Gareth Southgate and the England job

[Not Andy Naylor]

He wants to know in the next couple of weeks where he stands. To be fair, the poisoned chalice that is the England manager seems to me to be a job best suited for him. No-one is mug enough to take it on except Southgate, I kind of commend him for that. I have become so disenfranchised with the national side I didn't even watch the Scotland game. I still haven't seen the highlights, if there were any. Southgate (Sussex born) for the job?

Raised in Sussex, but born in Watford.

He's a nice enough guy, but as average as a manager as he was as a player. Workmanlike, but lacking any spark. Which, you could argue, makes him exactly the right manager for the bang-average bunch of plodders currently in the England squad. Jordan Henderson? Eric Dier? Journeymen at best who would never have got near the team in 1990 or 1996, never mind 1966 or 1970. The few flair players we have are mostly flawed: Rooney is past his best, Sterling isn't a team player, and Sturridge is made of glass. International breaks are just tiresome interruptions to the real business of club football.

 

[NooBHA]

Fergie is the man for the job.

Alex wouldn't do it. You are correct he would be the best man to get all those talented players performing as a team but he just wouldn't manage England. He won't manage Scotland because he knows they don't have the players for him to succeed but that is the only International job he would ever take on

 

[Triggaaar]

Alex wouldn't do it. You are correct he would be the best man to get all those talented players performing as a team but he just wouldn't manage England.

I don't think you can know that. He said he couldn't lead us out against Scotland, but I expect he could have been persuaded to lead us out against other teams.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Alex wouldn't do it. You are correct he would be the best man to get all those talented players performing as a team but he just wouldn't manage England. He won't manage Scotland because he knows they don't have the players for him to succeed but that is the only International job he would ever take on

He did take it on didn't he? Interim after Jock Wallace died?

 

[Giraffe]

I care passionately about the England side, but we need to realise that the rest of the world has caught up and in some cases over taken us.

Too many of our players look great in the Premier League because they are surrounded by foreign talent. When you take that away they become just good, not great.

We are probably about the tenth best team in the world on average. And that isn't good enough to win you tournaments. Until crop of players like Beckham/Gerrard/Lampard come along we won't be able to compete at tournaments.

Who the manager is becomes an irrelevance against this backdrop. I'd therefore give it to a Southgate/Bruce/Shearer type who actually seem to give a damn about the England team. That alone s a head start over some.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

We are probably about the tenth best team in the world on average. And that isn't good enough to win you tournaments. Until crop of players like Beckham/Gerrard/Lampard come along we won't be able to compete at tournaments.

Wasn't our 'golden era' a shower of sh!t though?

 

[Giraffe]

Wasn't our 'golden era' a shower of sh!t though?

I'd take some quarter final apperances right now wouldn't you? 2002 was Seaman peddling backwards, 2006 we were done on penalties after Ronaldo winked. Our natural level should be aiming to reach quarter finals of both major tournaments. The "golden era" did do that. Beyond that needs some luck or a special player (like Gascoigne) which only comes around once every generation. It can happen again, but we shouldn't expect it. The world is a bigger place now, and countries all know how to play football.

World Cup
2002 - Quarter Finals
2006 - Quarter Finals

Euros
1996 - Semi Finals
2004 - Quarter Finals
2012 - Quarter Finals

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I'd take some quarter final apperances right now wouldn't you? 2002 was Seaman peddling backwards, 2006 we were done on penalties after Ronaldo winked. Our natural level should be aiming to reach quarter finals of both major tournaments. The "golden era" did do that. Beyond that needs some luck or a special player (like Gascoigne) which only comes around once every generation. It can happen again, but we shouldn't expect it. The world is a bigger place now, and countries all know how to play football.

World Cup
2002 - Quarter Finals
2006 - Quarter Finals

Euros
1996 - Semi Finals
2004 - Quarter Finals
2012 - Quarter Finals

I understand your sentiments but I wouldn't hold my breath on England. QFs to me are still failure but fortunately I don't care any more.

 

[Ernest]

Sooner international football is booted out the better, too many ringers now who represent a flag of convenience and stuff like the African Cup a pointless waste of time will ruin January for some teams. If there was no World Cup then no corrupt FIFA , no tournaments in Russia or Qatar and the likes of Blatter wouldn't have filled their boots.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The way that Steve Bruce has virtually told the Press what they can do with their self sanctimonious view on Gabby Agbonlahor tends to suggest he wouldn't be swayed by the Press , so for that reason I think that the English FA should move for Bruce before he gets bedded in at Villa.

Before Friday ideally.

 

[Albion Dan]

Went to the game Friday through work and we were given a talk by the new Head of Performance Dave Reddin who masterminded the England Rugby world cup win and Team GB performance in 2012.

He had some fascinating things to say but basically the issue of England failure is that the players are pandered so much through their career that not enough have the skills to take responsibility for things as they happen on the pitch and there isn't enough trust across the team. There has also been a huge lack of specialist coaches as managers have historically just wanted 'their' team around them and players views and thoughts have always been discounted in how to approach a game which is incredibly outdated. Some fascinating insights on how that is being worked on but the big FA problem is that they only get to work with the team for three or four days prior to a match five times a year. Constantly changing manager doesn't seem to help....

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

It was interesting over the weekend to see the England Rugby team and the England Cricket team - they have transformed over the last 12 months, and progressed to the next stage. This has been due to the new managers we have with those teams, the managers are world class, proven winners with the experience and attitude to win. Then you look at the football team and Southgate. What is he going to change to make us better, to make us contenders to win a tournament? Is Southagte the winner England needs, i don't think so.

For me Southagte was very lucky to be in charge of the U21's, let alone the senior squad. The whole set up is wrong. If you had to pick a manager now for the U21's or even a short list of 10 contenders, where on the list would Aidy Boothroyd be? Currently in charge of the U20's and caretaker manager of the U21's. I mean Aidy ****ing Boothroyd. The whole set up is a mess and needs looking at, otherwise it will be the same, do well in qualifiers and fail when in comes to the actually tournaments.

We need a change and Southgate and Boothroyd are not the people to do it. Lets wait for Wenger or get Jurgen Klinsmann, someone with new ideas and someone who has a winning mentality.

I don't get the scramble for Klinsmann?

He has not really pulled up any trees with the USA, they all hate him!

 

[SBarlow]

An issue the England set up faces war highlighted by the guardian, the current generations lack of successful England campaigns.

How old are you now if you were 10 when England won the world cup? 60. How old are you now if you were 10 for euro 96? 30.

There has been nothing to get particularly excited by as far as England is concerned for under 30s. As such club football has become the focus of attention for a while generation.

Some serious success is required to bring back a generation lost. Coming second to Romania in 98. Second to Sweden in 2002. Second to the US in 2010. Finishing last in the group in 2014.

No wonder there is apathy.

 

[NooBHA]

He did take it on didn't he? Interim after Jock Wallace died?

He did but I think he might have been part of Wallace's backroom team in the lead qualifying games - I think he only took charge during the World Cup finals which followed that and then he stepped down

 

[Hiney]

Ok new question, who really cares about the England team any more? I don't, just a summer distraction every two years.

I do, passionately.

 

[NooBHA]

I don't think you can know that. He said he couldn't lead us out against Scotland, but I expect he could have been persuaded to lead us out against other teams.

Correct of course no one can really know for sure but he has stated openly that he has turned down the England job on at least 2 occasions in the past when he was approached.

 

[Mellotron]

Wenger is the man for the job. His Arsenal contract runs out at the end of the season.

I think his appointment would be perfect.

Definitely not. His biggest weakness is currently England's biggest problem.

 

[Nathan]

I don't get the scramble for Klinsmann?

He has not really pulled up any trees with the USA, they all hate him!

True, but I think some of that is his new ideas and ways in which he works. The manager doesn't have to be a players best mate.

 

[Triggaaar]

but he has stated openly that he has turned down the England job on at least 2 occasions in the past when he was approached.

I didn't realise it was twice. The FA have gone up in my estimation (which remains rock bottom) for asking him again. Maybe nothing could have changed his mind, but I'd have allowed him to not lead us out against Scotland had it have come to it.

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

He said he wasn't interested, not sure he actually turned it down.

split hairs why don't you ?