Gareth Southgate has left his job as England head coach after 8 years in charge. The resignation comes two days after the 2-1 defeat in Euro 2024 final. There has been reports for quite a while suggesting that the 53-year-old would leave his position after the Euros. Although frequently criticised for his tactics and team selection, England experienced an unprecedented rate of success under Gareth Southgate.
Gareth Southgate has represented England in 57 games as a player and 102 games as manager. He is highly credited for reviving the team spirit and culture in the dressing room. Southgate’s exit has sent the English FA on a hunt for his successor. He has undoubtedly laid the foundation for the future and success of the Three Lions.
The Gareth Southgate Era
After retiring from playing career, Gareth Southgate joined the FA in 2011 as head of elite development. He dedicated himself to polishing young talents across the country starting right from the grassroots. Children under 13 were taught to be shrewd with their passes with the right technique.
The former Aston Villa defender underwent various stages of learning as he climbed the ladder of football management. In 2013, FA appointed him as England U-21 manager before he took over the reins of the senior team from Sam Allardyce in 2016.
Back then, England was in a state of ruins. Sam Allardyce’s team lost by 1-2 against Iceland and he saw his way out after just one game in charge. Southgate took over as the interim boss in November, 2016. The relation with the English fans with their national team was on the edge and the Englishman took it upon himself to set things right. Since then, the Three Lions had gone through a turbulent ride.
Luck has almost never been there for England whenever they went into the penalty shootouts. One such moment has always haunted Southgate when he famously missed a penalty in Euro 96. In 2018, his team went on a brilliant run to the World Cup semi-finals. On their way, they trounced Colombia at the penalty shootouts to advance. Fan began to show their appreciation again and got their hopes up. However, this wasn’t to be a regular thing due to inconsistent performances.
In the next few years, Gareth Southgate would go on to lead his team to two finals and one quarter-final. Nevertheless, the fans never fully got behind him or his players. England’s same set of possession plays barely managed to get the crowd on their feet. Even if these performances earned a victory, English media would always draw strong criticism which overshadow the positive aspects. But there is no question that this concentrated period of success is a first for England. Many suggest that Southgate was finally able to put together a squad capable of winning titles. Whether this streak of victories will continue or not remains to be seen.
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What Next for England
With the departure of Gareth Southgate, FA are now in the hunt for a suitable successor. They want a manager who perfectly understands English culture which could be found in current or former Premier League managers. It is essential that the current culture and the team spirit in the dressing room should be preserved for years to come. Some of the candidates for the job include Jurgen Klopp, Graham Potter, Graham Potter, and Mauricio Pochettino.
Not long ago, Jurgen Klopp publicly announced how he needed a ‘break’ from football itself. He immediately shrugged off a recent offer from the USMNT. This casts some doubt over his involvement in the coaching business for a while. Graham Potter looked to advance his career on another level when took a huge leap from Brighton to Chelsea midseason. That move didn’t turn out well as he could not handle such a high-profile dressing room. Even Pochettino’s spell at Chelsea was far from impressive. His overly defensive approach towards the game is not what the Three Lions are exactly looking for.
For now, Eddie Howe seems to match the description. His tactics aligns with the flair and ability of the current generation. Furthermore, the addition of Diego Simeone’s philosophy to his earlier wide playing approach makes him an ideal candidate. Whoever turns out to be the successor must continue to walk Southgate’s path instead of shuffling the crucial elements.
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