England's next manager could just have 29 days to ready his squad for the 2012 European Championship.
The Premier League season ends on 13 May, with the Three Lions' opening fixture at the Euros coming on 11 June against France in Donetsk.
It throws preparations for the tournament into further disarray, with the Three Lions without a captain or coach following the removal of John Terry as skipper and Fabio Capello's resignation as a result of the Football Association's decision.
Stuart Pearce said following Wednesday night's Wembley defeat to Holland that he doesn't believe he is the long-term man for the coach's role but would relish leading England into Ukraine and Poland.
Alex Horne, the FA's general secretary, today spoke at the International Football Association Board meeting at Bagshot in Surrey, was reported to have said by The Guardian: "It's a back-end-of-the-season decision for us.
English self-deprecation has already begun in earnest:
"We recognise that a lot of the managers on the list are employed and we don't want to interrupt anyone's season. We're not rushing this and we are expecting something at the back end of the season."
Horne is part of a four-man panel, including FA chairman Sir David Bernstein, Club England managing director Adrian Bevington and technical director Sir Trevor Brooking who will choose Capello's successor.
A shortlist has been drawn up consisting of favourite and Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp as well as Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho makes up the trio under consideration.
Redknapp remains the overwhelming favourite despite his inferior CV to that of Guardiola and Mourinho's more decorative achievements.
Mourinho was in London this week house-hunting, which fuelled speculation that a return to English football was imminent after his second season managing in Spain.