Gareth Southgate’s reign as England manager is one that has modernised and revolutionised English football forever, and, despite the obvious lows, he should always be cherished as one of our best.
Think back to where you were when Roy Hodgson’s England crashed out of Euro 2016 at the hands of Iceland. Think of the emotions. Dejection, disappointment and detest on unmeasurable levels. Enough to make some fall out of love with football. If you’re English, that is.
If you had then told that desperate nation that it would reach two finals, a semi-final and a quarter-final in the next four tournaments, you’d have been laughed out of the room. That change, that turnaround, is down to one man: Gareth Southgate OBE.
English football should be forever grateful for what he has done for the game in this country.
We may not have gotten over the line, but we travelled through uncharted waters with him at the helm. The first semi-final a generation of supporters had seen. The first final most of us had witnessed. The most excitement and gravitas towards major tournaments in living memory.
His setup largely mirrored that of French boss Didier Deschamps and reflected many other nations, as, in reality, it’s only Spain and Brazil whose natural style is to go out and entertain.
Southgate’s well-organised team went toe-to-toe with the best nations in the world whilst always getting the job done against nations you’d expect them to. There was never any doubt about qualifying for tournaments and, while performances haven’t always been pretty, England have strolled through all four group stage outings under the manager with little doubt of qualification.
Look at who they have lost to over the years. Croatia looks like the one that got away, a team you would perhaps have expected the Three Lions to topple. But that was a side that contained the future Ballon d’Or winner, and we all know how different things would have been if Kane had squared it.
Italy was next in the heartbreaking Euro 2020 final. A team that was unbeaten in 30-odd games and had brushed aside all competition. England ran them damn close in the final and Southgate showed his true colours in the aftermath and the events that occurred, being there to lift many players from perhaps the worst moment in their lives.
The Qatar World Cup was a quarter-final exit, but an exit to the reigning World Champions, the favourites, who themselves would go on to narrowly lose the final. There’s no shame in that, and again, it could have all been different if Harry Kane’s second penalty hit the target.
And Spain. By far and away the best side at Euro 2024, no one came close.
All four of these games were tight, and England had no right to win any of them. Winning none is a disappointment, but Southgate had instilled real belief in everyone that England could do it, confidence that had evaporated in time gone by.
There’s no room for pleasantries in football, but Southgate the man must be celebrated too. He created an international environment of happiness, togetherness and determination that England camps had never seen before. His aforementioned support and shielding of Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sacho was crucial to their careers in a moment that could have ruined them.
And, statistically, he is the second-most successful England manager of all time.
This tournament, you’ve seen the Scots and the Welsh get behind every side England have played. Before Gareth, they didn’t need to spur on the opposition, as England were bound to do it to themselves. He revolutionised and modernised the mindset of the country, and beyond.
Furthermore, although many, myself included, would have liked to see Watkins, Wharton, Alexander-Arnold, Gordon and Palmer feature more, his substitutions always worked. It doesn’t seem feasible to blame the manager when it goes wrong, then give the players all the credit when things go right.
Not everything he has done has been perfect. He could be accused of being reactive rather than proactive and has perhaps shown too much loyalty to his servants along the way. With the growing angst building against him and the fact it felt like the end of a cycle, it was probably right for the manager to step down.
He may not have been the most attacking or tactical manager out there, no one is pretending that he was. However, if you look at the calibre of international managers currently, Southgate is about par. International management doesn’t seem to attract the big names anymore, with the Champions League being the biggest pull factor for many.
Even Eddie Howe, probably the FA’s prime target, seems to have given little thought to taking the job despite Newcastle failing to qualify for Europe; the Premier League is the place to be.
What Gareth Southgate has achieved should never be forgotten. It’s a great shame his reign couldn’t be capped off with silverware, but England aren’t a side that have an esteemed history of winning major tournaments. Unlike Germany, Brazil, the modern Spain, it’s not in our DNA.
Now, it seems like winning trophies is the expectation, which just shows how far Southgate has taken the Three Lions and why his tenure should always be treasured.
Football may not have came home, but Southgate, you're the one.
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