Southgate has changed our perception of him – his team must do the same
Once seen as ‘too nice’ to succeed at the top level, the England manager has shown his steel to get to grips with the job
Gareth Southgate’s last World Cup appearance ended with one of the most memorable quotes about an England manager. It came in 2002 after defeat by Brazil, when Sven-goran Eriksson was unable to inspire a comeback. “We were expecting Winston Churchill and instead we got Iain Duncan Smith,” Southgate was quoted as saying, what he thought was a private remark capturing the mood of a nation.
As he follows Eriksson’s path leading England on the biggest stage, I cannot help wondering what kind of leader Southgate is.
I doubt he will be delivering Churchillian speeches in the dressing room, but I also hope and expect he will be more charismatic than the colourless Duncan Smith.
Six years ago, I spent time working alongside Southgate at a major tournament. I was a TV pundit with Southgate, Roberto Martinez same era, I admired Southgate. He won 57 England caps and was a high-quality, reliable and consistent defender. As he was so talented, I thought there must have been something missing from his character preventing top-four clubs making a serious bid. With respect to Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, they were never going to play in the Champions League. What was he lacking?
My suspicion was the top managers felt Southgate too “nice”. That has been the overriding view of him throughout his career. For better or worse, we do not equate being a “nice” person with being a winner. Those who succeed tend to possess an edge, even a touch of nastiness when it matters, to get where they and their clubs need to be. All the best managers have a snarl in them.
Southgate’s brief spell in club management at Middlesbrough did not end well, and although he impressed with England Under-21, few make the step up to the senior team.
Given these preconceptions, his appointment at the start of the World Cup qualifying campaign did not fill the country with confidence, especially as it was due to the circumstances following Sam Allardyce’s sacking. It felt like England had nowhere to turn.
But everything Southgate has said and done over the two years leading England to Russia has been impressive. There are subtle differences in management style that we may consider giant steps over the next month, and what really bodes well is he has shown a steel that his “nice guy” public demeanour disguises.
We can dismiss any whispers before his appointment that he is little more than a Football Association “yes man”. Our presumption that Southgate is not tough enough for the job may be wrong.
Southgate’s judgment was sharp when he first rejected the England post on an interim basis when Roy Hodgson was sacked, unwill- made