The protracted hunt for a new England soccer manager risks destabilising the country's campaign at Euro 2012, the Football Association (FA) has been warned.
Speaking at the Soccerex football convention on Thursday, former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville said the delay in finding a successor to Fabio Capello was causing uncertainty.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is the overwhelming favourite for the job but the FA has declined to make a swift move for any candidate who is in employment while the league campaign is ongoing.
Neville said that while there was "no right time" to approach a successor, he believes the delay to replace Capello could hurt England.
"The England manager has started being mentioned again this week. We are going into a tournament and who is taking the team, what tactics are we going to play, what principles?" Neville said.
"They say they are going to wait until the end of the season - that's May 13. There's something brewing at the moment. There are situations still not being dealt with.
"There are player situations going into the tournament - there are manager situations going into the tournament. It's going to come pretty quickly. It's April next week.
"The FA at this moment in time are in a difficult position as always. If they actively go in there now and do something, then it will be like a bull in a china shop. If they step away, it's a very difficult position to be in.
"I do fear that there's no right or wrong at times, just do your best, but I do feel the vultures are circling."
Former England manager Terry Venables also questioned the wisdom of leaving an appointment until just weeks before the start of Euro 2012.
"It seems to have gone on too long for me, there's now a double take and no one seems to really know what's going on apart from those that are in the seat," Venables said.
"They have to get someone in there straight away do to something about it.
"I don't see any benefit at all in coming in at the last moment with a rah-rah-rah. He's got to know those players, not just from what he has seen, but how they talk and what they feel is important, really getting into the individuals.
"The more time you can get in that, the better. There's nothing for you doing it cold."
By AFP 2012
