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We’re once again on the lead-up to the latest round of UEFA Nations League fixtures, and this week has been an exciting one for England fans. Not only did Gareth Southgate’s latest squad contain a handful of talented newcomers, but the boss himself announced that he’d signed a new contract that will see him remain in charge of the Three Lions until the 2022 World Cup.
For once, usually-pessimistic England fans seem ecstatic about this news, as Southgate has earned their trust and admiration following the events of this summer’s World Cup, which saw his side unexpectedly make it as far as the semi-finals. But can England go one step further and win an international tournament under Southgate? It won’t be easy but the early signs are good.
Here are 4 reasons why Southgate’s new deal is a massive positive for England.
#1 It’s the first time in a long time that a successful England manager is sticking around
Prior to 2018, England fans didn’t have a lot to cheer about following major international tournaments. Russia 2018 was the first time they’d made a semi-final since Euro 1996, and the first time they’d made a World Cup semi since 1990. Unfortunately, following those successful tournaments, things didn’t exactly go well for England.
This was largely down to a simple fact – after both World Cup 1990 and Euro 1996, managers Bobby Robson and Terry Venables both left their posts, and their successors – Graham Taylor and Glenn Hoddle respectively – simply couldn’t fill their shoes at all despite their best efforts.
After this summer’s World Cup, there was largely no question that Southgate would be sticking around until Euro 2020, but the fact that he’s now signed a new contract confirms that and should prevent any big clubs from attempting to poach him.
And so for the first time in, well, ever, a successful England manager is staying in his post for the foreseeable future. Imagine if Venables had been able to build on Euro 1996 with the new crop of players that Hoddle had available? This is essentially the chance Southgate has now, and that’s a huge positive.
#2 He’s a modern manager with a settled style
It’s hard to believe now but England fans weren’t keen on Southgate when he was first announced as the replacement for the outgoing Sam Allardyce back in October 2016. The image Southgate cultivated at the time was one of a corporate yes-man for the FA – the safe option after the disaster that was Allardyce.
Following the World Cup though, that idea has been firmly laid to rest. No previous manager has been able to connect with the England players quite like Southgate has – and that’s largely down to the fact that he’s the first boss to actually live through the Premier League era as a player. He knows what it’s like to be a modern footballer and understands the players better than the likes of Hodgson, Capello and Allardyce did.
More encouragingly, despite some flaws being exposed by better teams at times, Southgate also has a clear-cut image of the way he wants his England side to play – by using a fluid 3-5-1-1 formation, playing out from the back, and using speed to catch opposing defences out. And after two years in the job, he’s shown the willingness to stick to this system no matter what – a far cry from the way Hodgson experimented in his later years.
The fact that the Three Lions have now tied such a boss down to a long-term contract is a massive boon for the FA – as it means Southgate will have even more time to embed his ideas and beliefs on the squad – hopefully to lead them to genuine success.
#3 He’s worked with the younger players before
One of the biggest plus points of Southgate’s England tenure thus far has been his commitment to bringing younger players through into the senior squad. The likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Joe Gomez, Jordan Pickford and Trent Alexander-Arnold have all broken into the squad under Southgate and the latest squad contains no fewer than 4 young, uncapped stars – Mason Mount, Jadon Sancho, James Maddison and Nathaniel Chalobah.
So how did Southgate end up developing such a faith in young talent, where his predecessors have often seemed wary of unleashing it on the senior squad too soon? Well, it’s quite simple – from 2011 to 2012 he worked as the FA’s head of elite development, and from 2013 to 2016 he managed England’s under-21 squad.
No previous England manager has had that kind of experience in working with the younger Three Lions, and while he had mixed results while in charge, his time allowed him to work with current stars like Harry Kane and John Stones, as well as some of the youngsters he’s since introduced to the senior side like Loftus-Cheek, Pickford and Chalobah.
The fact that England will be led by Southgate as such a great crop of young talent breaks through into the senior set-up – the winners of the 2017 u17 World Cup will probably be key players by 2022 – is a huge positive, as it’s something that’s never happened with the Three Lions before. This will be the first time that a manager has moved through the ranks alongside the players – something that could help England to succeed in the future.
#4 He’s hugely popular with the fans
One of the most memorable parts of England’s World Cup run this summer was the massive popularity that Southgate gained with the fans – both those who travelled to Russia and those watching at home. Fans of the Three Lions were entranced by his passion, commitment and likeability, and famously, even his fashion style began to catch on – culminating in ‘Waistcoat Wednesday’ on the day of the semi-final clash with Croatia.
While prior England bosses have been popular at times – Sven-Goran Eriksson after the 5-1 victory over Germany, for instance, was widely beloved – the Three Lions haven’t had a universally beloved manager since Terry Venables in 1996. And unlike with Venables, the FA has managed to capitalise on that by tying Southgate down to a long-term deal.
The fact that Southgate is so popular also helps in another way – his popularity should give him a longer leash with the fans if England do begin to struggle at any point in the future. Where it felt like Eriksson and Roy Hodgson were only ever one bad result away from the brink, Southgate didn’t appear to lose any momentum with September’s loss to Spain. That’s because the fans believe in him and they believe in what he’s trying to build.
If the FA had somehow turned the deal with Southgate sour – if they’d waited until the outcome of Euro 2020 to offer him a new contract, for instance – they risked losing their most popular manager in 20 years. Thankfully this new contract means he won’t be going anywhere – and England fans can continue to have reason to be optimistic.
