England prop Jeff Probyn has called for an overhaul of Martin Johnson's coaching set-up and for Steve Borthwick to be stripped of the captaincy.
"I don't think it's time for Johnson to go - I think it's time for his coaches to go," Probyn told BBC Sport.
Probyn, who won 37 England caps between 1988 and 1993, wants sweeping changes after a campaign in which Johnson's side won only two of five games and were widely derided for playing unimaginative rugby, before improving in the 12-10 defeat by France on Saturday.
Johnson now has 18 months to get things right before the World Cup in New Zealand.
Despite Johnson's consistent efforts to defend them, Probyn lays the blame for England's lacklustre displays firmly at the door of back-up coaches John Wells, Brian Smith, Mike Ford and Graham Rowntree.
"There's nothing wrong with the players," he said. "They are playing week in week out with their clubs, playing a different style of rugby and an exciting style of rugby.
"Johnson has got to start making the decisions a manager has to make and if that means some of your friends have got to go, they've got to go."
Probyn said he would like to see Northampton coaches Jim Mallinder and Dorian West brought in to work alongside Johnson.
Former England coach Dick Best does not think the Rugby Football Union will make any changes to the coaching set-up so close to a World Cup, but wants Johnson's long-term successor to be identified and brought up through the ranks.
That will be followed by a tricky autumn series against Australia, Samoa, world champions South Africa and New Zealand.
As well as the coaching shake up, Probyn is calling for a change of captain, with flanker Lewis Moody having pointed the way forward to a more dynamic style of leadership against the French after taking the armband from the injured Borthwick.
"The unfortunate thing for Borthwick is that he's never played well as a captain.
"The tempo was better under Moody, there was none of this finger-wagging at referees and calling for yellow and red cards. That was a feature of Borthwick's captaincy, which is not the sort of thing you expect an England captain to do.
"I'd probably go for Moody in the short term until one of the other players holds up their hands."
The RFU will hold a review of the national team set-up in July, after Francis Baron steps down as chief executive.
Best, who was a coach on the 1993 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand, says Baron's departure could open the door for the return of Sir Clive Woodward, England's 2003 World Cup-winning coach.
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