so we are looking good.