WRONG TO SAY FANS DON’T CARE ABOUT ENGLAND
WHEN Gareth Southgate took over as manager in 2016, he inherited an England squad at an all-time low.
England suffered their worst performance at a World Cup finals in 2014, they were humiliated by Iceland at Euro 2016 and previous manager, Sam Allardyce, left amid a scandal.
Southgate (below) is still suffering a hangover from the Iceland horror and expectations are at rock bottom.
Recent performances have not helped as they have been pretty unconvincing against Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia and Lithuania.
But it would be so wrong to suggest England, and international football generally, has lost its appeal. Consistently, England have the best attendances across Europe – there were 67,823 at Wembley for the Slovakia game – and TV figures are still solid.
Incredibly, 4.98million tuned in to watch England’s win in Lithuania. They can expect FOUR times that figure for England games in the World Cup.
England have got there by maintaining a 39-game unbeaten run in qualifiers which is the best in Europe, but they get little credit because of the low-key opposition – who do not give them much of a test either.
That is why England have gone to recent tournaments undercooked. But they have got Germany and Brazil at Wembley next month. They will have friendlies with Holland in Amsterdam early next year and a reciprocal game with Italy.
England also plan to go round the country before the World Cup with one friendly pencilled in for Anfield.
Southgate is determined to shake things up and change the mood. His recent press conferences have been dynamite.
From saying some of his players do not deserve to be in the squad to claiming England have no big players, he always has a message.
His latest is England will go three at the back for the World Cup.
If a more high-profile manager was saying it people would be praising him for a no-nonsense approach designed to shake up egos.
But as it is Southgate, he is criticised for daring to take them on.
It is all about perception.
And the figures and interest destroy the perception people do not care about England any more.