Taylor has had a lucky escape

I reckon former Blues boss Peter Taylor escaped from a fate worse than deathwhen Sven Goran Eriksson was named as the new full-time England manager.

Taylor is in charge for the next friendly against Italy but then it's down to the super Swede to try and turn the fortunes of our nation around.

And for me he faces a near impossible task in a country where high expectations far exceed what can actually be achieved.

Every time a European Championship or a World Cup comes round, sections of the media lead us to believe it won't be a question of simply qualifying - winning will be a mere formality as well.

And all this in a country which has been in the soccer doldrums for nearly as long as even I can remember.

Sure we won the World Cup in 1966 but hands up anyone who can point to any notable success since then.

The sooner we accept that we are very much a second class footballing country then the easier it will be for whoever takes over the thankless task of managing England.

I have got no doubts that a couple of defeats will see Eriksson vilified like so many who have gone before him - how long will it be before headlines like "we had the turnip now we've got the Swede" start appearing in our more lurid tabloids.

And who would want to see a nice guy like Taylor held up to the sort of ridicule I don't believe he would be able to handle.

I well remember how hereacted to even the slightest criticism he got from me or fans in the Evening Echo during his short Roots Hall reign - my ears are still ringing from his icy blasts.

And so I reckon Taylor is far better off in the nice, cosy Premiership backwater at Leicester City where the hopes are more realistically aimed at survival rather than picking up Championships.

He is currently carrying on the amazing work at Filbert Street started by Martin O'Neill and my advice to him, for what it's worth, is to stay put and enjoy it.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.