Many people may not realise that England boss Gareth Southgate is gearing for what is likely the final qualifying games of his tenure as Three Lions chief.
Gareth Southgate and his England squad take on Malta and North Macedonia in the coming 10 days, which are the final two stops of their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign…but will these games tell us much looking ahead to Germany and the finals next summer? Well, maybe more than you realise.
Is Gareth Southgate Too loyal for his own good?
Firstly, it tells us how loyal he is – his initial squad named for these qualifiers featured 25 names, none of whom were new to their ranks. He has since brought in Ezri Konsa, Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis to replace the injured Lewis Dunk, James Maddison and Callum Wilson.
But who wasn’t called up? That tells us a lot too. Raheem Sterling was again overlooked – Sterling was not so long ago, a key member of Southgate’s England squad, but since the World Cup finals in Qatar he has not been included.
Sterling out in the cold this winter?
The reason Sterling’s absence is telling and jarring in equal measure is it underlines that Southgate does not pick on form as there are few better players in the Premier League at this moment – yet at the same time whilst naming this squad, he openly warned Aaron Ramsdale about not his possible lack of game time at Arsenal.
It doesn’t add up…he has picked Rico Lewis after just two Premier League starts this season, whilst also continuing to pick Kalvin Phillips who has barely played since joining Manchester City last year, yet is still a regular for Southgate. It is this muddled thinking that is worrying, England are favourites to win Euro 2024 and rightly so – there is not a squad in world football that has the riches at Gareth Southgate’s disposal but can he turn them into winners?
‘The Golden Generation?’
In Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham he has two of the very best footballers in world football, add to that the likes of Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Reece James and Declan Rice – who others would argue are at that level too – this is the most gifted England squad of all time.
Forget Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes et al, this squad is better. So what is the problem? Well, if we are being honest, probably the head coach – is Gareth Southgate world class? No.
England bowed out of the World Cup finals tamely in the quarter-finals to France having clearly gone backwards having reached the final of the Euro 2020 (played in 2021).
Does he deserve a new contract?
Gareth Southgate’s current deal is due to expire next summer, and the easy thing for the Football Association to do would be to extend it – win or not. Southgate is pretty popular, a media darling in many ways and is a no risk going into the World Cup finals in 2026.
But will Southgate have the stomach to continue, that is the question win or not, it is hard see him signing a new deal. If he wins the Euros, then that is a great way to sign off, if he doesn’t then he has failed with the greatest group of English talent ever seen.
No matter what, it is a huge summer ahead for Southgate and English football.
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By Graeme Bailey
