He has brought a lightness of touch, an element of surprise to the job. He has shown consistency around the box, brought in some unexpected names, has been bold in his selection for playing away So far I’m just on about his sex life. For the football fan and the media, Sven has been a revelation. Despite the predictable barrage of resistance that came from the band of rent-a-quote little Englanders upon his appointment, Sven has proven that a foreigner CAN manage England and do it well.

He can win matches and provide enough scandal for the front pages of the tabloids, too He has done everything we expect of our England managers. His era will be looked back on as a period of enlightenment, typified by his quite un-British demeanour. We’ll say: “Blimey! He was brilliant, unpredictable, overpaid.” Being paid too much money is not really a crime in itself. It’s not as bad as selecting hopeless players, like Graham Taylor did. The pundits who are now discussing how this squad of England players picks itself are overlooking the fact that Sven has made the England job look easier than it is.

He has chosen the most gifted young players, whereas in the past it’s tended to be a VERY old boys’ network. He has given the England fan hope when, throughout most of my lifetime, there has always been a nagging disappointment Off the pitch he’s been a revelation. For a start he’s an unlikely cross between Gary Oldman’s Dracula and Mr Burns from The Simpsons. Historically our managers have looked like villains from Ealing cinema: the pasty-faced Bobby Robson, the avuncular safe-cracker Terry Venables Either that or no one can remember what they looked like. The great characters – Jack Charlton, Brian Clough – have never been handed the job for fear of upsetting the applecart.