Alan Shearer believes that the next England manager should use this summer's European Championships to prepare for World Cup 2014.
The former Three Lions and Newcastle United captain believes that a long-term replacement for Fabio Capello must be installed before Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.
"Just because Capello has gone and a new one [is set to come in], it's not all rosy. England will probably not win the Euros," he told BBC News.
"If we can use that [Euro 2012] as a stepping stone for the new manager to feel his way in, to do very well, to get a feelgood factor right, then look to Rio two years after that. That can be the test for us.
"Do we ever go into a tournament with great preparation? There always seems to be something.
"It looks bad, but give it a month of two when someone has been appointed. I think things will have calmed down."
Shearer scored 30 goals in 63 caps for his country between 1992 and 2000.
Robert Summerscales
