England manager's job: Southgate? Redknapp? Or do the FA believe in Hod?

Capped 57 times, Southgate, 45, is a man who missed a penalty playing for England and profited from it via a Pizza Hut advert. Southgate’s saved penalty in the Euro '96 semi-final with Germany was the crucial moment at the old Wembley. Little did we known back then that the national side would not return to the last four of a major tournament over 20 years and the next 10 major tournaments.

The former Crystal Palace captain led the England U21 side to a 2-1 win over France in the final of the Toulon tournament, and is favourite for the job because he comes from within the FA set-up.

He has club experience after managing Middlesbrough in the Premier League and the Championship before being sacked after three years in 2009. A touch of jobs for the boys perhaps, but at least he won’t need to be introduced to expectation levels.

- - -

Hoddle has already been touted this morning by fellow England old boys Alan Shearer and Chris Waddle as the right man to succeed Hodgson, and he has been here before with the national side having led them to the World Cup in France in 1998. Unlike Hodgson, Waddle feels Hoddle would have a Plan A, B and C in tournament football. Shearer, also a candidate for the role, would like to see Southgate team up with Hoddle in your standard 'dream team'.

He was sacked before the Euro 2000 campaign not for his performance, but for stating contentious religious beliefs relating to disability and the sins of a former life. He later said sorry for offence caused.

His lack of recent management work is the main issue: now 58, the ITV pundit has not managed since running Wolves a decade ago, but remains one of England's finest footballers of modern times.

- - -

Shearer got his fingers burned as Newcastle manager when he failed to keep the club in the Premier League during a two-month stint back in 2009, and has not been back in the technical area. He has been a critic of Hodgson and his tactics during this tournament, but it is always easier to say than do - as Gary Neville discovered when he left the TV studio to go to Valencia. Would Shearer swap Match of the Day for the ‘impossible job’?

He's intimated his interest to the FA before only to be told he did not have enough experience. "I'd definitely speak to them, absolutely. I would offer my experience and tournament experience,” he said.

- - -

What you could describe as the Housewives’ favourite. When you look down the list of successful English managers in the Premier League, there is a real dearth of talent in terms of winning trophies. Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew came closest when he lost the FA Cup final to Manchester United at Wembley last month, but the Premier League season went seriously awry after a bright start in his second season at Selhurst Park. Palace were flying at Christmas with talk of Europe even doing the rounds, but the club finished 15th in the table after a 14-match run without a win.

He'd probably jump at the England job, but it's difficult to see him getting it. And not just for that ill-timed and slightly weird dance he embarked upon after Palace opened the scoring against United, only to cave in late on. Do you really want an England manager showing off his moves after a goal?

On second thought, after four years of Roy Hodgson maybe that's exactly what England need.

- - -

If you are going to install Southgate as favourite, surely 38-year-old Howe must be worth a look? Slightly younger than Southgate, but has the credentials to match him. Has produced a minor miracle in leading Bournemouth out of League One and the Championship and into the Premier League, retaining their status while clubs such as Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Norwich City were tumbling back into the Championship.

Young, charismatic and a motivator of players, Howe is a coach rather than a manager. He would certainly inject a frisson into the national side that was missing against the men from Iceland.

- - -

This wouldn’t be a discussion of the England manager’s job if we didn't link Harry with it. He looked a certainty for it during his days as Spurs manager back in 2012, but Tottenham chief executive Daniel Levy didn’t take too kindly to his manager apparently touting himself for the national job and he dismissed Redknapp at the end of the season.

The sober-suited FA decided against Redknapp, perhaps helped by a tax evasion case going on at the time, and opted for a safe pair of hands in Hodgson. Very safe, but not successful.

Could Harry, fresh from a short stint as Jordan coach, inject some pride in these England players? Possibly, but he won't get a chance given what he said this morning via his column in the Daily Telegraph “I've got no faith whatsoever in the Football Association picking the right man to succeed him (Hodgson)”.

- - -

Maybe Gary Neville will manage England in the future, or maybe not. Now doesn’t seem like that time.

After a wretched season in which he was hired and sacked by Valencia in Spain, Neville has been party to one of the bleakest defeats in England’s football history. Now would be a decent time for him to return to the punditry game for a bit.

- - -

Has just landed what he describes as his ‘dream job’ at Scottish champions Celtic, and is unlikely to be keen on a move into international management at the age of only 43.

Still, Rodgers has managed Liverpool and knows what the pressure of such an environment entails. His teams also play an attractive, passing style that would appeal to the FA if they decide to try to open dialogue with the Northern Irishman.

- - -

If the Football Association are looking to return to an overseas candidate, Wenger would be the obvious choice.

He would be a dream choice for many fans and, at the age of 66, is at a time of life when he's probably suited for the less demanding gig of international football. But who is to say he would want a such a job? And who is to say he would want the England post when he may well be asked to manage France in the future? Probably a non-starter.

- - -

Big Sam once said he could have managed Inter Milan or Barcelona. He's a tried and trusted manager with a formidable track record in the Premier League at clubs such as Bolton, Blackburn, West Ham and Sunderland.

Last season he pulled off one of his greatest achievements as he helped to keep Sunderland in the Premier League, and would be keen to speak to the FA if they are looking at an English candidate.

He was in fact interviewed for the England’s manager job a decade ago, but lost out to Steve McClaren. And we all remember how that finished up...