Martin Glenn, the Football Association chief executive, interviewed Gareth Southgate for the England manager's job on Monday while facing his own battle for credibility within the organisation, with sources close to English football's governing body telling ESPN FC that morale among staff has reached "an all-time low."
Glenn, appointed to his role in March 2015, formed a five-man committee to oversee the process of recruiting a full-time successor to Sam Allardyce, who was forced to leave his post after just 67 days and one game in charge earlier this season as a result of a newspaper sting.
Southgate is currently the only candidate due to be interviewed by the committee, which also includes FA chairman Greg Clarke, technical director Dan Ashworth, League Managers' Association chairman Howard Wilkinson and former player Graeme Le Saux, having led England to two wins and two draws while in interim charge.
But while Glenn is expected to end uncertainty over the manager's position by confirming Southgate's appointment within the next seven-to-10 days, the man charged with running the FA is faced with an increasingly unhappy workforce at Wembley Stadium and St George's Park.
One source told ESPN FC: "Alex Horne [Glenn's predecessor as chief executive] ran a pretty happy ship at the FA and everyone was pulling in the same direction, but it has all changed now.
"So many good people have left since Martin Glenn took charge, and not all of them because of the restructure that he was brought in to oversee, and many of the departments have lost some absolutely crucial people.
"Glenn has been in charge for 18 months now and there are no signs of anything getting any better."
Glenn, a former marketing executive, was hired by the FA to oversee a restructuring programme ordered by previous FA chairman Greg Dyke.
Around 100 employees have left the FA as a result of the cost-cutting, which was designed to shave £30 million from its annual spending.
Southgate, the manager of the England under-21s prior to his temporary elevation to the senior role, is expected to be offered the position on a permanent basis on a salary worth as little as half of Allardyce's £3m-a-year salary.