The boss is Roo-thless
DROPPING WAYNE SHOWED PLAYERS GARETH’S FOR REAL
THE day Gareth Southgate dropped Wayne Rooney was the time when the England squad knew they had a manager not to be messed with.
That was the revelation last night from within the squad here in Russia courtesy of Tottenham left-back Danny Rose.
Southgate demonstrated a ruthless streak that shook a group of players who are firmly behind him as the Three Lions prepare for their opening World Cup match against Tunisia in Volgograd tomorrow night.
The head coach has a nice guy image which is fully justified. But there is more to him than that.
Rose said: “Yeah, I think Wayne expected to be here and I definitely didn’t expect the manager to drop him against Slovenia.
“And as soon as we all saw that we knew that the gaffer was not somebody to be messed around with, because he had dropped arguably one of the best England players ever – and the top goalscorer as well.
“It was a huge shock for all of us, especially when Wayne announced that he was retiring. We’ve all had to move on from that and who better to captain the side now than Harry Kane?
“You know the manager has this nice side, but at the same time he has a side that you don’t want to cross. It’s a case of buying into what he and his coaching staff believe in or he won’t choose you.
“You either want to be here or you don’t. If you are here you have to get on board with everything, and I think that is what everybody has done.
“I said I was lucky to be here and the manager spoke to me after he saw that and I don’t think he was too impressed. It is not the mentality that he wants.
“I fully understand that but at the same time, considering the time I have had out through injury, I do think I am lucky to be here.”
Rose, 27, has had a difficult season with Spurs and he spoke recently about suffering from depression. He says the reaction to that has been “overwhelming”.
The defender is grateful to everyone who has been in touch and says he will think of ways to help fellow sufferers when he returns from the tournament.
Rose admits that he got the timing of his revelation wrong with Russia so close but agreed his revelations unburdened him and will allow him to concentrate on football.
He also admitted that he should have asked Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino if he could have taken a break from the game, adding: “I know he’d have granted that.”
But Rose also says some of the experiences Southgate has introduced to the squad have helped him put his own issues into perspective.
“Every so often he will bring the Marines in and they will go through some of the battles they have been through,” he said.
“They class the man to the left of them as a brother and that’s the sort of mentality the manager wants throughout the squad if the man to the left of you is in trouble.
“And he had amputees in to talk to us – that was a real eye opener. I thought I had had a difficult year, then you hear their stories. But they don’t allow that to affect them.
“One guy had one leg and is preparing to sail across the Atlantic. He’s been through adversity and he’s not going to let that stop him achieving what he wants to do.
“That is the attitude the gaffer wants from the lads he has chosen for this tournament.”
Rose sums up the spirit Southgate wants in his attitude to his battle for the left wing-back role with Manchester United’s Ashley Young.
He said: “I just concentrate on preparing for the three group games and, if I play, concentrate on playing well,
“If I don’t I will concentrate on helping Youngy prepare for the games. I have to help Ash prepare the best way he can.”
Talking of preparation, Rose revealed England have got it right this time, not like under Roy Hodgson two years ago.
He said: “Some of the preparation for the Euros I would like to have been done differently, especially for the Iceland game.
“What we were doing in training was completely different to how Iceland played in the game.
“But I can say now that everything we’ve done in training here is exactly what we’ve seen in the videos of Tunisia. So there can be no excuses and no arguments.
“The gaffer’s given us all the right tools to be ready for Monday.
“I can assure everyone back home that we have done everything possible to get us off to a good start.”