Is Pearce Setting Himself Up For England?

The 43-year-old is one of the leading contenders to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson as England manager after this summer's World Cup, and the Football Association will not have to pay compensation if they offer the former international defender the job. This follows the recent anouncement by Pearce that he is without a contract, "There is a contract there, but it's not signed," said Pearce.

So is he setting himself up to be Sven's replacement?

If England do decide to appoint an English coach/manager (which I feel they should), then he is probably one of the better English managers around. I really feel like this current team can produce a performance similar to the one in Italia '90 (or if we are lucky England '66), and I fear the whole Graham Taylor-history repeating itself scenario, which is why I'm dead set against the possibility of Sam Alardyce or Steve McClaren stepping into the hotseat.

It was great news to see Bolton Wanderers go out of the UEFA Cup. I kind of like Bolton and some of the players, but that loss, and hopeful an exit from the FA Cup together with a failure to break into the top four might mean the FA won't think further about him. Middlesbrough may have gone through, but lagging so close to the relegation zone and with a possibly humiliating loss to probable UEFA Cup Champions, AS Roma, coming up, it will hopefully put pay to McClaren's claim.

This leaves us with Peter Taylor, Alan Curbishley and Stuart Pearce. Taylor will have trouble being out of the top flight, (although being in charge of the English kiddies will help a bit), while Curbishley is yet again showing that looks can be decieving, and demonstrating more proof that promising starts always seem to go pear-shaped as time go by.

There's a fear, of course, is that Pearce would just be another Kevin Keegan (little managerial experience, and just working with passion.) I think Pearce is more rounded than that, yes he has the passion, but he also the temprement and a better tactical knowledge than Keegan and all of his fellow English competitors.