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ENGLAND'S DREAM TEAM

Player Profiles: Managers

WALTER WINTERBOTTOM

England manager 1947-62

England's first full time manager, Winter Walterbottom was manager for 15 years and took England to four World Cups, winning, er, none of them. He was in charge when England were famously thrashed 6-3 by Hungary, learning enough valuable lessons to lead the team to an even more spectacular 7-1 shoeing in the return match.

SIR ALF RAMSEY

England manager 1962-73

Despite being awfully posh Sir Alf had a very close relationship with the players, who admired him greatly. He was a great tactician and always paid attention to detail, even going so far as taking HP sauce to Mexico 70. Always his own man, he paid no attention to popular opinion, thankfully, and was rewarded with our greatest triumph. (The World Cup, if you didn't know�)

DON REVIE

England manager 1974-77

A hugely successful club manager at Leeds, Don Revie took over from Joe Mercer. He started well but his failure to qualify for the 78 World Cup was disastrous. He was banned from football for 10 years after trying to persuade the FA to buy out his contract when he had already agreed to a new job in the Middle East but the ban was overturned in court.

JOE MERCER

England caretaker manager 1974

Appointed caretaker manager after Sir Alf had failed to qualify for the 74 World Cup. He was a popular figure, and one who only lost one of his seven games in charge, but he was only ever there to keep the seat warm. He was responsible for introducing exciting players like Frank Worthington into the England team, and if he'd stayed who knows what might have happened�

RON GREENWOOD

England manager 1977-82

An affable, gentlemanly character in the Sir Alf mould, Greenwood was a popular appointment. He led the side for five years and remains the only England manager to have been unbeaten at the World Cup, although his England side left the Spain 82 tournament rather tamely with a goalless draw against the host nation in the second round group phase.

BOBBY ROBSON

England manager 1982-1990

Took England to two World Cups and became the first England manager to really feel the heat of tabloid journalism in 1990. Was lambasted for changing England's system so close to a major tournament, but silenced his critics when it worked and England reached the semi-finals. An outstanding domestic manager in England, Holland and Spain, he remains one the game's most respected, albeit occasionally confused, characters.

GRAHAM TAYLOR

England manager 1990-93

Graham Taylor's domestic achievements with Watford and Aston Villa earned him the England job, which subsequently proved a promotion too far. A decent guy, he caused public outrage for taking off Gary Lineker early in the striker's final game for England - the 2-1 defeat by Sweden in Euro 92 - and was humiliated by a vegetable-obsessed media even before that damning Channel 4 documentary.

TERRY VENABLES

England manager 1994-96

Ballad crooner, detective author and all-round cockney charmer, Venables also has a reputation as one of the best coaches and tactical brains in football, and was a popular choice for England manager. His team played some cracking football along the way to the semi-finals of the European Championships, thrashing a good Holland side 4-1, but he resigned after his relationship with the FA soured.

GLENN HODDLE

England manager 1996-98

It was hoped Hoddle would be able to bring the elegance of his playing days to his managerial role but in the end it was his poor man management and public relations that did for him. Under Hoddle, England won the Tournoi de France in 97, but were devastatingly eliminated in the second phase of the 98 World Cup. Later reincarnated as a club manager for Southampton and Spurs.

KEVIN KEEGAN

England manager 1999-2000

In 1999, the media and the public got their wish to get in Kevin Keegan as England's chief cheerleader. It proved disastrous and the media and public were sacked. Okay, no they weren't. But Keegan soon realised he was out of his depth after losing to Germany 0-1 at Wembley, with Gareth Southgate bizarrely posted in midfield, and fell on his sword.

PETER TAYLOR

England caretaker manager 2000

After a successful tenure as manager of England U-21s, Peter Taylor was put in temporary charge for one game against Italy. Instead of picking the familiar faces, he fielded an experimental young side and, in a visionary move, handed David Beckham the captain's armband for the first time.

HOWARD WILKINSON

England caretaker manager in 1999 & 2000

The last English manager to win the League Championship, with Leeds, Howard Wilkinson took temporary charge of the England side after Hoddle's departure for one game, then again after Keegan's resignation. He returned to club management at Sunderland - where he soon achieved the near impossible by making Peter Reid's last few months in charge look like the good old days.

SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON

Current England manager 2001-present

Hugely successful coach in Sweden, Portugal and Italy, Eriksson has instilled more of a club football mentality to the England squad, picking largely the same players every game. Has only lost one competitive match as England coach but has felt the heat of the media hard to deal with. Somehow managed to pull Ulrika.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON

Current Manchester United manager

The fire-breathing Scot has won every domestic honour with Manchester United, plus the European Cup. A strict disciplinarian he is alleged to have fined a player for overtaking him in his car. Is fiercely loyal to his players, no matter what they do. Has produced numerous title winning sides, knowing when to discard players and when to give youth its head.

ARSENE WENGER

Current Arsenal manager

The professorial manager of Arsenal has put together some of the most attractive and winning football of the current era. Being unable to pick Thierry Henry might hold him back in the England job but if he could get the team to replicate some of Arsenal's stylish football it would be a revelation.

BRIAN CLOUGH

Former Derby County and Nottingham Forest manager

A tough disciplinarian who saw football as a simple game, Brian Clough astounded Europe by bringing the European Cup to Nottingham. He was considered by many - not least the man himself - as the greatest manager these islands have produced, but Old Big 'Ed was never a popular figure at the FA and so was denied the chance to manage England when he was clearly the man for the job.

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