STOP THE POISON
Southgate must kill negativity over team selection quickly
GARETH Southgate simply must find an antidote to the negativity that one night of extensive team changes has inflicted on England’s World Cup camp.
I have never been one for looking back when there is so much to look forward to.
But when you confuse the issue as a manager — unintentionally, of course — then you have to move quickly to stop the poison spreading.
Gareth has until Tuesday evening in Moscow and the last-16 clash with Colombia to reassure his players they are the best, despite losing to Belgium.
He will hand out crash helmets to protect them from outside influences. He will talk with them, work with them and prepare them for what can be the next major step in their professional careers.
He has to reiterate how well they played against a Belgian side that has far more experience after having been together for years, a squad steeped in quality.
The unavoidable truth is Gareth has turned what I consider a reasonably simple exercise into something that is unnecessarily complicated and difficult.
He has opened the curtains to his players and now must find the way to close them.
I have no doubts he acted with the very best of intentions but why change a winning team and why such an extravagant turnaround?
The charge against him is this: he selected a shadow team, a reserve team, when it would have been better to have named his presumed first-choice XI, led by Harry Kane, in a game watched by hundreds of millions worldwide.
A good performance, a win even, would have guaranteed momentum which would still propel his players.
We all expected a couple of changes, rest one, try one and so on. But to make eight was surely a gamble that will only be made worthwhile by England sweeping Colombia away —and that will be the toughest of assignments.
I do not understand why he needed to put so much extra pressure on himself and his first-choice players. It is not catastrophic but, yes, it did surprise me.
So, I ask again, why change a winning team? I never would. I certainly wouldn’t make massive changes to give players experience of international football or to judge so many players under match pressure.
You can judge them on the training pitch or in friendlies. That’s where they impress you.
In the five matches during Euro 96, I only made a couple and they were enforced. That’s all.
I kept the same team because it was the one I thought best equipped to see us through and Gareth was a very important member of that squad.
Winning is the best habit you can ever nurture. Hopefully, momentum and goodwill will continue, although questions are being asked when there is no need for them.
There is also a perverse argument that I will not accept surrounding the England camp.
It is this: ‘Yes, okay, we were beaten, disappointing, but it does give us the best draw in the next round.’
As a former England manager, there is no consolation from defeat — ever. You have to live with it but it is difficult for you, your staff and the players.
England’s resolve and status in the world game is about to be thoroughly tested by a Colombia team which is full of energy and confidence, determined to put one over us, teach us a lesson from South America.
Gareth has emerged as a good manager who can become a very good one indeed. He has a public persona as this nice guy, intelligent and deep thinking, all of which is true.
But as I have experienced, he is also driven by an ambition to be the best at what he does.
He made the decision to take the crucial penalty for England in the 1996 shootout against Germany when other penalty takers backed off.
Gareth volunteered — and missed. But he volunteered. He made a decision.
He is still making decisions for England but now as the man in charge.
The point being he is not scared to make them. I have been studying him and his attitude on the line during matches. He can be very excitable, punching the air, pointing to the stars, running along his area.
The more you run, the more you miss, so he should walk or stand still and enjoy the beautiful picture he has created.
I want him to continue progressing as a manager and he is well on the way with a squad of quality young players.
I actually quite enjoyed the match despite the result. But there can be improvements: he has to quicken the pace or risk being caught.
England have tough players who make their living in the Premier League but they must show more aggression.
And if the defence can look wobbly, I was again particularly impressed with the maturing presence of John Stones, who is ready-made for the role.
“Winning is the best habit you can nurture”