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Manager says United link ‘completely disrespectful’
Newcastle United have announced a post-season friendly in Australia, and plan to take the likes of James Maddison and Anthony Gordon, who are both part of the current England squad.
Asked for his view on post-season games ahead of tournaments, Southgate said: “Well, I think it’s often happened in the past. It’s going to happen more and more. Why? Financial fair play means clubs need to generate their own money, so we’re in a bizarre world where there’s more money in the game than ever before, and yet everyone is scrambling across federations and clubs to generate more money.
“The normal way of doing that is to play more games, so is that great news for us, in terms of preparation? No. But we’re going to have players in the FA Cup final probably, the Champions League final hopefully and a chance of a few other European finals. So we are used to preparing this way in the end.
“We had to go to Qatar [for the World Cup] with five days of preparation, so we adjust to whatever it is and hope there are no injuries from that game.”
Gareth Southgate has said he will not speak to any club interested in hiring him until after this summer’s European Championship.
The England manager said it was “completely disrespectful” to link him to the Manchester United job, given Erik ten Hag was in post.
Southgate, whose contract runs out at the end of this year, insisted he would “never entertain” speaking to anyone else while he was in charge of England. The stance would appear to rule him out of taking a club job in time for the start of the next pre-season. If England reached the final of the Euros, he would not be available even to discuss a job until July 15.
“I think I’ve answered this every time I’ve sat with you,” Southgate said. “My focus is the European Championship. If we did a contract here before, then everybody would be saying: ‘Why are you signing a contract before a Euros where you’ve got to prove yourself?’ I’m certainly not going to speak to anyone else, I never have, I’ve been eight years in the job and would never entertain speaking to anyone else while I’m in a job.”
Southgate was dismissive of links to United. “There are two things, from my point of view,” he said. “Firstly, I am the England manager and I have got one job, basically, to try and deliver a European Championship. Clearly, before that, two important games this week.
“And the second thing is, Manchester United have a manager. I think it is always completely disrespectful when there is any speculation about a manager who is in place. I am president of the LMA [League Managers Association], so I don’t have any time for that sort of thing.”