HOW ironic that former England manager Mike Bassett returned to our TV screens as Sven Goran Eriksson battles to hold on to his job.

One is perceived as a hapless fool, tactically clueless, with no charisma or drive and heading for football's gutter. The other is a Scouser played by Ricky Tomlinson.

The knives have been sharpened ahead of England's attempt to qualify for the World Cup through the 'back door'. National journalists and football pundits want his head on a plate.

Eriksson's future is on the line, and his fate will be decided in the next fortnight by Austria and Poland.

But that hasn't stopped the speculation about who the next England manager should be, despite Sven still being in the driving seat.

I heard Joe Royle on the radio yesterday leading the call for an English manager to be appointed.

He put forward the usual suspects - Sam Allardyce, Alan Curbishley, Steve McClaren and Stuart Pearce, a manager still in nappies.

And that's how narrow-minded we are in this country. Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan have all been driven out of the job. Now a foreigner is in charge, we want an Englishman back.

Allardyce as England manager! Do me a favour! Does anyone still remember the Graham Taylor era? How can a man whose international experience extends to drawing Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Cup be trusted with our national squad?

Call it idealism. Call it patriotism. Allardyce as next England manager? I call it laughable.

The only two managers who could bring England on are Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger - tactical thinkers who command respect and authority. But neither will leave their club for the poisoned chalice that is England.

Eriksson is the best we have at the moment and we have to stick by him. We should go into Saturday's match supporting the Swede to the hilt.

Sven's job isn't done yet. Unlike Mike Bassett, he might take us all the way.