England once again came up short in a big tournament after falling to France 2-1 in the Quarter finals of the World Cup. As is the case with virtually all of the national teams that have already been eliminated from the tournament it seems fair to question the continuity of manager Gareth Southgate. Southgate has presided over quite a successful period of the English national team. However, he’s come up short time and time again. Heading into the tournament there were already questions surrounding his status with the team after an abysmal showing in the Nation’s League.
Overall his team’s performance at the World Cup can’t be considered “bad”. They cleared the group stage and the round of 16 with relative ease. They were bounced from the tournament by the defending champs after a missed penalty by their star man Harry Kane. Should Southgate’s future with the team be in question, or should he be allowed to continue?
Continuing Is Probably The Best Decision For All Parties
This English team has a ton of young talent on the roster that could presumably continue being part of the squad for years to come. The Euros are about a year and a half away at this point. All of this adds up to the fact that it may be in everyone’s best interest to ensure that Southgate continues. Another one of the things that could play in Southgate’s favor is that there isn’t necessarily any up-and-coming English with a unique perspective on how things can be done differently.
To try and establish a new playing style within the English national team the FA would likely have to look into bringing foreign coaches. That’s not something that the FA has been reluctant to do in the past. Just look at the likes of Sven Goran Eriksson, and Fabio Capello. The lack of success, though, that came with these two eras in the English national team could be a cautionary tale. One that at this point in time plays in favor of Gareth Southgate.
Why It Would Make Sense To Sack Him
It makes sense to sack Southgate if there’s a consensus within the FA that there’s someone out there with a unique play style that they would like to bring to the English national team. We don’t think that there are too many guys out there that they could choose, but maybe we’re wrong. The Pep Guardiola influence in the Premier League is evident, and it’s his Manchester City team that provides the most players for the English national team.
With that in mind it could make sense to bring on someone that is Guardiola-esk to lead the English team. The problem is, who is Guardiola-esk, and has the experience to be able to come into the job without so much scrutiny? Mikel Arteta doubling as Arsenal, and England manager? It’s hard to picture that happening to be honest! Hence, why we feel that Southgate is safe, at least for now.
Is This England’s Reality?
The biggest problem with English football for years has been the fact that they overestimate the talent of their own players and the efficiency of their play style. English football has always been known for its vertical attacks with long high balls that favor physical play. Other nationalities have found ways to develop different play styles to favor player skill over strength.
This generation of English players is perhaps collectively the most skilled bunch of players England has ever had. Perhaps they could benefit from having a coach that favors a more balanced play style with higher ball possession. It’s about time that they try something different. Can Southgate be the one to lead that charge though? That remains to be seen!
