Southgate is the man with a plan and England could go on to reap the benefits
won the Under-19s European Championship and a second-string Under-20s retained the Toulon Tournament. It means that if England do not have the gumption to capitalise on that, there is something fatally, psychologically flawed about football in this country. We may as well give up.
Following the goalless draw against Germany last November, Oliver Bierhoff, the Germany general manager, said they were “worried” about the progress England had made with junior age groups. A few weeks earlier, Max Eberl, sporting director at Borussia Monchengladbach, had declared that the England age group born in 2000 were “unbelievable” as he correctly predicted they would win the Under-17s World Cup in India.
“For me, they’re the best in the world in that age group,” Eberl said. And we know the Bundesliga covets a number of young English players which, given their wealth of junior talent, should not be lightly dismissed.
Southgate, with his background as Under-21 coach, and the
If England do not have the gumption to capitalise on young talent, we may as well give up
previous roles he has fulfilled at the FA, is the ideal man to harness this, even if the World Cup in Russia may come too soon. Sure, England have been delivered a comfortable enough group and, along with Belgium, should progress ahead of Panama and Tunisia. They would then face a last-16 tie, possibly against Poland or Colombia.
Getting through would finally involve winning a knockout match at a major tournament, and reaching the relative success of a quarterfinal place. It would be a modest milestone to reach, which kind of reflects how far England have fallen.
Expectation has gone.
Two years ago, during this international break, England completed a stirring comeback to beat the world champions Germany in Berlin. Everyone got carried away, but Germany coach Joachim Low shrugged it off as part of his preparations and nothing more, and we all know what happened to England at Euro 2016.
As a consequence of that, and of previous failings, growing apathy, and that dwindling expectation, qualification for the World Cup through an uninspiring group was greeted with a flat atmosphere at Wembley last autumn. But that can help Southgate. There is little to lose in this long way back.
So, he not only has a mandate, but he is prepared to use it. Southgate is telling his players to be brave, to play out from the back, to express themselves – and he appears to mean it and will jettison those who cannot execute his plan.
His team selection in Amsterdam was greeted with astonishment, with so many right-backs and Kyle Walker as part of a three-man defence, but it worked. And it is a long time since an England manager decided to innovate in that way, with Southgate having picked up on Pep Guardiola’s instructions that Walker “tucks in” on occasions at Manchester City to become a third central defender.
“If we don’t try things now, when will we?” Southgate asked when England qualified for the World Cup. “And it’s not just about Russia, it’s beyond that. Germany took a young team to the Confederations Cup. They are brave enough to take decisions which might get them results or might not. They are constantly evolving and that’s what we have to do.”
Thomas Tuchel attended Arsenal’s Premier League defeat at home to Manchester City this month and is understood to be interested in taking over as manager should a vacancy arise this summer. If Arsene Wenger does leave then Tuchel’s chances may depend on the state of his relationship with super scout Sven Mislintat, who left Borussia Dortmund after falling out with the then coach. Yet Tuchel may have other options, possibly Chelsea.
Either way, we know Wenger’s future is in doubt. At the weekend, he claimed the criticism he had faced was the result of “age discrimination”. But age is an issue for Wenger. Not because he is 68 but because, frankly, his methods are so out of date.