NOW it has become painfully obvious that England's 2018 World Cup bid would have been better run by a gaggle of enraged geese than the FA and the other interested parties, the blogosphere has been full of people saying 'I told you so', but I have a few simple suggestions that may well save it.

I am by no means an expert at winning things (you should see my record at Scrabble) but how hard could it be to sell England to FIFA?

I know we're not generally liked by the other footballing nations for lots of reasons (some valid, some not) but there are tons of positives about having the tournament held on our little island.

1): Forget about the politics: If our failed bid for 2006 was naive because the FA didn't do enough of the political ground work, this one seems mired in trying to please all of the delegates and annoying them.

So stop trying to please all the many factions in FIFA, like Jack Warner, and get the message across, which leads me to my next point.

2) Find a message and hammer it home: The FA has been so unfocused that I'm not sure what the WC in England actually means. Take a leaf out of London Olympic team's plan and find a clear message that engages the world.

Obviously, it won't be about a legacy at home because English football is so very popular, but how about heralding a new age of professionalism and fun in world football? Setting standards in not just stadiums but how fans are treated and games refereed.

England could open its arms and welcome all the other nations in a bout of unparalleled international solidarity. It would be the country who gave the world the great game, saying thanks to the globe which embraced it so heartily and giving them something back in a huge football party.

It's a tricky sell, because it could be interpreted as the arrogant English claiming football as their own, but if the right person is at the helm, then it could be pulled off. Which brings me to my next point...

3) An able figurehead leading the way: The Olympics had Sebastian Coe, an able politician and living Olympic legend, who do the FA have? Lord 'kerfuffle' Triesman!

I have no problems with bureaucrats because their job is to fill in forms, dot the Is and cross the Ts but they shouldn't be fronting the whole bid.

As for our ambassadors, people like David Beckham and Prince Harry should be used, but they should not be relied on to carry the burden of all on their own. Instead, find a genuine legend in football, someone articulate, intelligent and respected. Obviously, that leaves out most players but how about Roy Hodgson. He's beloved aboard. Gary Lineker should also be drafted in as he's been shrewd enough to ingratiate himself at the BBC, even though he's a useless presenter. Terry Venables is another to could talk the talk and add some personality and pizzazz.

4) Accentuate the positives, forget the negatives: England probably already has the stadiums in place to stage the World Cup tomorrow, so let's get that across and then energise FIFA with the promise of even more high tech facilities in nine year's time.

What about the famed atmosphere in a country that eats, sleeps and dreams the beautiful game? Fans would come to a country and know instantly they are in a hot-bed of football, not just a stranger in a land where it's a minority sport.

5) It's all about the money: Finally, surely the decisive factor in modern football is all about the moolah. An England World Cup will generate bags more cash than say in Australia and that's a good thing for FIFA in general.

No disrespect to the other countries, but if English football fans will stop everything to watch a kick-about in a park, imagine how many will flock to watch a meaningless group game between Iran and Switzerland at the Stadium of Light? The ground would be heaving!

6) Forget about 1966: If England stopped obsessing about winning the World Cup and focused on hosting it then we'd be unstoppable. It would also send a message to the other nations that as a country we have knocked the chip off our shoulder and have stopped living in the past.

Now, I know that I've had a few concerns about a home World Cup, but our utter failure to produce a decent bid is even more embarrassing.