The Telegraph reports that Steve McClaren's fate as England head coach will be decided at an emergency board meeting of the Football Association on Nov 22 if the team fail to reach the finals of Euro 2008.
Some at Soho Square want him to continue, even if England fail to qualify, but the FA will take into account the intensity of the vitriol at Wembley.
"Nothing will happen before the Croatia game but it would be sensible if a quick decision was made afterwards," an FA source said. McClaren is booked to fly to Durban 36 hours after the Wembley game, along with FA chief executive Brian Barwick and Adrian Bevington, the director of communications.
Discussions about his future are being discouraged in the FA corridors of power with everyone crossing fingers that Israel do England a favour. "It's one of the questions nobody wants to ask because we have to assume we can still qualify," another Soho Square source said yesterday.
"But some tough decisions will have to be made [if England don't qualify]. The pressure will be on to make a statement about Steve's future. There are rumblings he could still survive if we lost, but the reaction of the crowd at Wembley could come into play."
