IF missing the point was an Olympic event, the hysterical reaction to Sven-Goran Eriksson's latest indiscretion would have brought a string of gold medals.

The foreign England manager (that will never sound right) has been reported to have told a News of the World journalist (neither will that) that he will leave his post two years before his contract is due to end should England win the World Cup.

If anyone really thought Eriksson would stay on for another meaningless two years after achieving the ultimate the job has to offer, must be living in a land occupied by clouds and cuckoos.

Eriksson deserves nothing but sympathy for being the victim of an elaborate confidence trick performed at a cost of £100,000. He said nothing more interesting than any high profile figure at the peak of his profession would if they believed they were having a private conversation.

This may surprise some, but Eriksson has opinions and ambitions. All this con trick did was prise some of them out of him to the detriment of the national footballing interest.

It was cheap entertainment of the most despicable gutter press kind. But it was a God-send for a Bolton column writer looking for a national story on which to hang the opinion that Sam Allardyce is the best man to take over from Eriksson.

A slight tangent, I grant you, but the one point to be taken from this week's Eriksson hysteria is that the country will almost certainly be looking for a new coach in July. And there is nobody better equipped for the job than the Whites manager.

He must not go, of course, because it would mean the end of Bolton's successful era. No Allardyce, no Premiership. And it is the fact that Allardyce is that good which is why the Football Association would be fools not to go for him.

Thankfully, foolishness is no stranger to the FA, and they will almost certainly not fancy the idea of installing a man who says what he thinks.

Almost 30 years ago, they had the chance to change the course of English football for the better when they interviewed the outspoken, but successful, Brian Clough for the job.

Frightened by his opinionated, single-minded approach, they gave the job to Rob Greenwood, the establishment man.

Not much has changed. The FA will see establishment men like Steve McClaren and Peter Taylor, even Alan Curbishley, as giving them less trouble than Allardyce, whose capacity for controversy, like Clough, is far greater.

But, like Clough, where Allardyce wins out over his English rivals, is that he has only ever succeeded throughout his career at Blackpool, Notts County and Bolton.

That's what England needs. An Englishman with the Midas touch. Not a yes man.

And going back to whether the FA go for an Englishman next time. Well, they just must. This is England for goodness sake.