No better man than Gareth Southgate for the job

How quickly we forget, how we grateful we can be. We have all done it – we’ve all questioned his substitutions, his winning mentality. But Gareth Southgate is the great survivor and he is back for another go, and I for one am pleased.

It would have been a mistake for him to tear up the last two years of his contract.

In June, it looked as if the reign of England’s most successful manager since World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey might be coming, slowly, to a sticky end.

A 4-0 home defeat by unfancied Hungary saw fans turn. Not on the players but on Southgate. It looked like his time might be up, that his position would prove to be untenable.

Another loss in Italy compounded matters but a 3-3 draw with Germany, while meaning England not only finished bottom of their Nations League group, with relegation from Group A, but also ended the campaign winless, gave a glimmer of hope. Just a little. This team could still play. Southgate could still manage.

But of course he could. You don’t lead a team to a European Championship final and World Cup semi-final if you’re a chancer. But did people still believe?

Some, if not all. But trouncing Iran 6-2 in their opening match in Qatar gave England some feelgood factor back again, some of the spirit of Russia 2018.

It carried them to the quarter-finals but no further. France was England’s glass ceiling. The reigning world champions proved too good, as many had suspected would be the case when the draw came out.

That led to more backlash. Southgate wasn’t a winner, he didn’t have what it took to get over the line. He only beat the teams he was expected to beat, he could go no further.

While there is some truth in that, I’m yet to be convinced of the alternative. Who is better suited for this job than Southgate?

Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Brendan Rodgers, Eddie Howe, Graham Potter? All very fine candidates but the latter three are all working, the last two as part of big, ambitious projects at wealthy clubs.

And also, is there any guarantee any would perform better than Southgate? He has always had his doubters, and is not the man in the pub many England supporters relate to. He’s no Big Sam.

We have always heard more about what he isn’t, though, rather than what he is. He will never convince many and they will have their reasons. But Southgate has the respect and belief of the players, he has an impressive track record. Semi-final, final, quarter-final. No one else can boast such a CV in the England dug-out. He deserves another go.

England plan for the future knowing they have their preferred choice in place until after Euro 2024. You never know, the quiet man of England might just head off into the sunset with a trophy after all and sign off on a high.

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