BOSS SOUTHGATE

GARETH SOUTHGATE has started his career as England boss with honesty as his watchword.

Every new manager brings his own style, his own ideas and, of course, his own promises of a new dawn for England.

But it feels different with Southgate (above) because this Three Lions chief is brave and honest enough to face up to his side’s frequent failings.

England are down the pecking order. They lost to Iceland at Euro 2016, and no one will forget the worst-ever performance in a World Cup finals after failing to get out of their group in 2014.

Ex-England boss Roy Hodgson (right) is still bleating about criticisms over corners and team selection as being “irrelevant and dishonest”.

If only England managers were more open and honest like Southgate, then perhaps there would be a realisation of where we are – rather than trying to give out false hope and expectations.

Southgate admitted last week: “We’ve won three knockout games in 25 years and the last one was in 2006. Whatever we think we are as a nation, we’ve not been delivering. We have won medals in almost every other sport and ours is the missing piece.”

At last we have a manager who is not trying to dress up England as anything other than underperforming superstars.

What is different about Southgate is that he does not go by reputation.

Rather than wait on Wayne Rooney’s fitness, he left him out of the squad and called up Under-21 graduates Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse.

There is a chance now for players to evolve through the system because Southgate, having been Under-21 boss, sees the value of rewarding those who do well for England at all age levels.

Which means we might see a change in the route to getting into the senior set-up and may see England trying to emulate Spain and Germany.

Southgate said: “Over the last 10 years, there has been emphasis on a more technical type of player and I think the diversity of our country has now given us strong, powerful athletes as well.

“We’ve probably got some work to do in terms of the connection between the German Football Association and Bundesliga, which is immensely strong and the chance for the young German players to play in the league.

“I think we can learn from their mentality. When we’ve played German teams, they just have that belief.

“We won’t get there overnight, but I think we’ve got players who are able to do that.”