Wednesday 16 November 2016 16:46, UK
Gary Neville has questioned the need for a Football Association selection panel as he feels they have already decided Gareth Southgate is their man.
Southgate looks to be in a strong position for the England manager's job after leading them to two wins and two draws during his time as interim boss, with the formal process to appoint the next manager beginning on Wednesday, as initially reported in The Times.
But the Football Association will be keen to get the right person for the job after Sam Allardyce's short reign and former Chelsea and England defender Graeme Le Saux is set to be consulted on his views, along with Howard Wilkinson.
However, the pair will not be part of the official selection panel, which will consist of FA chief executive Martin Glenn, chairman Greg Clarke and technical director Dan Ashworth.
Neville believes the FA are over-complicating the process.
"I woke up this morning and saw that a selection panel has been announced - talk about ticking boxes and making things more convoluted and difficult for yourselves," Neville told Sky Sports News HQ.
"Putting people on commissions that shouldn't be on it which then get forgotten about - I don't know why they do it.
"That panel wasn't in place three months ago. It wasn't there when the last manager was in place why is it now?
"In some ways it's a case of governance gone wrong. They think they need governance in place when in fact they don't.
"They just need to do their jobs and let the football people, who are good people with a good way of working, make the decisions.
"Unless they come up with a shock appointment - and that's not going to happen, they are going to appoint Southgate, that's a fact - why put a selection panel in place? It just doesn't make sense.
"I'm a little dubious about things like that. There will be people saying it needs to have an independent process - but if they wanted it, put in place four years ago."
They just need to do their jobs and let the football people make the decisions.
Southgate's interim period at the helm ended with a 2-2 draw at Wembley in a friendly against Spain on Tuesday and Neville, who won 85 caps for England and was assistant manager to Roy Hodgson, thinks Southgate is the right man to take England forward.
"I do think he should get the job - he deserves it," he said.
"The fact he's gone through the right pathway with the under-21s serves him well. He knows the players, he knows the FA and he knows international football as he's been through it with the under-21s.
"He fits all the criteria.
"The job should be given to an Englishman - Gareth is the most outstanding candidate, irrespective whether England drew against Spain or even if they lost against Scotland."
Stay tuned to Sky Sports News HQ and our digital platforms for Gary Neville's analysis of Manchester United's clash with Arsenal on Saturday live on Sky Sports 1 HD.
