Gareth Southgate and England face ‘whole new level of expectation’ at World Cup

The dominant memory many fans have of him as a footballer is the missed penalty against Germany that kept England out of the Euro 96 final – plus the Pizza Hut advert it inspired. Yet that failure was “the making” of Southgate, said Matthew Syed in The Times: it forged in him the resilience that he now inspires in others. 

It was Southgate’s own “DNA” that defined England’s run to the Euro 2020 final, said Mark Critchley in the Independent. And in particular it is his unusual openness to new ideas – evident during his time as manager of Middlesbrough and during his subsequent stewardship of the England Under-21s – that has informed his long-term overhaul of England’s national set-up. 

Southgate missed a penalty in the Euro 96 shoot-out defeat against Germany

Getty Images

One thing that’s evident in the 52-year-old’s management style is how he puts his faith in England’s “tried and trusted” players, said Josh Noble in the FT. England’s 26-man squad for Qatar is “a mark of Southgate’s firm loyalty to a core group of players”, with 20 of them also featuring at the Euros. 

Although results have been poor in the run-up to the tournament, Southgate insists that form is just one of many factors in tournament football. “We’ve got a lot of players who have been to tournaments, have performed at the level, know what’s required,” he said last week. “We’ve got others who are playing well, who are in form right at this moment. And we’ve got to balance all that when we’re picking our team.”

Warm glow of nostalgia

Drawn in group B with Iran, the United States and Wales, England are fancied to advance to the knockout stage “with minimal fuss”, said The Mirror. However, all four nations have “encountered problems” and “stumbled” into Qatar, Sports Illustrated added. It has given “another layer” to an already “deep and intriguing” group.

After semi-final and final appearances in the last two major tournaments, Southgate will know he is “under pressure to deliver”, but he has become adept at “controlling the noise”, said Jason Burt in The Telegraph. Southgate admits he will be judged by how England fare in Qatar and they face a “whole new level of expectation”. Are England favourites for the World Cup? “No.” Can they win it? “Absolutely.”

Whatever happens in Qatar, Southgate’s legacy “may only be appreciated when he’s no longer England manager”, said Mills in The Sportsman. That “warm glow of nostalgia” often associated with former eras and managers, will “eventually bestow Southgate such praise”. Some time in the future we’ll “look back and remember semi finals, finals, Atomic Kitten and hope”. Southgate’s day “in the sun” is coming.

The Three Lions begin their group B campaign against Iran on Monday 21 November (1pm, live on BBC).

Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/football/958544/gareth-southgate-england-new-level-of-expectation-world-cup