Fabio Capello's position as England head coach has been further strengthened after FA board member David Sheepshanks indicated he believes the Italian should stay on in the job.
The FA board are likely to meet next week with Sir Dave Richards, the Premier League chairman who also heads the new 'Club England', seeking opinions before making a recommendation.
Sheepshanks told BBC Radio Suffolk: "Let's get this right. Fabio is tremendously able - one of the world's best managers - and a month ago I don't think you'd have heard many people disagree with that. He doesn't become a bad manager overnight."
Sheepshanks' intervention - saying "knee-jerk reactions never work" - is a reflection that the opinion is now changing to be pro-Capello staying.
Phil Gartside, a fellow board member and Bolton chairman, and Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's director of football development, are both backing Capello.
Sheepshanks, the former Ipswich chairman, added: "Knee-jerk reactions never work.
"There are some very, very able and wise people around the FA board table and I have absolute confidence that they will come up with the right decision.
Meanwhile, the FA will end up with "egg on their face" if they decide to sack Fabio Capello, players' chief Gordon Taylor claimed.
He says the FA's decision to remove the break clause in Capello's contract just before the World Cup means they will end up looking ridiculous if they now terminate his contract, which runs until 2012.
Taylor told Press Association Sport: "If they sack him they will be left with egg on their face. It seems ridiculous to do this contract negotiation just before the World Cup and then to now be talking about sacking him."
Source: PA
