MATT LE TISSIER insists the FA blundered by making Steve McClaren England manager. Former England and Southampton star Le Tiss says Martin OÂ’Neill, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Sam Allardyce would have been better bets.
He said: “I was surprised McClaren got the job and the fact he did get it shows the lack of quality English managerial candidates.
“O’Neill or Scolari would have been better. But if they wanted English, Allardyce would have been a better choice than McClaren.”
Meanwhile, GRAHAM TAYLOR has told Steve McClaren to brace himself for a ‘very difficult time’ if he fails to beat Israel in next month’s Euro 2008 qualifier.
Taylor knows all about the pressure Mac is under as he earned the derogatory nickname ‘Turnip’ when in charge of England’s poor Euro 1992 campaign.
He said: “My overall concern is when it comes to qualifying games. Sven Goran Eriksson’s record was first class and Steve has got to get that right.
“Israel is going to be very tricky, and all he has to take into it is the Croatia defeat and this performance against Spain, which makes me feel uneasy.”