Who's Next Then?

As Fabio Capello clears his desk at Wembley, the Italian's successor as England coach will discover that he has left a congested in-tray behind him.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is at the front of a short queue of contenders to replace Capello following his resignation at the conclusion of a chain of events that moved rapidly after the Football Association board stripped John Terry of the captaincy.

And when the FA's new man is appointed, there will be no time for gentle introductions or a period of acclimatisation with England preparing for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine in June and matters of pressing urgency to be resolved.

Capello will be remembered for overseeing a poor World Cup in 2010 (Picture: Getty Images)

The FA may be able to muddle through the friendly against Holland at Wembley later this month, but the clock will then start ticking towards that showpiece and the business of putting England in shape to make an impact.

Redknapp is undoubtedly the stand-out candidate. Experienced, popular, with a proven ability to handle big players and personalities plus a knack for fashioning attractive teams ensures important boxes are ticked.

And - crucially in the eyes of many passing judgement on who should be England's next manager - he is English.

Whoever finally settles at Capello's old desk, he must resolve a series of key items on his immediate agenda well before the summer.

Item one will be the appointment of a new captain after Terry's removal ended with Capello sacrificing himself, albeit near the end of a £6m-a-year contract, on the altar of principle as he felt a line of demarcation had been crucially crossed by the FA board, led by chairman David Bernstein.

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard remains the prime candidate to replace Terry, although there is a strong lobby for a fresh face such as Tottenham's Scott Parker, who has been getting glowing references about personality and performances on an almost weekly basis from Redknapp this season.

He must then tackle the particularly thorny issue of whether to include Terry, whose identification with Capello will grow even stronger after his resignation on a policy matter surrounding the Chelsea defender, in his squad for Euro 2012.

Terry has privately indicated a willingness to continue his England career and can still be a formidable figure, although it remains to be seen whether Capello's departure changes that stance. Will his very presence at Euro 2012 provide an unwanted distraction in the light of this disruptive saga that led to England losing their coach?

He must also weigh up what part, if any, Rio Ferdinand will play as his form and fitness falters. Ferdinand is another who has insisted he wants to extend his international career but the new man must judge whether he can afford to take the United defender and Terry to the tournament.

Many sub-plots exist between the pair as two former captains, plus the involvement of Ferdinand's brother Anton in the charges of racial abuse brought against Terry, which he denies.

The new manager must also devise England's plan to cover for the loss of their finest player Wayne Rooney, who will be serving a two-match suspension at the start of Euro 2012. How successfully this dilemma is solved could even end up shaping their chances at the showpiece.

If Redknapp is appointed, then players such as Parker will feel secure in the knowledge they have a high approval rating with the manager. He could also look to Spurs stars such as Kyle Walker and Michael Dawson as the answers to selection questions at right-back and central defence.

Spurs winger Aaron Lennon has never fulfilled his potential with England but may be another winner should Redknapp take the job many now feel is his to turn down.

In among the turmoil and turbulence caused by Capello's resignation, there was
another sense emerging from Wembley on Wednesday evening - one that this crisis could yet be transformed into an opportunity to give England a fresh start, albeit a fast one, ahead of Euro 2012.

Capello's existence as England coach appeared to be a joyless one for much of his final months, despite his public enthusiasm for the emergence of young talent such as Manchester United's Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck, Everton midfield man Jack Rodwell and Walker.

And a phrase applied many times to the relationship between Capello and the FA was "a loveless marriage" - one they were locked into by his lucrative contract since the dismal failure in the South Africa World Cup in 2010.

It is perhaps symptomatic of the condition of the relationship between the FA and Capello that a failure to resolve their differences over a matter such as taking the captaincy off Terry was the breaking point that led to departure.

With Capello gone, the timing is perfect for England to benefit from the impetus that almost inevitably follows a new appointment and the arrival of fresh ideas and a different voice ahead of this summer.

Redknapp is regarded by so many respected voices as the identikit of the manager required by England and his personable nature may engage more with the country's footballing public than Capello, whose use of English was still scratchy despite being in the job since December 2007.

There may be other names in the frame, with those getting a mention including West Bromwich Albion's Roy Hodgson, Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill and even Guus Hiddink, but all roads appeared to lead to Redknapp on Wednesday after he was cleared of tax evasion just hours before the FA's dramatic announcement that their manager had walked.

Some regard the job as manager of England as a poisoned chalice, even an empty one, but it remains one of the most coveted and prestigious posts in world football.
Whoever does receive the FA's seal of approval in the coming weeks will walk into Wembley and instantly find plenty to occupy their mind.

BBC