FA chief executive Brian Barwick stole his lines from Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling as he reflected on the end to Steve McClaren's failed reign as England coach.

Apologies to the nation. Concerns understood. Never happen again. Everybody hurts.

FA chairman Geoff Thompson emerged from his usual obscurity to throw in a bit of the tried and tested "root and branch examination" soundbites - a reliable old stand-by in times of trouble.

Thompson even said he was "embarrassed" - which goes to show you just what a dreadful day this was for the FA.

He can now return to his traditional role of remaining silent and ducking his head below the parapet when things go wrong.

But words are not enough from the men who messed up the succession to Sven-Goran Eriksson by appointing a compromise candidate who surprised few by failing so dismally.

Barwick wore a haunted look, and understandably so because this was right down there with his worst days in office.

He, rightly or wrongly, has been identified as the man who went for McClaren, despite the pleadings of FA International Committee vice-chairman Sir Dave Richards that many more must share the blame.

McClaren was a rushed, mediocre appointment that never excited or inspired a nation - and this is not being wise after the event. I wrote it at the time and have never wavered from that view since.

The FA, jilted by Big Phil Scolari and seemingly unimpressed with Martin O'Neill, acted in haste and can now repent at very expensive leisure next summer.

McClaren turned out pretty much as expected. An honest trier, a coach more than a manager, who came up short and proved he was a poor choice by whoever actually made it.

Barwick may be considered fortunate in some respects to get another crack at his most important task, but he should at least be left alone to get on with it this time.

And, as we sift among the wreckage, there was just one sliver of hope that things might be different in the next search for an England coach.

Don't hold your breath - but the FA has hinted it might not actually be done by committee.

Barwick has been given sole responsibility to identify McClaren's successor and recommend him to the FA board.

He should seek advice from respected figures such as Sir Trevor Brooking, but other than that he is the man making the choice and must left to persuade the best man to come to Soho Square.

Let's leave the best man for the job until later.

Let's start with what the FA must do now and what it must never do again.

The FA must not push Barwick forward as the man with the power and then let outsiders muscle their way in on the act, as the likes of David Dein and others did last time around.

And Barwick must not, once he has made his recommendation, be brow-beaten or swayed into altering his stance by a bunch of faceless men, many of whom football's man and woman in the street will never have heard of.

If Thompson, Richards, or anyone else starts interfering in what the FA will now undoubtedly call "the process", he should walk and tell the world why.

If the FA do not get it right this time, Thompson should refer his "root and branch examination" to his own board and ensure he joins them all on the way out.

So who should the FA go for?

If Barwick truly is aiming for the sky, the first person he should ask, nay plead with, to take the job is the special one himself Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho's current movements are a mystery, but a few well-placed calls from John Terry and Frank Lampard may just appeal to the great man's not inconsiderable ego.

It would be a roller-coaster ride, and it would shake the dust out of the suits at the FA.

But is that any bad thing after the inertia and incompetence surrounding the succession to Eriksson?

If Mourinho is not tempted, it should be straight on to the man who should have got it last time, O'Neill.

No yes man, but an impact manager who might be ideally suited to the hit-and-run nature of international management.

And what about Fabio Capello or Marcello Lippi, although language may be a barrier?

Let's forget Sam Allardyce, who will no doubt be brushing himself down and refusing to rule himself out as we speak.

He is not an international manager, never will be, and there are already rumblings among Newcastle fans about his tactics.

Alan Curbishley was a candidate last time, but he has not enhanced his reputation yet at West Ham.

There will no doubt be a call for Alan Shearer, but it would be a monumental gamble to give him the reins without experience, despite the undoubted respect he would instantly command.

So my choice would be to at least have a shot at Mourinho, then go for O'Neill - with former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann as my maverick option.

But whoever it is, Barwick must be allowed to do the job without any interference or ego-mania from men in the shadows at the FA who see this as their big chance to show just how powerful they are.

What are your views? Should the FA go for Mourinho? If not, who else must be in the frame? And what do you make of the FA in all of this?

Let us know your thoughts.