Sam Allardyce leaves England job: Candidates to replace him

In a very unexpected twist to the season, the England manager's job has become available again.

Sam Allardyce left the role by "mutual agreement" on Tuesday after a newspaper investigation claiming he offered advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers, having been appointed by the Football Association only two months ago.

England Under-21 manager Gareth Southgate will take charge of the national team for the next four games, on an interim basis.

He is a possible candidate to fill the vacancy as the FA, once more, begins its search for a new England manager.

Here are the contenders:

Nationality: English Current job: Crystal Palace

He is the current favourite but has Pardew changed his tune from the summer when he suggested he was not ready to become England manager?, external

Record: Similar to Allardyce in that he has not pulled up any trees during a 17-year career but rather hovered between 'steady' and 'teetering'. Poor runs at West Ham, Charlton and Newcastle led to him leaving his positions.

His current club, Palace, endured a rotten second half of the 2015-16 season, winning only two games. They did, however, reach the FA Cup final - the second time Pardew has led a team to the final.

Tactics: Pardew prefers to play a 4-3-3, which includes an 'enforcer' sitting in midfield as we saw with Cheick Tiote at Newcastle and James McArthur at Palace and pacey wide forwards. A 4-3-3 formation was utilised by Allardyce's predecessor, Roy Hodgson, during Euro 2016.

Man-management: Former Palace striker Dwight Gayle gave this eulogy in January 2015 after Pardew had guided the club to their third straight win since taking over the previous month.

"He has boosted our confidence. He gives everyone little pats on the back, talks to people individually, he has got everyone going," said Gayle.

But, as already mentioned, he has struggled with teams after making an initial impact.

Nationality: English Current job: Available

The former Hull manager was the only other person to have been approached by the Football Association to replace Hodgson in the summer.

Bruce left Hull shortly after that announcement and has been out of work since. He has recently been touted as a replacement for Mark Hughes at Stoke City, with the Potters struggling.

Record: When comparing his Premier League win percentage to those in the running and managing in the top flight, Bruce fares badly. Based on statistics collated up until the end of last season, his win record is just 28.1% - worse than Pardew and Allardyce. He has, however, led both Birmingham and Hull to two promotions from the Championship. He also led Hull to the 2014 FA Cup final.

Tactics: Bruce was keen on a 3-5-2 formation at Hull, which might suit the more attack-minded England full-backs Kyle Walker, Danny Rose and Luke Shaw.

Man-management: Bruce is understood to have a good rapport with his players. Ex-Hull goalkeeper Steve Harper likened him to former Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson.

"He has that human touch," the Sunderland keeper said in 2013.

Nationality: English Current job: Bournemouth

Bournemouth's Howe is widely recognised as one of the best young English managers. Is he too inexperienced though?

Preparation: Howe's ability to guide Bournemouth into the Premier League and keep them there without sacrificing their attractive playing style has won praise.

In an interview in 2015, he said:, external "I look for several things. Playing ability, of course, and where they fit into the team.

"I am very much against g a player who is good, but you don't know where he will fit in.

"You think, 'I will mould him into the team', but that usually doesn't work."

Would he be brave enough to drop established England stars in order to ensure the pieces fit?

Tactics: Almost the polar opposite of Allardyce. With Howe, it is about an attacking, ing style with the ball being played out from the back.

But like Allardyce, he is steadfast in his belief his approach to the game is the right one.

Man-management: An insightful interview with the Guardian in 2014, external revealed Howe's acute attention to detail and work ethic.

It also highlighted his care for the individual.

"I always think it's important you give players ," he said. "It's something that I never really got. You just played game to game, hoping you were doing all right, never really being told. I'll always do the on an individual basis.

"It's probably my biggest drain in of time, but I think it's one of the most important aspects."

Stat: Last season, Howe's Bournemouth conceded 20 goals from set-pieces - twice as many as Arsene Wenger's Arsenal.

Nationality: English Current job: England Under-21s

Former England defender Southgate is already an FA man, having been in charge of the Under-21 side since 2013. As a consequence he has worked with many of the current senior side.

Southgate had no interest in succeeding Hodgson in the summer, neither on an interim nor permanent basis. However, now he will take charge of the side for four games - will he hold a different view after that stint?

Record: His first managerial job was at Middlesbrough in 2006, where he took over from Steve McClaren despite not having the necessary coaching qualifications. He kept them in the top flight for two seasons, but the Teessiders were relegated the following campaign. Southgate was eventually sacked in October 2009, despite a good start to the Championship season.

As for the England U21s, he has failed to guide the side past the group stage at two successive European Championship finals.

But is his luck changing? This year Southgate took charge of the England Under-20s for the Toulon Tournament, which they won with a 2-1 victory over .

Tactics: Southgate has worked closely with the FA's technical director, Dan Ashworth, who was appointed in 2012. Ashworth has wanted the Under-15s through to the Under-21s to stick to a 4-3-3 formation., external and "possession-based, counter-attacking" football.

When suggested that Southgate knew the English "system", former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said: "Knows what system? The losing system? He knows the losing formula">