Allardyce 'back in England frame'
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is hopeful he may still be the next England manager after Luiz Felipe Scolari's decision to pull out of the running for the post.
He said: "I have been disappointed once and I thought it was all over when Scolari was offered the job.
"But it has all turned around and it appears I am back in the frame.
"I am more than keen - it is my dream job. I am in with a shout and I am hopeful, but until I get a phone call I will not know one way or another."
Allardyce believes he is the right man to succeed current England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson after this summer's World Cup finals.
When asked if his only rival for the post is now Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren, Allardyce answered: "I am not quite sure but it appears that way.
He added: "I am an Englishman and I am passionate.
"I am very good at what I do and I believe I would be very good at doing the England job, particularly at this stage of my life.
"I think I am right for it at this moment in time and I would love the England job more than anything else in the world."
Allardyce was speaking after his side's 1-0 defeat by Tottenham at White Hart Lane.
He felt his side should have had a penalty when Michael Dawson tried to tackle Stelios Giannakopoulos inside the area but failed to get the ball.
"I think, without question, it should have been a penalty," said Allardyce. "You are not allowed to tackle from behind and not only has he tackled from behind, he has not touched the ball at all.
"You can see Alan Wiley put the whistle to his mouth then doesn't blow. The cost of that to us is horrendous.
"It was blatant, everyone can see it, Alan can see it, why he didn't give it God only knows."
McClaren gets England job warning
Steve McClaren's former mentor Jim Smith has warned the Middlesbrough boss against becoming England manager.
Smith, currently Oxford United boss, gave McClaren his break in management when he recruited him as first-team coach at Derby County in 1995.
But Smith, 65, thinks his ex-pupil will suffer as his predecessors have from pressure at the hands of the media.
Smith told Sir stanley: "I've spoken to him and advised him not to take it, but he doesn't listen to me nowadays."
Smith added: "I said to him, 'I don't know what you're doing wanting it because you've already seen that you tend to get on the front pages as well as the back pages'."
Media intrusion has already forced Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari to withdraw from the running.
The Portuguese coach was the Football Association's first choice but pulled out after becoming upset by the frenzy that was created when his name was heavily linked with the position.
Middlesbrough boss McClaren - who is 45 on Wednesday - knows what it feels like to appear on the front pages of the national press.
At the weekend, one tabloid newspaper revealed details of a three-month affair with a secretary during a trial separation from his wife.
However, Smith, who spent four years working with McClaren, feels that should he become the next England manager he has certain attributes that will see him succeed.
Smith said: "He's a bright, astute young man and I'm sure he'd do well."
McClaren, who left Smith to join forces with Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in their treble-winning year in 1999, is odds-on favourite to replace Eriksson following Scolari's withdrawal.
But Smith, now in his second spell at Oxford United, says his former aid would not have been his first choice for the role.
Smith would have preferred Guus Hiddink to succeed Eriksson, but the Dutchman has announced he will manage Russia after his commitments with Australia come to an end after the World Cup in Germany.
