Mr Motivated
CRITICS GET GARETH ALL FIRED UP
GARETH SOUTHGATE is adamant the England snipers are providing him with motivation and inspiration to be a success.
EVEN GREATER
Under attack last month over events on and off the pitch, the Three Lions boss heads into the latest international break in a defiant mood.
If the furore surrounding debutants Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood being sent home last month for breaking Covid-19 protocol was totally inevitable, the stinging criticism of his team’s 1-0 win in Iceland and goalless draw in Denmark clearly upset Southgate.
He felt that such a negative backlash was totally unjustified considering the UEFA Nations League clashes were England’s first two outings in almost a year because of the coronavirus outbreak.
However, Southgate’s fury and disappointment at the Three Lions cynics did not last long.
Instead of becoming too despondent, he dusted himself down and decided to use the stick to fire himself up even more in one of the hottest, most demanding seats in world football.
Ahead of the forthcoming Wembley treble against Wales, Belgium and Spain, the head coach said: “The last camp was so complicated.
“Having had no opportunity to work with the players in 10 months, you just want it to be perfect.
“I was actually energised by the last camp because the criticism, which of course I’m aware of, galvanises you.
“There’s no point worrying about that from my point of view but I did take it personally in September.
“I was accused of being a cautious manager – on the back of being the top scorers in Europe in Euros qualifying!
“And I think we scored more goals t han any previous England team at the 2018 World Cup. So it was a bit harsh.
“But I have to park my ego and remind myself that it’s not about me – it’s about the team, how we develop and improve.
“It’s a constant cycle and that’s the challenge leading to the Euros.”
He has also taken comfort from the fact that he is not the only international sports coach getting hammered as they all struggle to meet expectations during the testing, stop-start Covid era.
The ex-Crystal Palace and Aston Villa defender added: “It’s a unique period but it’s the same everywhere.
“I was on a Zoom call with other coaches from around the world – Chris Silverwood from England cricket, England rugby coach Eddie Jones and some Americans.
“Everybody is facing these same challenges and a lack of control over so many things.
“How do you get high- level performance?
How do you build team culture?
“How do you grow the relationships among players? How do you develop tactically?
“I ’ m now much more comfortable in that I’ve realised that’s what everybody is facing around the sports world at the moment.
“I’m seeing even the most successful managers in the world heavily criticised on the back of a few performances. It’s the world we live in.
“I’m happy that I’m not that special. I’m just one of a group getting it in the neck for the same thing.”