Too nice for the job? How manager measures up ahead of half century
Gareth Southgate has earned plenty of praise since taking the reins in 2016 but has also had to deal with some fierce criticism
He is too nice
Gareth Southgate himself has found this claim puzzling. He is unfailingly polite, for sure, and has a keen sense of humour. He can also be self-deprecating, which is not a trait associated with football managers. In fact, on day one as caretaker he even had to declare he was not “too nice”. “It’s an accusation that has been thrown at me for about 40 years,” he said.
Let’s cut to the chase, though. “Too nice” is a euphemism for being weak. Southgate does prefer to be called “Gareth” by the players, rather than gaffer, and does have the air of a benign geography teacher. He does use such phrases as “emotional intelligence”. But he has not been afraid to make tough and unpopular decisions.
In fact, in public he can be brutal – albeit in a polite way. Chris Smalling found this out when he was dropped and Southgate explained it was because he was not good enough on the ball. There was also no sugarcoating Trent Alexander-arnold’s old-fashioned axing from the squad last week, while one of the biggest calls was effectively ending Wayne Rooney’s international career.
There have been a series of controversies that may suggest some still see him as a soft touch – the bust-up between Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez, the Iceland incident involving Phil Foden and Mason
Greenwood – but he handled them maturely.
Verdict Wrong
He is just an FA blazer
This one really annoys Southgate. He has visibly bridled when described as simply a corporate yes-man or nodding dog for the Football Association. He is a victim of his CV, given he has worked for the governing body since 2013
– first as the head of elite development then as Under-21s coach, although before that he did pull out of the running to be the first technical director because he did not want to be part of the “blazer brigade”.
Still, Southgate was at the top table when the England
“DNA project” was announced and he is known to every member of staff and buys into the notion of the FA. In that sense, he is corporate. In fact, many at the FA would like to see him become chairman when he eventually quits as England manager, although his ambition is to return to club management.
The FA knows he can deal with every subject thrown at him, although – as with his opposition to Brexit – he has not been afraid to speak his own mind. He made it clear that Greg Clarke should step down as FA chairman after offensive comments. Above all, Southgate is committed to players
coming through “the system” and a fair criticism of him is he will actively look for those types of characters rather than ones whose route to the top has been different. Verdict Wrong
He is tactically limited
Southgate has changed systems often enough. The default England approach is 4-3-3 (something he adopted through the DNA plan) but this was ditched at the World Cup for 3-5-2, where it largely succeeded. That was then replaced, only for three-at-the-back to return. Now, he is considering changing it again.
It is partly due to the players available, although fans have been irritated by his complaints that England lack central midfielders when he also has such an impressive array of attacking talent available to him.
When it comes to tactics, it appears he often defers to Steve Holland,
his assistant, and one legitimate criticism is that while he will change systems, he does not do so very often in games. The 4-2-3-1 England used away to the Czech Republic ended in them losing their first qualifier for 10 years. More damaging was the World Cup semi-final loss to Croatia, when England were eventually overrun down the flanks.
As ever, Southgate faces the perennial debate: does he get the best out of the players available? Verdict Jury out
He does not trust characters
Of all the criticisms levelled at him, maybe this one carries the most weight. There is an “identikit” of the type of player Southgate tends to choose – a Mason Mount over, say, a Jack Grealish. Both, of course, will be in the squad for Euro 2020. Still, it is legitimate to ask whether, for all of Mount’s ability, Grealish has had to work harder to convince Southgate he deserves a chance?
The manager has addressed this and pointed out that the Aston Villa captain had to get his numbers – goals and assists – up, which he has done. While Southgate is unashamedly committed to promoting players through the age groups, such as Mount, and has already said he would select a younger player over an older one of similar ability, it can be argued that sometimes the mix is not always right.
Maybe there needs to occasionally be a bit more variety in the squads – and perhaps more understanding of players who offer individual flair rather than dependability. Leicester’s James Maddison probably fits this category as well.
Certainly, Southgate’s continued faith in Eric Dier suggests he fits a profile of the player he wants, rather than one who is in form.
Verdict Correct