Opinion
It’s fair to say the news this week that Gareth Southgate has elected to stay on as England’s head coach for Euro 2024 received a mixed response from fans.
From the outside looking in, this may seem peculiar given Southgate is England’s most successful manager since Sir Alf Ramsey.
So it begs the question: is Gareth a victim of his own success?
It’s been dubbed the ‘impossible job’. Perhaps only being Prime Minister carries more public scrutiny than being the head honcho of the English national team. Indeed even Southgate has quipped in the past that his own postman had been questioning some of his decisions.
It’s easy to forget that the 52-year-old is really an accidental England coach.
But for a newspaper sting bringing Sam Allardyce’s one-game reign to an acrimonious ending in 2016, the fate of the three lions may have headed in an entirely different direction.
(Photo by Han Yan/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Southgate, then England’s under-21s boss, was tasked with revitalising the hopes of a nation coming off the back of their disastrous Euro 2016 exit to Iceland. Morale and expectations were at an all-time low.
Certainly he can be credited with quickly installing a firm sense of unity within the group. England now appear to be a happy camp, with ‘club cliques’ seemingly a thing of the past.
Man management is a key part of modern-day coaching, and Southgate has cultivated an environment in which players appear more than happy to report for duty. He seems to know what makes them tick.
His critics point to his record when coming up against top-class opposition and a dismal Nations League showing, with the nadir coming with a 4-0 home thrashing to Hungary. The boos and jeers at the final whistle clearly left their mark.
Many have also taken a swipe at his in-game management. England took early leads in both their 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia and Euro 2020 final against Italy before retreating into their shells and eventually being picked off. Why not go for the jugular?
These are perfectly reasonable viewpoints to hold.
From what I witnessed in Qatar, Southgate seems to have learnt from those games. England were on the front foot far more often, going toe to toe with a top-class French side. Only a wayward Harry Kane penalty prevented what may have been another semi-final berth.
The future is bright. Jesse Lingard, Ashley Young and Dele Alli all started the 2018 World Cup semi-final, with Danny Rose coming off the bench. Fast forward four years and they have been replaced with Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and the precocious Jude Bellingham.
This is an England team that should go deep in major tournaments for years to come.
Southgate has claimed as many knockout wins as all his predecessors had done in the previous 48 years. While he shouldn’t be immune to criticism – it goes with the territory – he has earnt the right to continue to take this England side forward.
Comparing what he inherited in 2016 to where the team stand now, Southgate should be lauded more for his achievements. It will be a tough ask, but taking out the Euros in Germany in 18 months should silence any doubters.
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