"It is an indescribable pain," McClaren said. "There is so much expectation, both from the fans in the stadium and the people watching on TV at home.

"We have let them down. We know what they are feeling - we are feeling exactly the same.

"I take responsibility. Ultimately, I said judge me over 12 games. We deserve to be where we finish and we have not deserved to qualify. That is my responsibility."

Those remarks suggest McClaren knew that his fate was sealed. By refusing to resign however he ensured that his employers would be obliged to pay him off for the remaining two years of his contract.

Having presided over a qualifying campaign in which England lost three out of 12 matches as well as being held to draws in Israel and - ultimately fatally - at home to Macedonia, McClaren will walk away with a severence payment in the region of 2.5 million pounds ($5.1 million).

That particular bill will take the total cost of his time in charge to more than 10 million pounds - missing out on Euro 2008 will cost the FA a minimum of eight million pounds in prize money and television revenue.

In the long-term, the losses could be many times that figure because of the damage the debacle of the qualifying campaign has done to the brand value of what was once regarded as a 'golden' generation of England players.

McClaren's chronology

Date of birth: 03/05/61 Birthplace: York, England

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