Leaders could learn from the winning ways of Southgate
THE FLAME of hope still burns. The dreams of glory remain alive. After their emphatic win over Wales, England are on course to reach the last stages of the World Cup in Qatar and perhaps even claim the ultimate prize in football. Amid economic turmoil and deepening winter gloom, the impressive performance of the national squad has given a welcome boost to our spirits.
With characteristic modesty, the England manager Gareth Southgate gave the credit to his side for the successful execution of his plans. “Players make those decisions work,” he said after the match. But he deserves the lion’s share of the plaudits. For it is his shrewd leadership that not only devised the winning tactics but also provided the mix of calmness and motivation for his stars to perform so authoritatively under pressure.
The victory against Wales puts into perspective the barrage of moans about Southgate after the tedious draw in the previous game against the USA. His methods then were as fiercely denounced as his selections. “Southgate must go,” chanted some supporters in Qatar, who demanded more flair.
But one of Southgate’s many qualities is his refusal to be swayed by the gusts of fickle public opinion.
SHOWING a steely inner confidence beneath his courteous exterior, he stuck to his disciplined, well-organised approach. The reward was progress to the next round.
This success is part of a remarkable record of achievement by Southgate since he became the England boss six years ago, including a World Cup semi-final place in 2018, and the European Championship Final last year, only to lose on penalties to mighty Italy.
That was the first time England had reached the final of a major tournament since Alf Ramsey’s team won the World Cup in 1966. Southgate’s detractors maintain that he should have done even better, given the wealth of talent available to him, as exemplified by Marcus Rashford, the hero against Wales.
But that is an unconvincing argument. Previous England sides have had plenty of ability, but their effectiveness was consistently undermined by poor management. Indeed, the rollcall of failed England bosses since Ramsey is a depressingly long one, embracing figures like the intense but enigmatic former Leeds manager Don Revie, the tough-minded Italian Fabio Capello, and the quiet Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson, who became better known for his romantic liaisons in the bedroom than his motivational talks in the dressing room.
Southgate, who played under Eriksson, said witheringly of one of his manager’s contributions in the World Cup of 2002, “What we needed in there was Winston Churchill. What we got was Iain Duncan Smith.”
But Southgate broke the cycle of despair and defeat. What makes his triumph all the more remarkable were the low expectations on his appointment. In 2016, England were a laughing stock, having been beaten by Iceland in the Euros and lost manager Sam Allardyce after one game as a result of a financial scandal. Nor did Southgate appear to have much managerial pedigree, having been sacked by Middlesbrough, his only club job, in 2009.
Yet, against all odds, he transformed the picture with his vast knowledge of football, his skills as a communicator, and his strength of character. There are no histrionics or displays of egotism with him, as shown by his refusal to make his team use the term “boss”, saying, “as long as they keep it clean, I don’t mind what they call me.” He helps his players to flourish by giving them responsibility and treating them all as equals. He can be thoughtful, reflective, but assertive when necessary.
ENGLAND star Declan Rice said Southgate’s inspiring speech before the team left for Qatar “gave me goosebumps”. Southgate has invented a whole new leadership style, blending the traditions of patriotism and national pride with new values of inclusion and equality. That helps to explains why, in addition to their success on the field, his team has been such a unifying force in the land.
“With our diversity and youth, we represent modern England,” he rightly says. He is also a tremendous role model as a devoted husband to his wife Alison and the father of two children. “Their development is as important to me as anything in my life,” he declares, words that could not have come from some of his predecessors.
Politicians, business executives and other public leaders could all learn from his example. Whatever happens in the World Cup, he has already done our nation proud.
‘He can be thoughtful, reflective, but assertive when necessary’