TOMMY DOCHERTY, a man with a ready quote for most situations, summed up life in charge of a football team. "Management these days is like nuclear war," he said. "No winners, just survivors." The most primitive urge of all, the need to survive, is coming in to play as the search to replace Terry Venables as England coach lurches towards a compromise. At one time only the best was good enough to lead the English football team, now it would seem they will have to make do with either the bravest or most foolhardy.

Gerry Francis, who has always come across as a sensible man, confirmed that opinion yesterday when he said the England job was not for him. He joined a herd of young managers like Kevin Keegan, Bryan Robson, Ray Wilkins, Joe Royle and Glenn Hoddle who had looked at the spirit buckling pressures inflicted on Venables and his predecessor Graham Taylor and decided the chances of a happy life would be improved by remaining at their clubs.

Who can blame them? It takes a soul of granite consistency not to flinch when confronted with "Turnip" headlines and even those with the necessary iron would probably prefer not to have their private lives investigated with the toothcomb intensity that the tabloids apply. The England job has become the most difficult of them all.

So where does the growing list of refusniks leave the Football Association? Graham Kelly, the governing body's chief executive, says the preference is for an Englishman who has played at international level for his country, but already the perfect man appears to be an impossible dream.

If the denials are taken at face value the only Premiership managers who would meet the criteria are Brian Little, Colin Todd and Alan Ball and none of those has had sufficient success at club level to merit proper attention. The FA will either have to compromise or change someone's mind.

Of the latter category, Robson would seem the most amenable, given that his "no" was the least emphatic. "I'm still in my apprenticeship as a manager," he said. "I have 18 months of my contract at Middlebrough to run and don't intend moving in that time."

A man whose patriotism was as fierce as his tackles, however, he might just leave the Riverside if he was persuaded his country was in a desperate position without him. It is suggested, too, that there is a get out clause in his contract should the England position be offered.

If the FA should bend, Howard Wilkinson would appear to be a natural candidate. He never played for England, but his esteem at Lancaster Gate is high and the position of technical director appeared to be his if he had wanted to leave Leeds United. Being behind the scenes is one thing, the temptation would be stronger if the hands on prospect of the England team was offered.

There is also a suspicion Wilkinson has gone as far as he can at Elland Road and he has something on his CV that, among current English managers, only Howard Kendall can match winning the championship. He has also been notable in not ruling himself out of contention.