Southgate leads English revival
Behind the unassuming coach on the sideline, Gareth Southgate grasps the privilege of a status never sought and the leadership qualities now so admired in England.
Holding what used to be called the “Impossible Job,” Southgate is motivated — not burdened — by the responsibility tomorrow morning of leading England into their first major football final in 55 years against Italy.
And without losing perspective, he senses just what winning a first trophy since the 1966 World Cup would mean.
Playing in a European Championships final at England’s home stadium is a chance for Southgate to talk up just what being British means to him.
“For an island our size, we’ve got an incredible influence on the world and we’ve got to keep that in a positive way.”
The 50-year-old’s values of decency and respect come in part from the lows he experienced as an England player, missing the key penalty in the Euro ’96 shootout loss to Germany.
“If I’m talking to young people now, hopefully they’ve seen those sorts of moments in your life don’t have to define you. You have to work your way through them and develop resilience.”
Humility is why Southgate initially didn’t see himself as qualified for the England job vacated by Roy Hodgson after the humiliating Euro 2016 loss to Iceland. Instead, he was the accidental England manager, promoted from the under-21s when Hodgson’s successor Sam Allardyce was removed after one game following indiscreet comments exposed in a newspaper sting.
“I was moving into a job where the profile was way beyond anything I’d had before, so there was no way I was going to be the finished article,” Southgate said. “I’m still not.”
Southgate’s only previous firstteam managerial experience ended in 2009 by being relegated from the Premier League with Middlesbrough. But he sought to transform a depressed England culture.
“You’ve got to gain confidence yourself that you can get the results and the things you implement are going to work and then the players see evidence that those things are working and then they start to believe in what you’re telling them about the opposition or the way we need to play. There is no short cut.”
He tries to instil a sense of responsibility in the players, working to reconnect them with a fan base that became disenchanted before Southgate led the team back to a semifinal at the 2018 World Cup after an absence from the last four since Euro ’96.
While politicians have criticised players for taking a knee, Southgate encourages them to use their platforms to campaign against racial injustice.
“That inclusivity is important for us because that is what modern England is. We know it hasn’t always been the case and there are historic reasons for that. But that level of tolerance and inclusion is what we have to be about.”
But above all, Southgate knows perceptions of him are shaped by results on the field.
“The leadership aspect, I know is important for the country at the moment because I know we can make people’s lives happier. It’s a wonderful privilege to make a difference. But if you get any of those bits wrong, it can fall down, and it’s no use being able to speak about areas of society.
“If we don’t get the tactical bit right, the selections right, if we don’t manage the players the right way, the house falls down. I know now this is a lovely period in many ways but we’ve got to get it right.”
The leadership aspect is important for the country at the moment because I know we can make people’s lives happier. England manager Gareth Southgate