Good objective article reflecting our thoughts on here!
Gareth Southgate doesn’t know what he’s doing
England’s second favourite status for the World Cup in Qatar now seems ludicrously optimistic
15 June 2022, 10:30am
‘The Hungar Shames’ screamed the Sun after England suffered a mortifying 0-4 defeat to the not so mighty Magyars last night. The game was England's worst home defeat since 1928. England now face the humiliating prospect of relegation from Tier B of the Nations League where they may join the likes of Armenia, Montenegro, and Albania. The shambolic, shapeless, performance against determined but limited opposition (Hungary are ranked 40 in the world) came on the back of three consecutive dismal outings (one goal in six hours of play, and that a penalty). England’s second favourite status for the World Cup in Qatar now seems ludicrously optimistic.
Ordinarily there would be serious questions raised about the manager’s position after such a debacle. But, despite fans chants of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing!’, not here. Gareth Southgate is immovable, thanks to his freshly inked contract extension which will keep him in the job until 2024 (at £5 million a year). This was reward for the accumulated credit of a World Cup semi-final, Euros final and straightforward qualification for Qatar; along with, probably, his nice manners and impeccable progressive credentials (supporting his players taking the knee, for example).
But does Gareth Southgate know what he is doing? And is he worth £5 million a year? On the surface reaching the semis of a World Cup and final of the Euros are unquestionable achievements for a nation used to hitting a quarter final brick wall in major tournaments. But below the surfaces are awkward realities like the exceptionally favourable pathway at Russia 2018 opened up by a rather dubious defeat to Belgium in the first round; and the huge advantage of playing mainly at home in the Euros; and some large slices of luck en route to that final. What few question is that Southgate made a mess of the World Cup semi and the Euros final, with an inflexible game plan in both and a controversial, some would say inexplicable, selection of penalty takers in the latter.
England’s second favourite status for the World Cup in Qatar now seems ludicrously optimistic
All this highlights just how difficult it is to truly evaluate Southgate’s, or arguably, any manager’s true value and contribution. All the man in charge can really do is try to create a good atmosphere in the squad (probably a Southgate strength), pick the team, and then hope for the best. During the actual games, he can prowl around the ‘technical area’ looking pensive and concerned (Southgate), or leap around in frustration at perceived injustices (Graham Taylor). He can make substitutions that sometimes, perhaps fortuitously, appear to work, but usually make no difference; and he can bark instructions through cupped hands that, even if heard, probably confuse as much as help.
Common sense dictates that nothing much can be achieved without a decent team. Just as Lewis Hamilton won’t win an F1 race in a Williams, so Jurgen Klopp is unlikely to have much joy at Norwich. The key metric by which any manager should be judged then is how successful they are in relation to the quality of the squad available to them, and the opposition faced. By such a calculation Southgate plummets, with what most would regard as a wealth of talent at his disposal and yet a record against major sides, and recently not so major sides, that is little better than his predecessors.