When will England get it right?
Going for average home talent like Allardyce and Bruce is recipe for disaster
England's 1982 World Cup song is a mantra which echoes through the ages.
The lyrics of This Time (We'll Get It Right) continue to provide a gallows humour within the Football Association's corridors of power.
It was, 34 years ago, a statement for both optimism and belief in the national side.
Now, it reflects an ongoing state of mind for its current governance.
Perennially looking for ways to emulate the best has seen England remain eternally behind the curve of world football's evolving landscape; lurching between outposts of pale imitation and inglorious failure.
Copying France's golden Clairefontaine generation, the all-conquering "tiki taka" cult of Spanish football and the rebooting of Germany into a dominant global force have all culminated in underwhelming and embarrassing outcomes.
The more things change, the more Wembley chiefs appear to take a time-lapse approach; typified by their revisiting of the homegrown mandate.
Cautionary tales, not least following four years of stagnant progress under Roy Hodgson, are unlikely to be heeded as events of 2012 return to the fore.
Back then, Pep Guardiola offered to deliver a footballing revolution to the national side.
Instead, the FA opted to play it safe with a lowland coach.
That sequence is set to be repeated with Sam Allardyce (above) and Steve Bruce dubiously constituting the outstanding candidates to succeed Hodgson.
As with the 68-year-old and Harry Redknapp four years prior, the pair are currently the best of a bad bunch amid a current dearth of English coaches, with only a quarter of those in charge of next season's EPL clubs being native.
Irrespective of whichever is elected to be the "right man", it will merely be the latest papering of the cracks that have continually resurfaced over the past 15 years.
Shock and awe are unlikely to be the order of business under either.
Allardyce remains as a man with delusions of grandeur as a pseudo Jose Mourinho, famously declaring that he was "better suited" to the dugouts of Real Madrid and Inter Milan than middling among the EPL's lesser clubs.
Bruce, though boasting a more illustrious playing CV, is not much better.
Opting for the candidates who tally with misguided and aesthetic ideals rather than the proven one remains the FA's ultimate Achilles' heel.
Those who would have offered a slight headstart or at least allow them to maintain pace in the game's current climate have either declined the opportunity or found themselves shunned in favour of less fractious options.
Attempts to detract from being saddled with Steve McClaren descended into farce as he was publicly hailed the first-choice to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson despite both Mourinho and, notably, Luiz Felipe Scolari, turning down the role.
Conversely, Guardiola's enquiry about the chance of succeeding Fabio Capello in 2012, at the height of Barcelona's era of dominance, was turned down.
In his place, the FA appointed Hodgson who transformed Liverpool from Champions League hopefuls into viable relegation candidates in just six months.
When it comes to its main stock in trade, the FA lacks the necessary expertise; typified by the continual faux pas of chief executive Martin Glenn in the weeks since Hodgson's uncomfortable farewell press conference.
Just as Ron Greenwood's players bellowed in 1982, it remains steadfast in the belief that the magic and winning formulae will be stumbled upon.
Looking backwards in search for answers with moving forward will only continue the current trend of regression and soul-searching.
We're not after a short-term mercenary, someone just to do the job for a couple of years.
— Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn on the next England manager
'We have to take away the fear'
Hull City boss Steve Bruce has confirmed he has been interviewed by the Football Association about the vacant England manager's job.
The Tigers had earlier described the contact as "informal discussions", but Bruce revealed he had been in an interview which he hoped "went okay".
Hull say no official approach has been made by the FA and have echoed Sunderland, whose manager Sam Allardyce remains the front-runner despite developments, in calling for a swift decision.
And if Bruce, who is still manning Hull's pre-season preparations, gets his wish, it will be him who gets the nod later this week.
"I never quite made it as a player, who wouldn't (want it)?" he told Sky Sports News.
"If you're English and it means something to you, who wouldn't?.
"It has to be the prime job that any Englishman would want to have.
"Yes it's difficult, we know that, but there's something in you.
"I am highly flattered to be even considered and extremely grateful to be considered.
"If anything happens, let's see what the rest of the week brings and, if it does, then happy days.
"In an interview, you never know, I hope it went okay, I got my point across and let's hope it was successful.
"But then again I am up against a big pal of mine in Sam, who has always had a good job over the years.
"Apparently, there are some other candidates who are there too and, to be in the mix, I am highly flattered because any Englishman worth his salt would be extremely, extremely proud to be England manager.
"What I said to them in the interview has to remain there. But we have to take away the fear in tournaments, somehow. We have won only one of our last seven games in tournaments and we have got some good players...that has to be the main thing."
KEEN
Bruce's admission contradicts an earlier statement from his club, which said there had been no formal interview, but the Yorkshire club are calling for a quick resolution.
It read: "The club can confirm that manager Steve Bruce has held informal discussions regarding the England vacancy, although no official approach has been received from the FA.
"We would hope to see the FA conclude their business quickly in order to avoid further speculation regarding Steve ahead of what is a season of huge importance for the club following our return to the Premier League."
Allardyce was the subject of an official approach and subsequently held talks with the three-man panel of FA technical director Dan Ashworth, chief executive Martin Glenn and vice-chairman David Gill last week.
He is heavy favourite for a job he came to close to landing a decade ago, but Bruce remains under consideration.
Like Allardyce, he is an experienced homegrown coach who has made his reputation at the lower end of the Premier League.
His coaching career began with brief assignments at Sheffield United, Huddersfield, Wigan and Crystal Palace but he put a reputation for itchy feet behind him during a largely successful six-year stay at Birmingham.
He went on to manage Wigan and Sunderland before joining Hull, where he has overseen two promotions to the Premier League, one relegation and a first FA Cup final appearance in 2014.
As a player, Bruce was a highly decorated captain of Manchester United and was rated as one of the finest players never to be capped by England.
- PA Sport.
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