The media seem to be convinced that Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp should be the next manager of England and have installed him as odds-on favourite to take the job.

It seems likely that the job is Redknapp's if he wants it, but what if he decides to stay at Tottenham? Or what if the FA decided to go in another direction?

Below are the main alternatives according to the bookmakers.

Stuart Pearce (11/2)

The current England U21 and Olympic coach has been working with the FA since 2007 and will take charge of the friendly against the Netherlands later this month. Previously he was manager of Manchester City from 2005 until 2007 and also had a caretaker spell in charge of Nottingham Forest.

Why he might get it: Already on the FA payroll – Pearce will know lots of the young players after coaching them at U21 level.

Why he won't get it: He has had limited experience and has never won anything as a manager.

Jose Mourinho (10/1)

The current Real Madrid coach has won things wherever he has gone and is considered by many to be the greatest coach currently working in world football. He won Champions League titles with Porto and Internazionale and ended Chelsea's 50-year wait for a title.

Why he might get it: His undoubted class as a coach is appealing; he has experience of English football and can speak the language better than most of the English-born candidates. There are also strong rumours he wants to leave Real Madrid in the summer.

Why he won't get it: Notoriously difficult to work with, Mourinho would want complete control of proceedings and even then it is likely that he would prefer to stay in club football. Has also said in the past that if he ever did take an international job his preference would be to coach his native Portugal.

Roy Hodgson (12/1)

England have never previously appointed a manager who had international experience but Hodgson would break that trend after having enjoyed spells with Switzerland, UAE and Finland in the past. The current West Brom boss is highly respected and has worked all over the world.

Why he might get it: He's probably the English-born candidate with the most experience; he knows how to coach an international team and his affable manner makes his well-liked by fans and the media.

Why he won't get it: When he got the Liverpool job in 2010 it was seen as his shot at "the big time" but an awful spell in charge at Anfield lasted only 31 games. People would question whether he is a big enough personality to deal with the undoubted egos within the England camp.

Guus Hiddink (12/1)

Currently without a job, the Dutchman has plenty of experience as both a club and international manager and proved to be popular with players, the fans and the media during a brief spell in charge of Chelsea in 2009.

Why he might get it: His impressive CV – Hiddink guided the Netherlands (1998 World Cup), South Korea (2002 World Cup) and Russia (Euro 2008) to the semi-finals of a major championship. He is also currently free and available.

Why he won't get: Would command a huge salary and the FA would be reluctant to dish that out to another foreigner after the Capello fiasco. He has also failed to qualify for the last two major championships while in charge of Turkey and Russia, leading people to question whether he has lost his hunger.

Martin O'Neill (14/1)

The current Sunderland manager seems to have the Midas touch wherever he goes, working his way up from non-league football to become one of the most respected and reliable managers in the game. His excitable manner seems to get the best out of players.

Why he might get it: He is very much en vogue at the moment - since taken over Sunderland in mid-December, the Black Cats have enjoyed a better record than any other team in the Premier League.

Why he won't get it: He is Irish as opposed to English so he doesn't have that working for him and he has also just taken over Sunderland – the club he supported as a boy – so it is hard to see him walking away from that.

Arsene Wenger (16/1)

One of the longest serving managers in world football, Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal since 1996. He may be a Frenchman, but Wenger has been in England so long he hardly seems like a "foreigner" and obviously has perfect English.

Why he might get it: Would be an attractive choice for the style of football he plays as much as anything. He has an impeccable record of coaching young players should England be keen to overhaul the current crop of players. Might also relish a new challenge after so long at Arsenal.

Why he won't get it: Wenger has lost some of his luster in recent years due to Arsenal's inability to win a trophy since 2006. If he did decide he wanted an international job it is more likely he would want to coach his native France.

Rafa Benitez (16/1)

The former Liverpool coach has been out of a job for over a year after leaving Internazionale in December 2010. He seems to be waiting for the right job to come along and the England position might be something that appeals to him.

Why he might get it: All the reasons above, while he has experience of working in Spain, England and Italy. His greatest achievement was guiding a Liverpool team limited in talent to unlikely Champions League glory in 2005.

Why he won't get it: His final year in charge of Liverpool was a bit of a disaster and he only lasted six months with Inter. A good manager no doubt, but maybe not the elite quality that the FA would be looking for if they were to break away from their preference for an English manager.

Gareth Southgate (20/1)

Southgate won 57 caps for England as a player before becoming manager of Middlesbrough in 2006. He was dismissed in 2009 but then went on to become the Head of Elite Development with the FA – a position he still holds.

Why he might get it: He is young, English and would be cheap – he is also the only person on the list other than Pearce who has actually played international football for England.

Why he won't get it: Only had one managerial job and it ended in failure. It is likely he will be considered too inexperienced for the job.

Others being quoted: Alan Pardew (25/1), Sam Allardyce (25/1), Brendan Rodgers (33/1), Carlo Ancelotti (33/1), Mark Hughes (33/1), Paul Lambert (33/1), Pep Guardiola (50/1), Alan Shearer (50/1), David Beckham (50/1), Glenn Hoddle (50/1), Nigel Adkins (66/1), Steve Bruce (66/1), Sven-Goran Eriksson (66/1), Tony Pulis (66/1), Simon Grayson (80/1).

Seán Fay / Eurosport