HAD the England football team emerged with distinction from Euro 2004, the clamour for the head of Sven-Goran Eriksson would never have reached such a feverish level.

But England blew their chances in Portugal and now Sven - embroiled in another sex scandal - looks like he is on his way out of his £4m-a-year job. Such is the fickle nature of the relationship between football and the media.

Graham Turner was turned into a turnip, Terry Venables was the Del Boy caught up in too many financial wrangles, Glenn Hoddle offended the disabled and became some kind of religious freak, and Kevin Keegan was depicted as an emotional wreck because he had the honesty to admit he was out of his depth.

Now we have sleazy Sven, the studious Swede with the sizzling sexual appetite.

He survived his affair with Ulrika Jonsson. He emerged from his shadowy flirtations with Chelsea with a handsome pay rise. And now he is at the centre of an inquiry after confirmation that both he and Football Association Chief Executive Mark Palios had relationships with an FA secretary.

With the headlines also full of Wayne Rooney's alleged encounter with a prostitute, the image of English football is yet again in the gutter.

This time, Sven will almost certainly have to go. The momentum in the tabloids is building and, once that happens, few can resist it.

The irony is that if we ever find an England manager who can deliver a major trophy, he will be forgiven almost anything.