Gareth Southgate should stay, but the FA must also look to the future

Sir Alf Ramsey was blindsided by an FA committee, Kevin Keegan quit in the Wembley toilets, Roy Hodgson announced he was gone 20 minutes after losing to Iceland. As with politics, most England managerial careers end in failure, even Sir Alf, still the only one to win a trophy.

It has been something to ponder for Gareth Southgate as he contemplated his future at home in Harrogate this last week. The 52-year-old has come closer than anyone to ending the years of hurt, taking a team humiliated in successive tournaments to a World Cup semi-final and a European Championship final. But now he was thinking, ‘do I have the desire for another two years?’

It seems that he does. Which is good news. His record, and the successful re-setting of England players’ relationship with the national team and its fans, is why Southgate should continue.

His reservations centred on the difficult period last summer when a jaded team suffered a string of poor results, notably the 4-0 defeat at home to Hungary after which a section of the crowd called for him to quit.

That was bitterly ironic since one of the main criticisms is that Southgate is defensively-minded. At Molineux it was Hungary who camped in defence, breaking away to score on the counter-attack. England had more than two-thirds of possession, ten shots to six and six corners to none. Hungary were clinical, but they were not attack-minded.

The other charge, that he is not up to it tactically, is mostly levelled by people who have never taken a coaching session in their lives and have no concept of how complex setting up a team is. There was little wrong with Southgate’s tactics at the World Cup, even in the USA game, when the team underperformed, he effectively shut down the midfield to ensure England got a draw – which was all they needed.

There are legitimate questions to be asked about substitutions, but it is easy to be wise after the event. He has earned the right to continue.

Yet the Football Association should still be actively thinking about the succession plan. However England fare in Germany at Euro 2024 it seems likely Southgate will step away and the FA should use the time until then wisely.

Their selection of Sarina Wiegman to lead the women’s team may suggest otherwise, but picking an international manager is an inexact science. Such a perfect candidate is rare.

The FA have tried every conceivable type since Ramsey but stumbled across the most successful, Southgate, as a stop-gap after Sam Allardyce – himself picked because the FA appeared to have run out of ideas and alternatives – was the victim of a newspaper sting.

Southgate had a modest club record as manager but two advantages. Having run the under-21s he knew many of the talented young players coming through the academy pipeline. An England international under Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle and Sven-Goran Eriksson, he knew the demands of international football, how heavily the shirt weighed upon England players, and how important it was to ease that burden.

There is no one out there with that particular combination, but several candidates who have elements.

Of ex-players Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are the most obvious while Nottingham Forest’s Steve Cooper has a successful background in England age-group teams.

Add Steve Holland who has acquired much knowledge as Southgate’s assistant – and worked with six Chelsea managers, but has not picked a first team since an unhappy spell at Crewe Alexandra 14 years ago.

Then there are Chelsea’s Graham Potter, Newcastle’s Eddie Howe and Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers, none of whom have international experience (though Potter coached in Sweden) but are clearly excellent coaches.

The next England manager ought to come from one of those eight. England should be able to produce a national manager from within its own system (which includes Welshman Cooper and Northern Irishman Rodgers).

When Bobby Robson was England manager he handed part-time roles with the under-21 and B teams, respectively, to future England managers Venables and Graham Taylor.

The FA now employ full-time coaches at age-group level, and utilising a modern Premier League manager this way is likely to meet opposition from their own club and rivals.

Nevertheless, there ought to be a way to ensure possible successors have advance insight into the challenges of managing England, whether it be by making observational visits to St. George’s Park during international get-togethers or regular briefings with Southgate. Such a brains trust could be mutually beneficial.

Southgate has changed expectations of the England team, and for the most part the atmosphere around it. When he does go the FA need to make sure that, unlike after 1990 and 1996, even 2006, the momentum is not lost.

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