Wednesday 30 October 2019 16:10, UK
The England manager job is caretaker boss Gareth Southgate's to lose, according to the Sunday Supplement panel.
The England U21 coach has been appointed to take charge of the next four games following Sam Allarydce's decision to leave the role by mutual consent following revelations in the Daily Telegraph this week.
Southgate's stint includes three World Cup qualifiers - one against Scotland at Wembley - and a friendly with Spain at the end of November, with a job well done potentially sealing the job on a permanent basis.
"I think they will end up giving it to Gareth Southgate if these four games go reasonably well. I'd say seven points would be enough to get him the job and I think that is what will happen," the Mail on Sunday's chief football writer Rob Draper said on the Sky Sports show.
"We've just been through this process and been through the English candidates and Sam Allardyce emerged top of that. I think the other candidates we're talking about, such as Eddie Howe, I do think I would be much too soon for him and much too young.
"At which point, you end up with 'okay, let's go with Southgate and see what he can do.' It would be foolish to think that somehow this might be our Joachim Low and convince ourselves that everything is going to be really good under Southgate because he does have limited experience. That is a risk because he could get exposed.
"Equally, I don't agree with the culture of a super manager for England. You can appoint a reasonably good coach or manager and if he gets the atmosphere of the players right, there's no reason that Southgate couldn't take England to a World Cup quarter-final.
"I wouldn't expect much more than that and that would be the top end of expectation but I suspect the FA will come to the same conclusion and he will end up in the job."
Draper's fellow panelist John Cross agreed Southgate is at the front of the queue for the job, and needs to stamp his authority on the side over the coming months.
"I think it's Gareth Southgate's to lose. If possession is nine tenths of the law, then I think he keeps the job," the Daily Mirror's chief football writer said.
"He's an interesting one because I think his reluctance in the summer was quite telling on a temporary basis but I think the difference is this time is that he has four games so he has got an opportunity, all be it short, to make an impression, make his mark, do his own job and that's important.
"He obviously has a connection from being around St George's Park, being around the FA and Wayne Rooney straight away, I think he's cleared that up and connected with him.
"Some of the younger players will immediately like him, I know John Stones is a huge fan of his and I think those sorts of players can blossom and be given the opportunity under Southgate.
"One thing he must see to be doing over the next four games is show that he is strong enough and a good enough leader because I think that perhaps is the doubt in the public perception. That is a bridge that he has got to cross."
The panel also discussed the dismissal of Allardyce, with the Telegraph's Jason Burt believing his early apology will work in his favour as he looks for another managerial role in football.
"I think he made it quite clear early on that he was willing to apologise and was very contrite and I think again that was in his favour," Burt said.
"I think he felt it was the right thing to do, that he had to go, and I think it will benefit his career in the long run in terms of getting back into the game."
Cross also praised the FA for their swift handling of the incident, but did feel sympathetic towards Allardyce after lasting just 67 days in a job he had always wanted.
"I think the FA have emerged with credit. They will be knocked and will continue to be knocked but when something has happened, they have moved so quickly to address the issue that they've regained ground and I think it is Allardyce who deserves to be hung out and dried rather than the FA," he said.
"I have a degree of sympathy purely on a human level because whatever you think of him, he's been a good manager, a consistent one throughout his career and this was the job he's always strived for. Where he completely let himself down is through sheer greed."
