Only three players can walk away from Tel Aviv with any sort of credit for their displays. Aaron Lennon, Owen Hargreaves and Steven Gerrard were involved in all that was good about England's performance.

From day one I thought the English FA made a huge mistake in appointing Steve McClaren to the post of chief coach -- and sadly he is proving me right. This is a man who learned a lot from Sven-Goran Eriksson and that alone taints his managerial credentials.

Remember all the talk a few years back of the 'Golden Generation' of footballers that were to lead England to glory? Well, this is that team of players and right now they should be reaching the pinnacle of their careers. But crazy mismanagement all the way, from the head of the FA down to McClaren, is ensuring that this generation of English footballers will pass like countless before them and never win anything at international level.

McClaren will not be fired because it's not the FA's way to do things half way through a Euro qualifying campaign. And, to be honest, no great manager would touch the job right now.

McClaren has made two monumental mistakes since taking over the hot seat and they both involve Gerrard. Number one was not making him captain; John Terry is a good captain for club and country, but Gerrard is better -- much better. No player in the world can rouse and drive his troops on and lead by example like Gerrard, no one can take the game by the scruff of the neck and turn things around when things are not going to plan. If you don't believe me, hop over to Milan and ask the AC superstars to explain the reasons for that second half in Istanbul. And Gerrard does this week in week out at Liverpool.

The other mistake is wasting Gerrard's talents by playing him on the right -- he  has more of a free role where he can come inside to do damage, but most Liverpool fans would prefer to see him always in the middle. McClaren`s reluctance to play Gerrard in the centre stems from the fact that he wants to play his 11 most talented footballers in every game, which all managers should do. But this is leading England to try to force square pegs into round holes.

So something has to be changed. Someone has to get the chop, and it can only be one man -- Frank Lampard has to go. He is a good player for Chelsea but has never set the international scene alight. He is the most over-rated player in world football today and he is a major obstacle in England's quest for glory.

All these media stories about Europe's top clubs chasing Lampard's signature are just that....stories. The likes of Barcelona know he won't move from Chelsea and they don't want him. A player with Frank's ability would add nothing to their team; he simply is not up to that standard of football, he looks good at Chelsea simply because he is surrounded by great players.

With Lampard out of the way, England can play Gerrard and Hargreaves in the middle. Lennon can then play in his natural position on the right of midfield. England are blessed with great defensive players so it only leaves the left of midfield and up front. Stuart Downing should be given a fair go on the left and Peter Crouch and Michael Owen, when fit, are the perfect foil for Wayne Rooney. So there is hope for England if the right decisions are made at management level.

In Gerrard, England have the best player in the world for driving his team on. If he is released and allowed to do what he can do, then England can once again become a team to be feared. But I think McClaren lacks the wisdom and bravery to make Gerrard the emphasis of the English team.

Is it time to rethink the appointment of Steve McClaren? Send your views to Sportingo.