PANIC on the streets of London. First a prime minister, then the bulk of the shadow cabinet, now the England football manager: people in positions of authority appear to be queuing up like lemmings to throw themselves off a cliff.

The suicidal tendencies of said rodents is actually an urban myth but there is nothing artificial about the bewilderment and uncertainty which has afflicted the capital since the country's working class lashed out at the twin forces of globalisation and immigration by first trashing Marseilles then voting for Brexit from the European Union. And to think that politicians called that poll in a bid to end uncertainty over Europe once and for all.

The worried faces at emergency team meetings called at Arsenal this Monday and Tuesday found their perfect counterpoint in the startled rabbits of England's football team as they went down to Iceland in Nice on Tuesday night. Why is all this happening? And what happens now?

Whether this is England's Eureka moment as they try to diagnose the ills of their national football team remains to be seen. But it is certainly their Costa Rica moment, the point where they realise that their proud corporate football empire is clad in the £90 change kit of the Emperor's New Clothes.

Hubris, of course, is a factor. Whether the manager and players thought it, the pundits in the studio were certainly swift to dismiss Iceland's chances beforehand, even though their three results in the group stages - two draws, and a 92nd minute win, were identical to those of England. Personally I wasn't convinced this Iceland team had a result like this in them either but this brave new generation of Barclays Premier League footballers simply crumbled under the enormity of trying to prevent one of the most embarrassing results in their nation's history.

Scotland, of course, has more than a passing interest. While glorying in the failures of England's footballers has always been a bloodsport north of the border, ours is hardly a position of strength. For all the stats gleefully being doled out about England winning just six knockout matches in World Cups or European Championships since 1966, just playing in one would be a start for us.

Gordon Strachan's side travel to Wembley in November and, a bit like those of the pound and the FTSE index, England's fortunes could have gone up and down since then. If their disarray hasn't magnified in the intervening four months - their World Cup campaign kicks off with a tough encounter against Slovakia in Bratislava, while we are away to Malta - a new manager may have been appointed who is capable of moving things in the right direction.

The blame game was a late kick-off on Tuesday night, with Hodgson attempting to do himself a favour by getting out of the firing line immediately. This was never going to wash, as he has much to answer for another campaign where England's qualifying efficiency ebbed away into some woolly and confused thinking when they got to finals.

Perhaps a winter break might have helped, but form let down Hodgson at the wrong time. I wrote not long ago that England, 50 years on from their World Cup win in 1966 were a team to be feared at this year's European Championships, but in retrospect they had too many shortcomings to take the title. Reputation alone is keeping Joe Hart as first choice in goals, Raheem Sterling is a shell of the player who left Liverpool for Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur duo Harry Kane and Dele Alli arrived at the tournament looking leggy and out of nick. All of these guys may go on to become outstanding footballers in time but for now they are just young men who struggled to cope with the situation inflicted upon them by a seasoned, well-organised Iceland team who fought their hearts out. With a squad devoid of wingers and short on penalty box finishers it still isn't exactly clear how England expected to win matches, while a blue collar midfield worker in there like Danny Drinkwater might have helped set the tone.

So where do England go from here? International football is nuanced and managers have to be able to make effective in-game changes so it is understandable if there is little clamour for a continuity candidate like Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate - a man who all the world appears like a clone of Steve McClaren. It still feels ever so slightly early for Eddie Howe or Sean Dyche while Alan Pardew and Sam Allardyce are Marmite figures who could alienate as many as they attract. Allardyce is under-rated and would perhaps have the clout to carry this role off but it would be ironic indeed - this week of all weeks - if the country which gave football to the world decided that the answer to their ills could only be found overseas.

If not Lars Lagerback, the man who tormented them in Nice on Tuesday night, then why not Slaven Bilic? The warlike Croatian and West Ham manager is already known and respected amongst Premier League players and is stacked with international experience. And he wouldn't be afraid to put the fear of God into the so-called superstars of English football from time to time.