From Venables to Capello: England managers tend to leave under a cloud

Harry Redknapp has been installed as the odds-on favourite to take over from Fabio Capello as England manager after being cleared of evading tax on payments totalling £189,000. On the same day as Redknapp stood outside court talking about how glad he was that his five-year ordeal had ended, Capello met the FA to discuss their fall-out over the John Terry captaincy saga. Whoever takes over, it will hardly have been the smoothest transition for the FA, but then it seems it was always thus. In the last 18 years, only one appointment (Steve McClaren) appears to have had some long-term planning to it as he had been Sven-Goran Eriksson's assistant. The spells of Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan all ended abruptly, with the FA having to improvise in its search for a successor. Terry Venables: 1994-96 P 23 W 11 D 11 L 1 Win percentage 47.8% Announced five months before Euro 96 that he would stand down after the tournament because of several upcoming court cases. In 1994, a police inquiry into whether he had paid a bung had been dropped Stepped down Glenn Hoddle: 1996-99 P 28 W 17 D 6 L 5 Win percentage 60.7% Was forced to step down after his comments about disabled people. "You and I have been given two hands, two legs and half-decent brains. Some people have not been born like that for a reason," he had told the Times Mutual consent Kevin Keegan: 1999-2000 P 18 W 7 D 7 L 4 Win percentage 38.9% Another chaotic end to a tenure with Keegan quitting after a home qualifying defeat against Germany in October 2000. The FA's David Davies tried to change his mind in the Wembley toilets but failed Resigned Sven-Goran Eriksson: 2001-06 P 67 W 40 D 17 L 10 Win percentage 59.7% The Swede managed to hang on for five years despite being caught out by the Fake Sheikh, having an affair with FA employee Faria Alam and meeting Chelsea to discuss a deal while still in charge of England Contract ran out Steve McClaren: 2006-07 P 18 W 9 D 4 L 5 Win percentage 50% Eriksson's assistant at the 2006 World Cup, he started by hiring Max Clifford and saying he did not need David Beckham any longer. Beckham was recalled, however, as the team failed to qualify for Euro 2008 Sacked Fabio Capello: 2009-12 P 42 W 28 D 8 L 6 Win percentage 66.7% The Italian's reign has also endured controversy, from the Capello Index to the John Terry captaincy saga. Could have lost his job after the 2010 World Cup but was given another chance, only to quit four months before Euro 2012 Resigned New Manager: 2012 Harry Redknapp is the clear frontrunner to replace Capello, although the FA may choose to appoint an interim England manager for Euro 2012