Ever since his appointment in 2016, replacing the sixty-seven-day manager Sam Allardyce, there has been lots of discussion over whether Gareth Southgate has the tools to manage what is seen as England’s new ‘golden generation’.
The UEFA Euro 2021 tournament will serve as the manager’s third major tournament, after a fourth-place finish in the Russia World Cup 2018, their best since Italy 1990, and third place finish in the inaugural UEFA Nations League tournament. With these performances however, a deeper dive will tell you that the quality of teams England faced, particularly in their world cup run, was far below that of any other favourite. The side faced Tunisia, Panama. Columbia, and Sweden in their games prior to the semi-final against Croatia (which they would go on to lose 2-1 in extra time). These teams were all ranked far lower than England on the official FIFA rankings, with their semi-final opponents being the closest, yet still six whole places below. This deeper dive makes a strong case that England’s ‘best run in years’ could have just have been accredited to the luck of the draw, with the team stumbling at its first real hurdle.
Both before and during the opening games of UEFA EURO 2020, Southgate has been repeatedly questioned by fans and media alike, particularly with his original intentions not to select Liverpool right back Trent Alexander Arnold, who has shown his extraordinary class over the past seasons, being a vital piece in Liverpool’s Champions League and Premier League triumphs, setting a record for most assists by a defender in a single Premier League season along the way. Although Southgate would eventually select him in his 26-man squad, Alexander-Arnold would pick up an injury in a warmup friendly against Austria. There were other criticisms of his final squad though, with James Ward-Prowse and Jesse Lingard, players who showed their fantastic quality in the Premier League this past season, also missing out on the tournament, angering many fans who were left confused by his decision to include four right backs in their place.
The public criticism of Southgate also lies with his game management. During the England-Scotland game, a game that would have ensured England’s appearance in the round of 16, Southgate left fans bemused by his decision to keep Borussia Dortmund and young starlet Jadon Sancho, a creative winger who is highly sought after due to his 89 goals and assists in 104 games for the German side, on the bench despite the England side’s abysmal performance lacking in creativity. Southgate’s constant stubbornness has often been touted as the reason for England’s below-expectation performances, and with so many high-quality managers like Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, Antonio Conte, among many others also available at the moment, why should the England fans settle for a manager who’s achieved nothing but disappointment at every sign of hope so far?
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