Football League chairman Lord Mawhinney has ridiculed the notion of England's so-called 'Golden Generation' and blasted the players' inability to "deliver under pressure" in their doomed bid to qualify for Euro 2008.

The capitulation to Croatia at a rain-soaked Wembley last night ended the dreams of reaching next summer's finals in Austria and Switzerland - and ultimately cost manager Steve McClaren his job.

The Football Association have promised to conduct a "full root and branch examination of the whole England senior team set-up" as the nation struggles to come to terms with missing the first major international tournament in more than a decade.

The soul searching and finger pointing looks set to continue for some time, and questions will now inevitably turn to the set of players who currently make up England's elite.

Although the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and Michael Owen have all performed at the highest level for their clubs, there can be no doubt that consistency has eluded them as a unit on the international stage.

Lord Mawhinney was one of the FA board members who faced the media following today's announcement of McClaren's sacking, along with that of his assistant Terry Venables.

The decision came on the back of an emergency board meeting at Soho Square this morning, with a "unanimous decision" sealing the pair's fate.

The former Conservative politician is in no doubt the squad must also shoulder their own share of the blame for such abject failure.

"We have talked about the manager, but we haven't talked about the players and the ability of the players to deliver under pressure," declared Mawhinney.

"The results haven't been very impressive and last night wasn't very impressive."

He added: "I have been brought up over the last few years believing that this was the Golden Generation.

"But I have to tell you, if this is the Golden Generation, the sooner we move away from the gold standard the better."

FA chairman Geoff Thompson admitted England's failure to qualify - with Russia going through instead alongside Croatia - was an "embarrassment" and left the FA board with no choice other than to axe McClaren.

The search will now begin for a new manager just 15 months and 18 games after McClaren - who will receive an estimated £2.5million pay-off for the remainder of his contract, which ran to 2010 - was appointed.

Despite overwhelming confidence the former Middlesbrough manager had been the right man to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson following the ill-fated 2006 World Cup campaign, FA chief executive Brian Barwick admitted the one-time Manchester United coach had come up short in terms of results and performance, leaving the hopes of a nation in tatters.

The FA board have handed Barwick the "authority to identify" candidates for the England manager's job, which he will then report back to Soho Square officials.

Barwick insists he will leave no stone unturned to ensure the right man is found to revitalise what is now a beleaguered national squad, and admitted the task of finding a head coach would be handled differently, with lessons learned from the previous protracted, and at times farcical, saga.

Bookmakers have installed former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho as the early favourite, with Barwick revealing this time around there would be no clamour for the role to necessarily be filled by an Englishman.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is a leading British candidate, while Fabio Capello has expressed an interest, but Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has been quick to rule himself out.

FA chairman Thompson observed: "What we want is one person solely responsible for recruiting, but the final decision is taken by the FA board - it is corporate responsibility.

"What we will do when Brian comes back with the recommendation is to ask who he has consulted, whose advice he has sought."

Barwick, though, knows the process will not be completed overnight.

He said: "I am asking for a little bit of patience at the moment.

"I think the fact I will be given the opportunity to lead from the front on this is significant. We've got to get the right person."

Barwick maintained: "It is my responsibility as the chief executive to drive the organisation forward, but I don't do it solely and alone.

"It is one Hell of a big job for one person, so I will look to other people. It's a situation where I need all that support.

"The process will be significantly different from last time."

Despite England's clear problems on the pitch, there has as yet been no signal of changes within the board at FA headquarters.

Many fans have lost confidence in the administration, asking why the same incumbents should be trusted to get it right this time having failed so miserably with the last appointment.

FA board director and Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards accepted things had gone anything but to plan.

"I was involved in the last process and I have a responsibility for that," said Richards, who had led the drive for the job to be done by an Englishman.

"If it is necessary for me not to be involved in that process that's fine - I accept that.

"I accept that I have failed in that England failed."

Richards added: "I have been a real supporter of Steve McClaren's and I thought that Steve could do this job, really work hard at it and build a team everyone be proud of.

"I can't sit here and hold my head up high after last night's performance - I just can't and I have to accept responsibility for that."