
Luiz Felipe Scolari still wants to manage England and would be open to negotiations were the Football Association to ask him to replace Steve McClaren, though he is unlikely to leave his current job with Portugal before next summer. England's 3-0 win against Israel lifted the mood in the camp ahead of Wednesday's crucial game against Russia at Wembley, but a bad result in that game could still lead to failure to qualify for Euro 2008 next June.
Though the FA insist they have no plans to replace McClaren, they have been under pressure to consider a change of coach. Yesterday's win puts them in a far better position in Group E, but they still need a victory against Guus Hiddink's Russia.
Many of the current England squad are understood to have little respect for McClaren and are said to be dismayed at what they see as his tactical naivety as an international coach and cursory approach to scouting opponents. McClaren could not be faulted yesterday, though, and England brushed aside Israel with goals from Shaun Wright-Phillips, Michael Owen and Micah Richards at a noisy Wembley.
Scolari, 58, recently announced that he would end his five-year term as Portugal coach after the European Championships, and is considering his future after next summer. As in 2006, he is reluctant to break his contract with the Portuguese federation. Asked about the possibility of Scolari becoming England manager this week, his adviser Acaz Fellegger told The Observer: 'Felipe has a contract with Portugal until the end of Euro 2008 and after that he can go anywhere.'