Gareth Southgate showing signs of England manager toll

England head for home as World Cup hopes are ended

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Should Gareth Southgate go? Seeing him in the bowels of the Al Bayt Stadium at 1.30am Doha time, you would have said ‘yes’ – as an act of mercy as much as anything else. Pale and drawn, the toll of the job of England manager – and its stomach-knotting tournament anguish – was etched across his face.

Southgate does perspective as well as anyone but England’s World Cup exit was visibly consuming him.

The anguish has been the same for every manager since Sir Alf Ramsey but the fact that Southgate has shaped an England side which consistently goes deep into these tournaments almost makes the defeat more painful. The nearer they get to the summit of the mountain the further the fall.

On paper Qatar represents a regression after a semifinal in Russia and a final at the Euros. It didn’t feel like that though. England departed as the tournament’s leading goalscorers and as a more complete side than at either of those tournaments.

On Saturday night, under the desert moon, England stood toe to toe with the world champions and outplayed them.

What an opportunity they created for themselves. For defeat to have then come down to a skied penalty by Harry Kane of all people was unfathomable.

For Kane, England’s inspiration so often, to be the fall guy made the whole major tournament thing seem like one giant global conspiracy. It wasn’t of course, however disgruntled the players may have been with referee Wilton Sampaio. It’s sport.

But Southgate could be forgiven for feeling it is destined never to happen for him and England at a major tournament.

That was certainly the impression he conveyed as he stopped on his way to the team bus. He bent down to drop his leather bag, revealing an incongruously cheery bright red pair of socks, and proceeded to muse wearily over his future as England manager.

The mood music was solemn. Pre-World Cup criticism, particularly the public mauling at Molineux, stung. The batteries are flat after all he has put into the Qatar campaign. He needs a long think over whether he had the energy to go again, he said. His players want him to stay.

This was Harry Maguire. “I’m sure if you asked every player in the team they wouldn’t be able to speak highly enough of him with his man-management and the way that this team has been built and developed over a period of time,” he said.

Sticking with Maguire was Southgate’s biggest call at this tournament – in a back four at that – and it was vindicated.

Southgate’s in-game management – his perceived flaw – was good at this World Cup. Perhaps he could have given Bukayo Saka the full game against France given the trouble he was causing but he had been kicked from pillar to post by the time he was replaced.

Plot the course of England’s World Cup trajectory before the tournament and a quarter-final exit against France would have been the likely scenario, the par score if you like and that was how it played out.

Southgate has a contract through until the end of 2024 and the FA want him to fulfil that but his heart has to be in it. When it comes to managing England, it has to be all in or not in at all.

He needs to take stock over Christmas with his family but by the New Year he will hopefully feel differently.

The England environment – the great legacy Southgate will hand on if he walks away – continues to be a positive one. Players want to be a part of it.

“I really hope he stays because the core group that we’ve got and what he’s made for us, it’s so special to be a part of, I love playing under him and I love playing for England,” said Declan Rice.

Southgate should reflect on those words. He has earned the right to finish what he started with this group of players. The Euros in Germany will be along in 18 months’ time and a recharged Southgate should be the man to take England to them.

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