England’s quarter-final against France this weekend, for many, is seen as do or die. If the Three Lions come out on top, football’s coming home and Gareth Southgate should get down on one knee and prepare to be knighted. If England lose, by any method, the gaffer has bottled it again and the nation’s run of failing to beat one of the big boys at a World Cup continues.
This could well be Southgate’s last game in charge of the Three Lions, but win or lose, it shouldn’t be.
What this man has done for English football is nothing short of outstanding. From Sam Allardyce, pints of wine and Iceland, we’ve emerged as genuine contenders for major competitions. The feeling around the Three Lions has completely changed too, with a real fondness growing between the fans and the loveable team that he has created.
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Ask any former England player. Meeting up with their international teammates used to be a tense encounter and most of them couldn’t wait to get back to the sanctuary of their clubs. Now, it’s almost the other way around. This generation of England players don’t feel the weight of history, even after losing a major final on penalties, and they still absolutely love playing for their country.
That ability to foster a great togetherness, which is so often overlooked, has played a major role in changing England’s fortunes. Fabio Capello proved that without the right atmosphere, success is impossible and now Southgate has helped England not only fulfil their potential but surpass it.
His critics will fall back on the same old arguments, that England have ‘easy runs’ at major tournaments and the manager has choked in key moments. Do you know why England have had ‘easier’ runs in the last two tournaments? Because Southgate won the group when he wanted to. The Three Lions didn’t get out of the group in 2014, finished second in 2016 and 2010 and suffered as a result.
He’s made topping a group look so simple and the last-16 ties have been navigated without breaking a sweat. Do you know how rare it is for an England manager to make games a relaxing watch at a major tournament?
When it comes to beating the big nations at major tournaments, that is something England have only managed once since 1966. If they manage to beat France, it will be the first time they’ve beaten a side above them in the world rankings in the knockout stages of a World Cup since the final against West Germany at Wembley. So to criticise Southgate for that is simply unfair.
The Italy final still wrangles for some England fans. But the narrative has been altered in the 17 months since that game solely because Italy again failed to qualify for the World Cup this year. The Three Lions were not the best team at that tournament. Italy were. From day one. Yes, they had home advantage and took the lead, but Southgate’s tactics of setting England up to hold onto what they had weren’t stupid - they were sensible.
Jordan Pickford and co. hadn’t conceded a goal from open play until Leonardo Bonucci’s equaliser, and still they had a golden opportunity to win the tournament from the spot. It wasn’t to be, but the journey England went on to reach that point shouldn’t be forgotten.
In some ways, Southgate is suffering because he’s the one who has raised expectations due to his good performances. He’s the best England manager since Sir Alf Ramsey and that is a fact. A quarter-final, a semi-final and a final in three consecutive tournaments is a period of success the like of which England haven’t enjoyed since the late 60s, when there were fewer teams - and therefore fewer rounds - in international tournaments.
Let's not forget our own goal scoring superstar, @HKane 😍
How many will he score on Saturday night? 🧐
#ITVFootball | #FIFAWorldCup
No England manager has won more games at major tournaments than Southgate. For all of the ‘defensive’ rhetoric, and the misplaced ‘he needs to take the handbrake off’ shouts, England have scored more goals than any other nation at this World Cup. They’ve been sensational up to this point.
More to the point, there is not a natural successor waiting in the wings who could do a better job, when you consider Euro 2024 is just 18 months away. Lee Carsley has shown promise with the under-21s and could be promoted as Southgate was, but he needs more experience at that level before stepping up.
Meanwhile, Graham Potter and Eddie Howe, the two names at the forefront of people’s minds when it comes to the England job, have Premier League roles they are unlikely to walk away from. Even if Potter is sacked at Chelsea and takes over at England, he is a man with zero international experience and it is a very different environment to club management.
Southgate may decide, and he has earned the right to decide, when enough is enough. If that’s after this tournament, then so be it. But England could do with him staying on for two more years.
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