Lineker weighs in on whether Southgate should remain England boss

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Gary Lineker is adamant Gareth Southgate is the right manager to lead England forward. Southgate is currently considering his future following the Three Lions’ exit from the World Cup.

England crashed out at the quarter-final stage in Qatar last Saturday with a 2-1 defeat to France. Harry Kane blazed over a late penalty when his side were given the chance to draw level for the second time in the game.

Southgate led England to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia before helping the country reach their first men’s final since 1966 at Euro 2020. He was unable to go one step further this year and is now mulling over whether to stay in the job.

Southgate has a contract until after the European Championships in 2024. Lineker has paid tribute to the impact the 52-year-old has had on the England side.

He claims criticism of him has been unfair due to the unpredictable nature of tournament football. Lineker told the BBC: “I do hope Gareth stays, I think it’s right that the decision is down to him.

“He’s done a really good job and you’ve got to consider where we were a few years ago. Everyone thinks it’s an easy job and everyone would think, ‘I’d have played him and not him, and I’d have brought him on earlier and not him’ and it’s very easy in hindsight.

“I think Gareth has done a really good job. The only thing about him you would say [is] perhaps sometimes he’s not really changed things in a game, dramatically, when it’s not going well.

“It’s very easy to be judgemental but World Cups are not leagues. A league you get the best team always wins. In a World Cup it’s a knockout.”

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Lineker has compared Southgate’s failure to win a tournament to Manchester City not being able to win the Champions League under Pep Guardiola as of yet. He added: “Take Manchester City, probably the best club side in the world, but they haven’t won the Champions League.

“And they haven’t won it under Pep Guardiola who’s the best coach in the world. Now no one would say, ‘Well, let’s get Pep out because we haven’t won the Champions League’ that would be madness.

“We haven’t won the World Cup but we’re going in the right direction. England are playing really good, attractive football with lots of exciting young players. Why would you mess with it now?”

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