Hodgson set for England

The West Brom boss arrived just before 3pm on Monday afternoon to meet the four-man Club England board - David Bernstein, Alex Horne, Sir Trevor Brooking and Adrian Bevington - to open negotiations after his club granted permission for him to become Fabio Capello's successor.

He left just after 7pm without making any comment and the FA confirmed there would be no further statements, although an update is expected at some point on Tuesday.

However, the mere fact nothing has happened can be viewed as a good sign, with the silence probably having as much to do with the other major footballing story of the day 200 miles north in Manchester as any breakdown in negotiations or unexpected stumbling blocks.

Certainly, FA insiders were at pains to stress Hodgson was attending a "meeting" rather than an interview, offering further proof that he remains the only man on their radar.