Beckenbauer names Klinsmann the ideal England manager

"Who can get the boys with the three lions on the chest out of their low, or even out of their coma? One name springs to my mind immediately: Juergen Klinsmann. He speaks the language, has a splendid reputation from his days at Tottenhman and was even Fotballer of the Year there.

 "The England job would be ideal for him. And for England as well," Beckenbauer said in a column in Friday's edition of the Bild daily.

 England are in shock after failing to qualify for Euro 2008 and Steve McClaren was fired as manager less than 12 hours after the deciding 3-2 home defeat to Croatia Wednesday night at Wembley.

 It is the first time since the 1994 World Cup that England are not at a big event and the first time since 1984 that they are not at Euro.

 Klinsmann came from his California home in 2004 to coach Germany in succession of Rudi Voeller. He brought in new ideas and staff and lifted Germany to third place at the home World Cup 2006 with attractive attacking football.

 He then decided not to renew his contract after the World Cup. Klinsmann was at times linked with the US coaching job but a deal did not materialise.

 Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill, former Chelsea helmsman Jose Mourinho, Newcastle's Sam Allardyce and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger are reportedly not interested in the England job.

 Other names mentioned are ex-Real Madrid coach fabio Capello, fellow-Italian Marcello Lippi and Dutchman Guus Hiddink (Russia) Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, Liverpool's Rafael Benitez, and Klinsmann.

 "Klinsmann would be a daring choice and not just because he is German. An Anglophile who is ready to return to work, he has strong views about how to coach, which includes employing a huge team of specialists," said The Times daily on Friday.

 Beckenbauer said Klinsmann would fit all the criteria should the Football Association really decide on a fresh start - and a foreign coach for the first time.

 "Juergen is a man who has clear ideas and who can enforce them. With him I can imagine a new start for England.

 "He is looking for a job in a country with a big (football) tradition. He would have three years until the 2010 World Cup to install a new team," said Beckenbauer.

 The FA is in no rush to find a new manager. The next match is in February and competitive action not until the start of World Cup qualifying in the autumn of 2008.