Steve McClaren insists he is still fully equipped to be England manager.
McClaren's job prospects are hanging by a thread following Wednesday's stunning loss in Russia, which snatched Euro 2008 qualification out of England's hands.
Despite support from Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick and vice-chairman Sir David Richards in the aftermath of the Moscow misery, it is widely assumed McClaren will be axed should Russia win their final two games in Israel and Andorra next month and force England to miss a major tournament for the first time since they missed the 1994 World Cup.
McClaren has pointedly refused to discuss his future, other than to confirm the matter, like qualification, is out of his hands and that he will not give up on England's chances until all 12 Group E matches have been completed.
Yet the former Middlesbrough boss still believes, as he always has, that he has the right credentials for the job.
"I thought I was equipped for the job at the beginning, I thought it after five games, half-way through, three-quarters of the way through and I feel that now," he said.
"We are building something. People can see that.
"It is for other people judge whether I deserve more time.
"I enjoy the job. They are a great set of players to work for and the spirit has been excellent all the way through.
"The momentum has built up as we have gone on. Unfortunately, we have just lost that momentum."
There is actually merit in McClaren's words given the England coach who presided over the Russia failure is a vastly different beast to the one who handled the home draw with Macedonia and subsequent defeat to Croatia 12 months ago, a period which, in the final analysis, will prove fatal unless Israel's home form holds when Russia head to Tel Aviv on November 17.
From the depths of total humiliation during the first half against Andorra in Barcelona last March, McClaren's attitude has changed.
There has been less pandering to outside forces, more strong decisions, more vision, more focus, more steel, more resolve. Just about more everything. Unfortunately, unless McClaren's prayers are answered in the Holy Land none of it will count for anything even though the last England manager who failed to take a team into a major tournament and kept his job - Sir Bobby Robson - is proof that a trigger-happy approach is not always the right one.
Amid the feeding frenzy of the next month before England are in action again, ironically against Euro 2008 co-hosts Austria 24 hours before the match which could seal McClaren's fate, the current coach must try to keep a clear head, just in case Israel do halt Russia's march and offer England a lifeline that must be grasped against Croatia at Wembley.
Among the subjects uppermost in his mind is how England's players, for all their multi-million pound salaries and massive reputations, fail so often at big moments in big games.
"I very rarely make snap analysis about a game but the mental side is certainly something we do talk about," said McClaren.
"Can we handle certain situations? That will be looked at again."
However, as he is only too aware, the major focus over the next four weeks will be on McClaren himself and the unhappy situation he finds himself in.
"Of course, I will think about it," McClaren admitted.
"I will deal with it as I have dealt with everything else.
"This is a big job. It is a high pressure job. I feel as if whatever has come at me, I have handled. We have all handled it and we have come through it. You can see that.
"We all want to achieve. It is my job to make sure we do."
Taken as an isolated game, there is no reason why Russia should win in Israel. England could not do it in this qualifying campaign and neither France, Switzerland nor the Republic of Ireland managed it during the last World Cup qualifying phase either. And, as Russia failed to beat Israel on home soil, English optimism is not entirely based on quicksand.
"It doesn't feel like the end of the line because it isn't," said McClaren.
"We just have to hope Israel's approach is right and they get the result we want.
"It is out of our hands but we live in hope."
