England coach must explain results

Euro 2008:Steve McClaren is to be summoned to provide an official explanation to the Football Association's international committee about England's dreadful run of results. Several FA councillors have run out of patience with McClaren only seven months into his tenure and there will be strong and vociferous recommendations for him to be sacked if England fail to beat Andorra tomorrow evening.

Steve McClaren is to be summoned to provide an official explanation to the Football Association's international committee about England's dreadful run of results. Several FA councillors have run out of patience with McClaren only seven months into his tenure and there will be strong and vociferous recommendations for him to be sacked if England fail to beat Andorra tomorrow evening.

Such a failure is regarded as almost unimaginable given Andorra's lowly status in world football (163rd) but McClaren's tenure has become a subject of intense debate among the FA hierarchy and they intend to question him on his return to England about what they perceive to be a conspicuous lack of leadership.

His critics within Soho Square have come to the conclusion he was the wrong man for the job although, crucially, the FA's chief executive, Brian Barwick, is reluctant to accept McClaren should be fired, not least because it would amount to an admission on his part he badly blundered in appointing the former Middlesbrough manager.

It would cost the FA around £2.5 million if they decided to sack him seven months into the job.

McClaren's increasingly perilous position as England's manager was dealt another significant blow after revelations serious cracks have appeared in his relationship with Terry Venables. The problem is thought to be so bad Venables wants talks with McClaren after tomorrow's Euro 2008 qualifier against Andorra to air his grievances.

Venables has complained he feels increasingly marginalised in his position as assistant manager and he has been disappointed by the frequency with which his tactical recommendations have been overlooked.

McClaren seemed taken aback when it was put to him yesterday, describing it as "absolute rubbish", but it is known Venables has contrasting views about the best way to take England forward. In particular, he is keen for the team to revert to a 3-5-2 system incorporating Jamie Carragher as a third centre-back.

McClaren is a firm believer in 4-4-2 and had his fingers badly burned when he took his colleague's advice for the qualifying match against Croatia in Zagreb last October, a 2-0 defeat that set in motion the "McClaren Out" campaign led by many England supporters and newspapers.

It reflects badly on McClaren that his attempts to bring some discipline to the England dressingroom after the scoreless draw against Israel on Saturday - the manager exaggeratedly slammed the door before remonstrating with Wayne Rooney - has apparently been a source of humour for some of the players and it will also count against him that he has been unable to form a strong working alliance with Venables.

Venables feels his role in the squad has not been as influential as he was originally led to believe. McClaren spoke highly of Venables when asked yesterday if there was a "rift". Having denied one, McClaren said: "I brought him in because of his experience and the advice he can give to me. I take that advice on board."

Sources close to Venables have indicated the former England manager believes his advice is being ignored and is questioning whether the pair share the same philosophies about the sport.

Venables has not done McClaren any favours either in his column for the News of the World, particularly when he revealed after the Croatia game Middlesbrough's winger Stewart Downing needed time out because his confidence had been shattered in the wake of criticism from the media and supporters.

This was a different account from McClaren's and, when the manager faced the media before the 1-1 draw against Holland in Amsterdam last November, he was visibly embarrassed when asked about the discrepancies between the two stories.