EVERYBODY already seemed to be talking about Sam Allardyce being the next England manager back in August, 2005, except the man himself.

We reported then that the Wanderers boss refused to react to speculation that he is among the favourites to succeed Sven Goran Eriksson, who is on thin ice after England's humiliating World Cup defeat in Belfast.

As a leading figure in the League Managers' Association, he is adhering to the protocol of not being seen to tout for another manager's job, although he has made no secret of his ambition to one day run the national team - regardless of the pressures it brings.

But he has given a clue or two of how he would approach the job, if he was given the chance. Asked if he thought managing England was an impossible job, he responded in typically forthright manner: "Not if you know what you are going into. You accept that before you go into it."

And he actually sympathises with Eriksson, insisting that the players must take their share of the blame.

"You always have to have some sympathy for a fellow manager who is under scrutiny or under the cosh," Allardyce said. "But I can't find any excuses. It was simply a very poor performance by an outstanding side, an outstanding bunch of players playing against a team that shouldn't have had a chance. But the minnow can always beat the giant by sheer endeavour, commitment and belief - as Northern Ireland showed by disrupting England's rhythm.

"Sven has to shoulder some of the blame for that because he is the manager, but the players have to shoulder some of the responsibility because of their performance."

That is a sample of the straight-talking attuitude that would make Allardyce a popular choice, were he to eventually fulfil his ambition - as a number of pundits believe he will do, sooner or later.

It may not be for some time, with the FA making it clear they have no intention of bowing to media pressure and sacking the 57-year-old Swede, who still has three years to run on his £5m-a-year contract. That position would change, however, if England fail to get a result against Austria and Poland next month to qualify for the World Cup.

Even if Eriksson was determined to stay, the FA would come under intolerable pressure - from the public, the Press and from within their own ranks - to take action and appoint one of the Englishmen on the unofficial shortlist, which includes Allardyce and the bookies' favourite, Steve McClaren, plus Alan Curbishley, Bryan Robson, Peter Taylor and Steve Bruce.

There is now little doubt that the next national boss will be home grown with FA chief Executive Brian Barwick having stated that they would look for an Englishman when Eriksson departs.

Allardyce has been championed for the position by his former assistant Phil Brown and West Ham manager Alan Pardew in recent weeks, both convinced the Whites boss has the tools for the job.

The Daily Mail has even mentioned Martin O'Neill - an Irishman - as a possible candidate for the job.

Whatever Eriksson's technical abilities - and it must be remembered that the embarrassment in Northern Ireland on Wednesday was his first ever defeat in a tournament qualifier - the public perception is that the man from Sweden, who has been in charge of the England team since succeeding Kevin Keegan five-and-a-half years ago, is of a passionless individual.

The most damning vision, apart from the 1-0 scoreline of course, at Windsor Park was the sight of Eriksson standing motionless with a blank expression while McClaren, hardly the most animated of managers, did his best to coax a smile out of the petulant Wayne Rooney.

Is it any wonder Allardyce - who repeatedly beats the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho in fans' popularity polls - would be seen as the people's choice for the job?