Robson - so close to success in 1990

By Ken Gaunt, PA Sport

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England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson hopes to end a 36-year drought this summer by capturing the World Cup.

It was back in the summer of 1966 that Sir Alf Ramsey delivered the Jules Rimet Trophy to England for the one and only time.

Following Ramsey's dismissal in 1974, a succession of managers have tried and failed to emulate that achievement.

Here PA Sport's Ken Gaunt gives an insight into the England managers from Ramsey to Eriksson.

Sir Alf Ramsey (England manager 1963-74).

Never one to suffer fools gladly, Sir Alf will always be the yardstick by which all England managers are judged. A lifetime in the game culminated on a warm summer's day at Wembley on July 30, 1966 when he led England to World Cup victory.

Yet England made the worst possible start against West Germany when full-back Ray Wilson misguided a header to the feet of Helmut Haller who opened the scoring.

Ramsey's side hit back six minutes later when Hurst headed home Bobby Moore's free-kick. Martin Peters put England ahead with 12 minutes remaining but with less than a minute to go, Wolfgang Weber equalised.

With his team shattered by the equaliser, Ramsey strode out on to the Wembley pitch and gave the team talk of his life. Hurst put England ahead with a disputed goal, the ball coming back off the underside of the bar. Then in the dying seconds skipper Bobby Moore hoisted a long ball forward and Hurst completed his hat-trick.

Ramsey had the world at his feet - he was knighted the following year. Yet he remained distant and aloof and treated the press with disdain.

His football halo slipped when England defended their title in Mexico in 1970. England went out when they lost 3-2 to West Germany after being two goals up.

Three years later Ramsey's glorious reign as England boss came to an end when he was sacked after failing to qualify for the World Cup finals.

Record: P113 W 69 D27 L17

Joe Mercer (caretaker 1974)

Following a wonderful spell as Manchester City manager, Mercer enjoyed an Indian summer with England.

The title of his authorised biography 'Football With A Smile' summed up the genial nature of the man. At Maine Road, along with coach Malcolm Allison, City were noted for their style and flair.

It was an approach he brought to the national side. He drafted in showmen like Frank Worthington and Keith Weller before deciding to stand down.

Record: P7 W3 D3 L1

Don Revie (1974-77)

An obvious choice after his success at Leeds where he made the Yorkshire club one of the most feared sides in the country.

Revie was a stickler for detail and discipline and his dossiers on opponents became the stuff of legend. Players arrived and departed almost as quickly in his three-year reign with only the most dedicated surviving.

But England failed to qualify for the 1978 World Cup finals and he departed in controversial circumstances when he took a lucrative job in the United Arab Emirates.

Record: P29 W14 D8 L7

Ron Greenwood (1977-82)

The only England manager, apart from Sir Alf Ramsey, whose team finished a World Cup final tournament unbeaten. However they did not advance to the semi finals in 1982 and he resigned.

His elevation to the national squad was something of a surprise considering he was no longer wearing a tracksuit. Greenwood had become general manager at Upton Park after carving out a reputation as a deep thinking coach during a 13-year spell in charge from 1961.

Liked his players to show skill and enterprise and his record with England stands with the best.

Record: P55 W33 D12 L10

Bobby Robson (1982-90)

Newcastle's 69-year-old manager took England to the semi finals of the World Cup for only the second time.

Defeat by Germany in a penalty shoot-out in 1990 led him to resign. He re-invented himself in Holland, Portugal and Spain before returning to his roots in the north east.

His passion for the game remains undiminished and he insists that supporters have a right to be entertained.

Robson believes that in any walk of life you need order and discipline. It was a philosophy he took into the England role and where he had no little success.

Record: P95 W47 D30 L18

Graham Taylor (1990-93)

It was the biggest challenge of Taylor's life but he ended up being vilified for his long-ball tactics.

Now back in charge of Aston Villa, his record at club level over the years has been impressive. But he was found wanting on the international stage despite a good start when England qualified for the finals of the 1992 European Championships.

They went out at the first stage, however. That failure was compounded a year later when England failed to make the World Cup finals and he quit.

Record: P38 W 18 D13 L7

Terry Venables (1994-96)

Never far from controversy because of matters away from the pitch, Venables took England to within a whisker of making it through to the final of European Championships in 1996.

After losing to Germany on penalties he kept his promise to resign so he could concentrate on sorting out his business affairs. Under their street-wise coach, England produced their best performance in the tournament, albeit with home advantage.

During his time in charge, Venables' teams were hard to beat as 11 draws in 23 games emphasises.

Record: P23 W11 D11 L1

Glenn Hoddle (1996-99)

The appointment of Hoddle was viewed with widespread optimism as he had been one of England's most stylish players.

But he soon showed an insensitivity that would lead to his downfall. The manner of Paul Gascoigne's omission for France 98 and the way he handled Michael Owen and David Beckham saw the England boss come under fire.

Shortly after England went out to Argentina he released a controversial World Cup diary. The following February he was forced to leave the post after his controversial views on reincarnation were published in a national newspaper - views which he later claimed had been misinterpreted.

Record: P28 W17 D6 L5

Kevin Keegan (1999-00)

Now back in club football with Manchester City, Keegan took the England job at first on a trial basis of four games.

After the introspection of Hoddle, Keegan seemed like a breath of fresh air but it was to all end in tears.

England qualified for the finals of Euro 2000 only to come home early after defeats by Portugal and Romania. It was felt that Keegan would quit then with questions being asked about his tactical acumen.

Instead he remained briefly, resigning after the 1-0 defeat by Germany in the opening World Cup qualifier at Wembley.

Record: P18 W7 D7 L4

Sven-Goran Eriksson (2001-?)

England's first foreign coach has taken the side from no-hopers to realistic candidates to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy for the first time in 36 years.

The urbane Swede arrived at a time when morale was low following Kevin Keegan's sudden departure. But showing a light touch after Peter Taylor's one-match stint as caretaker, he turned things around dramatically and brought the feel-good factor back to the international squad.

That was emphasised in the 5-1 victory against Germany in Munich, which was the springboard to automatic qualification for the World Cup finals.

Albania were then defeated and a nerve-wracking draw against Greece secured England's passage to South Korea and Japan. The only blemish on Eriksson's record with the national squad was a defeat by Holland in a friendly.

But no-one can deny the results have been magical. Before Eriksson, England were poorly organised, fearful to the point of paranoia and almost totally lacking in self-esteem.

From the moment he took charge in his first match against Spain at Villa Park it was clear that footballing science as practised by Eriksson was of the simple, rather than rocket, variety.

His teams are schooled to keep their shape and their discipline as well as the ball while the only thing he wanted them to lose was inhibition.

It is an environment in which players like captain David Beckham and Michael Owen have thrived. The World Cup finals will prove a true test of Eriksson's man management skills.

Record: P13 W7 D4 L2