Fabio Capello Resigns: Odds on Top 10 Candidates to Be the Next England Manager

England manager Fabio Capello dramatically left his post and resigned just four months before the start of the European Championships after a long meeting with FA bosses following their decision to relieve John Terry of the captaincy—and in amongst the immediate fall-out of that news is the huge consideration of who will take over as the new national team boss.

While both home nations, Wales and Northern Ireland, have also had to choose new managers over the past few weeks, neither side will partake in the Euro 2012 tournament this summer and have more time to bed-in their chosen men.

Capello's successor will have to hit the ground running and make some major decisions, not least of all who the new England captain is going to be, if the nation's preparations for the Championships are going to be anything but farcical.

Here are the top 10 possible options to become the new England manager—place your bets now.

A Quick Honourable Mention from Left-Field: Hope Powell?

For the uninitiated, Hope Powell C.B.E. is the long-serving manager of the England National Women's team.

Powell was a top-level player until 1998, when she stepped up into coaching, and she has led the female half of the national sport since then.

The 45-year-old former midfielder was also the first woman coach to achieve the UEFA Pro Licence.

Powell is noted amongst her players for possessing a fierce will to win and ruling with something of an iron fist, which has upset the odd superstar along the way.

Quite how the likes of John Terry and Wayne Rooney, noted outside of sporting achievement for various incidents involving the better half of the human race, would react to being managed and led by Powell might be something worth seeing.

A definite rank outsider, but only because she is female.

Powell has more International tournament and top-level coaching experience than any other English competitor could hope to put on their C.V.

Chris Powell, rookie manager of Charlton Athletic, is 50/1 to be the next England boss. Hope Powell doesn't even have odds against her name.

Alan Pardew, Newcastle United Manager

Who fancies jumping on the bandwagon?

Managerial wizard Alan Pardew has soared like a, well, Magpie I suppose, from the plummeting depths of being sacked by Charlton Athletic, West Ham United and Southampton to guiding Newcastle United within a whisker of a Champions League spot.

Newcastle's blistering form of late, which has included a scintillating 1-0 win over Premier League heavyweights QPR and a mighty but ultimately futile battle against Championship side Brighton, where they were beaten, 1-0, has seen Pardew's star rise accordingly in the national media outlets.

Quite frankly, when his top-ranking achievement to date is losing an FA Cup final, he doesn't yet have the credentials to become England manager, but since when did that ever stop the Football Association in appointing somebody?

Odds on Pardew: 25/1

Alan Shearer, Unemployed

Match of the Day analyst and part-time professional football coach, job-hunter Alan Shearer has had his name thrust into the spotlight, as is usual whenever a job is available at one of his former teams.

Shearer was a national hero during the 1990's, as he racked up 30 goals in 63 appearances for the national side.

His only managerial experience to date has come with failing to lead Newcastle United to safety as they dropped out of the Premier League a couple of seasons back.

Mark Hughes will tell you that league experience is not a prerequisite to successfully managing a national side.

Odds on Shearer: 25/1

David Beckham, LA Galaxy Player

Just one short month after announcing his decision to sign a new contract with MLS club LA Galaxy and a single week after professing his wish to play at the 2012 Olympics for England while trying to avoid eye-contact with Jonathan Ross' underwear, David Beckham is of course one of the names linked with the England boss job.

Beckham hasn't even finished his playing career yet and has shown no ambition to coach at the top level, but his stature in the footballing world ensures that younger players look up to him, and he would present quite the face of the nation at press conferences.

Whether his tactical acumen and ability to pick a squad is up to scratch, however....

Odds on Beckham: 25/1

Rafael Benitez, Unemployed

Spanish tactician Rafael Benitez, veteran of two Champions League finals and two La Liga titles, has been out of work since leaving his post with Inter Milan in 2010.

He has returned to live in the northwest of England and has professed a desire to return to Premier League football, but enjoys the location of his home so much that he might be restricted as to which club he can join.

A roving role as national team manager could suit down to the ground a man who takes in as many football matches as he does breaths of air, though would his propensity to go into huge detail on the training pitch be a negative factor in the short time allowed at international gatherings?

Odds on Benitez: 20/1

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal Manager

I wonder, would Arsenal fans be glorified, vilified, horrified or terrified if Arsene Wenger departed the Emirates Stadium to take over as England boss?

For a couple of years now, dissenting voices have been heard amongst the ranks of Arsenal supporters, questioning the methods and the transfers of Wenger and the lack of success he has brought to their side recently.

For what it's worth, I'm a little surprised that Wenger's odds aren't shorter.

Maybe he'll be bearing in mind the abuse he got after the League Cup final vs. Birmingham City or the substitution of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a couple of weeks ago.

Odds on Wenger: 20/1

Roy Hodgson, West Brom Manager

Roy "one in three" Hodgson saw his battered reputation picked up again last season, as he saved West Brom from relegation months after being sacked from his job at Liverpool.

This season, however, the Baggies are on occasions looking in danger of going a bit Boing-Boing again, as their poor form sees them slip a little closer each week to the bottom five, who are really in a scrap of their own to avoid relegation.

Hodgson has the respect of the written world of football in England. By which I mean the London-based professional writing world.

He was heavily linked with the England job after the debacle of World Cup 2010—but the call never came, and that might well have been his best shot at the top job.

Odds on Hodgson: 12/1

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid Head Coach

The self-styled Special One has long been rumoured with a return to England after stints in Italy and Spain, but the Real Madrid manager must be wishing that Fabio Capello had waited until after the Euros to leave his post.

With Chelsea and Manchester United both looking unlikely to need a new manager before long, the only big-spending role available which might tempt Jose Mourinho will be Manchester City should they grow impatient with Roberto Mancini.

The national side boss' job would be a perfect job-while-you-wait for Mourinho, who has intimate knowledge of the English players available, and he could bide his time through a tournament or two until a more satisfying role came along.

But right now?

He is finally about to topple Barcelona off their domestic perch, with Real Madrid seven points clear in La Liga.

Could he possibly leave them now and risk the ruination of any legacy he might have hoped to leave at Madrid?

Odds on Mourinho: 10/1

Guus Hiddink, Unemployed

National team default manager-for-hire Guus Hiddink is available right now and has major experience of managing at the international level, which could definitely appeal to the FA.

Russia, Turkey, Australia, Holland and South Korea have all been under his guidance at one point or another, and the Dutch master also enjoyed a fruitful spell with Chelsea in the Premier League three years ago.

A short-term deal might suit all parties, with the FA giving themselves time to appoint a long-term successor to Fabio Capello while leaving the side's chances in Euro 2012 in capable hands.

Odds on Hiddink: 8/1

Stuart Pearce, England Under-21 Manager

Stuart Pearce is the current England under-21 manager and is set to lead the nation in the forthcoming 2012 Olympics on home soil. He is a real front-runner for the top job on account of his standing in the international set-up.

Having done reasonably well managing a pre-megabucks Manchester City side, Pearce has been in charge of the England youngsters since 2007 and is seen as a natural eventual successor to the full-side manager.

Whether his relative inexperience will count against him more than his familiarity with the role and set-up will go in his favour remains to be seen, but Pearce is definitely one of the top candidates.

Odds on Pearce: 5/1

Harry Redknapp, Tottenham Hotspur Manager

The overwhelming bookies' favourite to replace Fabio Capello as manager of England is Harry Redknapp, with some bookkeepers even stopping taking bets on the Spurs boss being the new national side leader within minutes of news breaking of Capello's departure.

Any cynics in the room?

Redknapp was cleared of all outstanding charges of tax evasion a mere few hours before Capello resigned from his post.

On the managerial side, Redknapp has overseen a total transformation of Tottenham from a down-near-the-bottom side under Juande Ramos to a Champions League challenger over the last three seasons, with third place in the Premier League looking more a probability than a possibility this term.

The only real sticking points in appointing Redknapp, whose sole major domestic achievement to date remains his single FA Cup win with Portsmouth, will be negotiating the release of his contract from Spurs, and Redknapp's own mindset at whether he can realistically mount a title challenge with his Spurs side and whether that would outweigh the job of England manager.

Odds on Redknapp: Evens, or even less