England: No formal interview

The new England manager will be appointed without a formal interview of the type that has led in the past to strong candidates withdrawing, it has emerged. The four Football Association headhunters charged with finding Fabio Capello's successor believe they will know enough about their man without his having to sit down to explain his suitability for the job.

The process has drawn widespread criticism and the ex-England manager, Steve McClaren said: "You can't just turn up [to the European Championship]. You have to be planning. So the sooner the better."

The four Team England members are understood to have made a short-list and, assuming there is a club involved, will eventually request permission to approach their first choice as well as outlining compensation. After discussing terms and length of contract with their man, they will then make a formal recommendation to the full FA board. All this, they insist, can be done within a few days.

Tottenham's Harry Redknapp remains the favourite, ahead of Roy Hodgson and Stuart Pearce, while Guus Hiddink is among those who could have landed the job in the past but were not prepared to submit to a so-called "beauty parade".