Gareth is ruthless... but no one’s complaining
GARETH SOUTHGATE says it is up to others to judge whether Euro 2020 has already been a success.
He is just focusing on winning the final on Sunday.
That is the unexpected ruthlessness that has enabled the mild-mannered 51-year-old to become England’s most successful head coach in half a century.
Roy Keane, of all people, has gone so far as to label it “nastiness”. Southgate himself would probably prefer “winning mentality”.
Either way, it has set him up perfectly to make the big decisions that can mean the difference between success and failure.
Sir Alf Ramsey, below, had the toughest of calls to make before the 1966 World Cup final – fitagain superstar goalscorer Jimmy Greaves or Geoff Hurst?
That did not work out too badly and, similarly, Southgate has little enough truck with egos to pick his team for Sunday without sentiment.
He had the gumption to haul off Jack Grealish in Wednesday’s semi-final victory over Denmark just 37 minutes after sending him into the fray.
Keane said: “There’s no doubt that Gareth is nasty enough to make those decisions. Jack will have to look at the bigger picture. It’s all about the team getting to the final.
“Gareth is a nice guy but you have to be nasty to work at this level.”
The real success of Southgate is that he manages to keep the players he leaves out happy – whoever they are.
AstonVilla forward Grealish has been feted as a hero in the West Midlands all season.
Jordan Henderson has lifted the Champions League with Liverpool but has been restricted to cameo substitute roles.
Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell, another Champions League winner, was not even in Wednesday’s squad.
Marcus Rashford, national hero during lockdown, has watched as a series of younger, less experienced players have been picked ahead of him.
But they all buy into it. Southgate said: “We’ve got some players who are big stars at their clubs, who are big names in English football, and they’ve all just mucked in. “The way they’ve been has set a standard for the whole group – that accepting the role, understanding that to support is crucial and to provide the challenge in training is critical. It’s created a culture and a feeling among the group that there is a genuine togetherness and excitement for each other and they are all in a final now.”
Perhaps we would have been there sooner had Sven-Goran Eriksson had the same approach to our so-called “golden generation” instead of kowtowing to the egos who are now known to have run his dressing room.
From his team selection to his tactics – instantly going to a back five once England were in front on Wednesday – Southgate has always been a pragmatist. Now Italy will be the ultimate test of that in Sunday’s final. They ooze the sort of worldly wisdom that Southgate is still trying to hothouse into his own team.
The England head coach said: “We have an immense challenge against a top opponent. Italy’s record is phenomenal. I was hearing last night they have been to 12 semi-finals, 10 finals.
“It is definitely a bit of a disadvantage but we have to find the best way of dealing with that.
“We’ve got a huge task ahead of us but one that we’ll take on with relish.”
KEANE HIGHLIGHTS THE ‘NASTY’ SIDE OF A MAN LOVED BY THE WHOLE NATION
Southgate is a nice guy but you also have to be nasty to work at the highest level