Gareth Southgate speaks on future as England manager; odds shorten on replacement

Gareth Southgate speaks on his future as England manager while the bookies odds shorten on a potential replacement if he leaves..

The 51 year old says he will “not outstay my welcome” as the Three Lions boss manager, and has suggested he would leave if he felt the players were not responding to his methods.

There have been calls for him to adopt a more attacking approach, with uproar growing for Jack Grealish’s inclusion as a starter after many thought he made an impact in the draw with Germany. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s status has been scrutinised with Gary Lineker among those to criticising the fact he was not used in Munich. Southgate didn’t let the accusations get to him, saying he is too conservative but accepts his role has a shelf life.

“I’ve got to find a balance because I don’t want to sit and be defensive, but some people have managed teams and others haven’t,” he said. “Until you’ve managed teams, you have a different view of the game. What’s needed to win football matches are the sorts of things [Mason] Mount did on [Joshua] Kimmich that allows other things to happen. For the man that comes and stands on the terrace and pays his money, I totally understand he wants to see a Grealish with a Sterling with a Saka. But you’ve got to have a balance of the team, this is top-level football.

“I’ve got to manage in the way I see fit. I won’t outstay my welcome but I think I can do a good job for the team, and I think we’ve done a good job for the team. I think we’ll continue to improve the team, which we have done over a consistent period of time, and we’re also developing young players that will leave England in a good place for a long period to come.”

Southgate said something along these very lines after last summer’s Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy, who England face in the Nations League at Molineux on Saturday, though signed a new contract in November that runs until December 2024 and hasn’t been questioned about his future this time but appeared to bring up the issue when asked about his approach, raising speculation on how long he would actually remain in charge and is his desire is still there.

“That’s how I’ve always felt about it,” he said. “The major part of that is how the players are. Do I still feel the players give everything and respond to what we do? Yes, I do.”

It was put to Southgate that he is regarded as overly pragmatic. “I understand, I hear about conservatism, but we were the highest scorers in Europe last year,” he added, referring to his side scoring 39-goals in the World Cup qualifiers, 15 of those against San Marino in Group I. “So I don’t quite know what more you can do. I’m not saying I don’t buy into it because I understand, in this role, everybody’s going to have a view.

“I am always going to have those situations where people disagree with the selection. That noise over the last two or three years does seem extremely loud and I’ve had to ride that and get on with it through the Euros and the whole of last summer. I can see that’s where it is again. That’s what I have got to deal with.”

“The players have that desire and hunger,” Southgate said. “They don’t need to worry about what the expectation is. They feel the urgency, the need; they are desperate to be champions.

“For me, I am totally calm about it. I know what will be expected. I know the consequences if we don’t get there and I’m totally happy about it. I would rather be involved with a team where the expectation is high and we feel we have a chance, like other very good teams out there.”

Current next England manager odds

Graham Potter – 4/1
Eddie Howe – 6/1
Steven Gerrard – 7/1
Pep Guardiola – 10/1
Brendan Rodgers – 12/1
Dean Smith – 12/1
Sean Dyche – 14/1
Frank Lampard – 14/1
Steve Cooper – 16/1
Steve Holland – 16/1
Jose Mourinho – 20/1
Arsene Wenger – 20/1

Molineux will be the venue for a repeat of the Euro 2020 final on Saturday evening as England face Italy in the Nations League behind closed doors, kick off at 7:45pm.

There will be around 3,000 people in attendance at Wolves’ Molineux, largely made up of U14 schoolchildren who under UEFA rules are allowed free admission to fixtures played behind closed doors.

“If it is an embarrassment, it is for England as a country,” manager Southgate said.

“A lot of the people that caused the problems I’m not certain were football fans.

“We spoke enough about it, we spoke about it after the final and when the punishment was first given, what I will say is the vast majority of our fans who travelled to Germany on Tuesday behaved brilliantly, a big thank you to them because maybe people were thinking something different but there were a huge majority who were a credit.”

OPTA STATS

• This is the first meeting between England and Italy since the EURO 2020 final last July. The game ended 1-1 before the Italians won 3-2 on penalties.
• Italy have lost just two of their last 15 games against England in all competitions (W7 D6), losing 2-0 in June 1997 and 2-1 in August 2012, both in friendlies. In competitive matches, they’ve lost just once in nine meetings (W5 D3), a 2-0 defeat in a World Cup qualifier in November 1977.
• England are playing an international match at Molineux – the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers – for only the fifth time, with the other four coming between 1891 and 1956. In the most recent game in 1956, they won 5-2 against Denmark with Tommy Taylor scoring a hat-trick and Duncan Edwards scoring twice.
• England have won just one of their last five games in the UEFA Nations League (D1 L3), failing to score on three occasions. Meanwhile, Italy have lost just one of their 12 games in the UEFA Nations League group stage (W5 D6).
• England have failed to win their last two matches (D1 L1), only once before have they gone three without a win under Gareth Southgate, doing so in a three-game losing streak between July and September 2018.

SEE MORE: Hilarious moment sees England players laugh at cocky Tammy Abraham stacking it pre-match

Fans reacted as Gareth Southgate speaks on his future as England manager and odds shorten on a potential replacement…

Let’s be careful what we wish for eh? After 50 years of hurt a WC Semi & Euro Final should be appreciated?

— Terry Moses (@Terryjohnmoses) June 10, 2022

@WHUBruce: People talk about players needing a fresh approach after they’ve been with a manager a while. That seems like the situation with Southgate. English football is filled with wonderful talent at the moment but seems Southgate isn’t willing to allow them off the leash

@ENG2Stars1Day: I have watched England home abs away since the 80’s and we have never had it so good. Those of us that prioritise the national side are overwhelmingly behind Southgate. The rest criticise when they occasionally tune in and then return to their club-centric perspectives.

@Daniel_Baines04: Could the World Cup this year be his last tournament Henry? Either end on a massive high, or end with nation demanding change. You’d be going back to the ’80s to find a manager who did over 3 tournaments

@SirJohn81: FFFFFFFFFS, I can’t believe how much we are taking this for granted. 1 WC Semi and 1 EC FINAL is amazingly good for the awful frustrations had over 66+ years. Pls stop, this team is OVER achieving, not under (achieving). Know your limitations – mentally. Enjoy it while it lasts.

@Propheticz: I’m tired of the Southgate hate. People forget where we were before his appointment. Leave him be.

@finnaz1892: I personally think Southgate is a terrible manager . Tactically naive and just pick who’s favourites no matter how well or poor they are playing. The results have flattered England who have had easy passages to the latter stages and still failed.

@Owensafc0: Being a nice bloke can Only get you so far as a manager, you have to be able to choose a team based on actual performance and not personal loyalties

@kevin_lovewell: He should have left after the Europeans, played 6 out of 7 games at home and not a team rated above England. Had the best squad with France and negated best players with his negative tactics. But he’s safe and ticks the woke box for the FA.

@woodybcfc: You already have mate. Need him gone asap

@JackMawdsley6: This guy brought us 2 of the best summers we’ve ever had. Forever grateful

@gaz_paine: Tell him from me he’s been here way too long already 👍🏻

@JJ21MCFC: Good, hope he hands in his resignation after Nations League then

@neilsutcliffe75: Never seen a manager get such undeserved stick, some England fans have short memories

@bertsbrokenneck: The best group of players, but plays like he is in a relegation battle with Middlesbrough. His turgid defensive tactics leave the 3 attacking players no matter who it is out to dry. He would make George Best look like Ralph Milne.

@danjn71: He is too cautious and our strength is going forward, two defensive midfielders is painful to watch with zero entertainment