Gareth Southgate has “no natural replacement” as England manager and should be kept on beyond Euro 2024, former Arsenal and Three Lions striker Ian Wright has said.
Southgate has led England to a second successive European Championship final, having also taken the Three Lions to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, but the former centre-back has come under fire for the team’s performances in Germany this summer.
The England boss has been booed by fans and had empty beer cups thrown at him earlier in the tournament, with the Three Lions far from convincing in group games against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia, before edging past Slovakia in the last 16 after a brilliant overhead kick by Jude Bellingham two minutes from the end forced extra time.
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Out of contract in December, Southgate is expected to be offered a new deal by the Football Association after Euro 2024, but there is a growing feeling that the 53-year-old might decide to walk away after almost eight years in charge.
“It comes down to what he wants to do, but I would not move Gareth Southgate on because a natural replacement doesn’t come straight to mind,” Wright said in a discussion with Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Jill Scott on Stick to Football: The Overlap Special, brought to you by Sky Bet. “What he’s done for the team and the country, everything he’s done with that squad up until this point. Why are we trying to bring something else in, when it’s not naturally there?Â
“If he does leave, it’s probably for his sake, because you cannot fault him – especially if we win. We haven’t got a natural replacement, no one comes to mind. If I was Gareth and I won it, I’d be thinking ‘Do I really need to go through all that?’ The first couple of games, we were still top of the group and people wanted Gareth out.”Â
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And he added: “You look at some of the interviews he’s done, and you look at Gareth and there’s times where you think, ‘This guy looks like he’s done.’ You do feel for him and it’s only Gareth who is going to be able to explain. Can you imagine him having to explain to his family because we don’t know what his family has been through.”
During the discussion, Neville said: “That [criticism] would have hurt Gareth because what he’ll want is respect from the fans, who would be very important to him I’d imagine. Didier Deschamps been there what feels like 10/12 years, Joachim Löw was there for donkey years. There’s no reason for us to want to change this manager. Why don’t we give him a six-year deal and say, ‘Look, he’s our manager for the next ten years, he’s young, the players like him, he’s got a young squad, but he was teetering on the brink only ten days ago, even after all he’s done. I’m wondering whether he thinks, ‘Do I want to put myself through what I know is coming at some point’.”
The former Manchester United and England defender added: “He would have been worried about the impact on his life, on his family – because he’s seen England managers destroyed and usually it doesn’t end well and normally it doesn’t go well after that either. It’s brutal, it’s more than just losing your job it’s an annihilation of your character, your personality – you’re rubbish, you’re ridiculed.”
Neville went on to compare Southgate’s situation with former England manager Terry Venables and how he left after Euro 96: “He won’t be afforded that luxury [to step away on his own accord] because England will probably be starting again in another six to eight weeks after the tournament,” he said. “The new manager will probably have to get his feet under the table, they’d have to pick the squad.Â
“So, what happened before Euro 96 was because it was political, but Terry Venables was effectively sacked, and Glenn Hoddle was appointed so he could come in after the tournament. Now, it just didn’t work because Terry did so well – a lot better than everyone expected – the players loved him, so it was like, ‘Right, what have we done’. Now, Gareth will have to make a quick decision.”
And Keane, who has worked with Southgate on ITV in the past, said: “If he does win – just to step back and say, ‘I’ve ran my race now in this’ – my goodness Gareth. We’ve all worked with him, we know him, what he’s done since he’s got the job and particularly the last few weeks, his personality has really helped. He’s been calm, cool – and that’s actually why some people have been critical of him. He’s a bit subdued, but that’s what’s worked for him.”
Ian Wright, Gary Neville and Roy Keane were speaking on Stick to Football: The Overlap Special, brought to you by Sky BetÂ
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