The Football Association, as we know, is keen to learn from its mistakes. One of the major criticisms during the Mark Sampson farrago was that it did not undertake due diligence before hiring. You cannot accuse the governing body of such a lack of curiosity this time.

A thorough reconnaissance mission was undertaken before appointing Phil Neville as Sampson’s successor, apparently extending to scrolling several years back through his tweets. A series of ill-judged attempts at humour emerge. During one exchange with his sister, Tracey, Neville remarks: “u women of always wanted equality until it comes to paying the bills #hypocrites.” Another time he suggests women should be busy in the kitchen and getting the kids ready in the morning. In 2011 Neville tweets: “Relax I’m back chilled – just battered the wife!!! Feel better now!”

Senior FA executives were aware of some, but apparently not all, of his tweets. They decided he was the best person to lead the women’s national team anyway. An original shortlist of candidates, male and female, many of whom had proven experience in the women’s game, had been decimated. Laura Harvey, a former Arsenal Ladies manager, opted to take a job with Utah Royals, while John Herdman, an Englishman managing the Canada women’s team, was appointed coach of their men’s side. Mo Marley, who had taken interim charge after Sampson’s demise, removed herself from the running.

Perhaps the FA should have asked how and why a job leading the third-best team in the world ,with youth teams endowed with talent and offering a £120,000-a-year salary became so unattractive. It opted for a man whose only experience of management is in backroom roles at Manchester United during David Moyes’s disastrous reign and at Valencia under his brother, Gary. Also caretaker manager at Salford for one game, he was apparently suggested to the FA lightheartedly by a broadcaster during Christmas drinks.

Once the FA had its man, a sensible move might have been to come clean about the tweets and explain that it did not believe they reflect Neville’s views or impair his ability to do the job. Instead it was left to charities and pressure groups to react. When Women’s Aid feels compelled to make a statement 24 hours after the appointment of your national manager something has usually gone amiss.

For all those dismissing Neville’s tweets as harmless banter, the country’s leading domestic violence charity has a different – almost certainly better informed – take. Sian Hawkins, campaigns and public affairs manager at Women’s Aid, said: “This ‘banter’, when left unchallenged, can reaffirm outdated but still worryingly prevalent attitudes of men’s superiority over women. At the sharp end of that is domestic abuse. With an average of two women a week being killed by their partner or ex-partner in England and Wales, this isn’t just unfunny, it is extremely dangerous.”

By most, if not all, accounts Neville is not a sexist. He is hugely supportive of the careers of his sister, a former netball player and now England‘s national netball coach, and his wife Julie, a health food author. Former players and prominent figures within the game were privately saying on Wednesday they have nothing against him and can forgive a series of tweets sent years ago and for which he has apologised. Many wish him well in a role in which he could yet succeed.

But for the FA his appointment has been another unmitigated disaster. After the controversy around Sampson, sacked after the detail of “inappropriate and unacceptable” behaviour (understood to involve relationships with female players) in a previous role became known, it must have been desperate to avoid further damaging public debate. But once again it is unlikely to go away any time soon.