Southgate: Should I have taken team off?
ELOQUENT ENGLAND BOSS IN EMOTIONAL MOOD
IT WAS not until Gareth Southgate boarded the FA’s private charter back to Birmingham in the early hours of yesterday that he even had a proper chance to speak to his players.
England’s manager engaged with some of them on a one-to- one basis, but he also addressed them as a group, praising them for the way they had handled an extremely difficult situation in Podgorica and also for a hugely successful Euro 2020 double-header.
The players appreciated that. They are only too aware of the seriousness of what happened on Monday night, playing their own part in drawing attention to the racism that was endured by England’s black players.
But they were also glad to receive some acknowledgment from their coach for scoring 10 goals in two games and seizing control of their qualifying group.
At the post-match press conference, Southgate’s focus was on the abhorrent behaviour of the Montenegro fans and how it had impacted on his players, including 18-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Southgate was visibly rattled by one particular question, which concerned whether he should have done more to protect them; whether he should have led his team off the field.
Indeed, he became rather emotional, questioning his judgment despite the fact that there was no indication from the dressing room — either during the game or afterwards — that they wanted to stage such a demonstration.
Raheem Sterling opted for an alternative response, confronting the offending fans after scoring the fifth of England’s goals. It was a powerful riposte and an image that went around the world.
In the theatre that staged the post-match press conferences, Southgate handled himself brilliantly, answering questions with the eloquence and intelligence that have defined his tenure.
When he then gave his written press briefing at the back of the stage he was, however, still wrestling with the question of whether he should have instigated a walk-off.
‘I don’t know what else to say,’ he said. ‘I am not a political diplomat. But everybody knows how inclusive I am so I need time to reflect and think through what has happened.
‘Normally I can speak eloquently about most things, but I just need time to think it through. You have asked me a question, should I have taken the team off and should I have done more.
‘Understandably, I want to go and reflect on whether I should have handled everything differently, because the last thing I want is to feel I have let the players down or missed an opportunity to highlight the subject.
‘So, no, it is not what I have witnessed that is causing the reaction. It’s just that I am in a position where I can make a difference and generally speaking I have been able to do that.
‘I want to think about whether I could have done that differently tonight.’
He then shed some light on the attitude of his players. Racism was something they had discussed prior to the World Cup in Russia and the view of the group was a desire to play on should such a situation arise. ‘ We spoke to them a lot before the summer and they were very clear they wanted to play their football,’ said Southgate.
‘Some of them did not even want to report things because they don’t have faith that things will be dealt with appropriately or they would make a difference. So, that is why I am conscious of their feelings when I am speaking as well.
‘It is impossible to find the right path. I have to speak as I always do but I can’t discuss sanctions because what is the right sanction? Is it a big fine? Is it the closing of sections of a stadium? What is honestly going to make any difference?
‘The difference for me is educating people. I find that difficult because I don’t find anybody as different from anybody else. Kids are born into the world and they don’t have a bone of malice in their body, so it is what we impose on them as adults. We can criticise authorities for sanctions. The problem is deeper than sanctions.’
While the authorities now wrestle with how best to tackle what occurred in Montenegro, Southgate will find the appropriate moment to reflect with coaches on what they have learned this season. There are the Nations League finals to prepare for, after all, another opportunity to showcase the qualities this young England squad possesses.
The team is evolving rapidly, not least in midfield, where Ross Barkley and Declan Rice must now be serious contenders for places in the starting line- up alongside Jordan Henderson for the semi-final against Holland in Portugal. Barkley is certainly ahead of Dele Alli, and Rice probably offers more than Eric Dier.
Henderson, meanwhile, has been excellent, making a valuable contribution after coming on as Alli’s replacement on Monday.
Up front, it is a case of who gets the one available slot alongside Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling. Marcus Rashford remains in possession even if Hudson- Odoi and Jadon Sancho are pushing hard for inclusion.
Defensively, it is difficult to look beyond John Stones and Harry Maguire at centre half, and Southgate will simply pick his full backs on form. Kyle Walker and Danny Rose are the current favourites, but they are under severe pressure from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ben Chilwell.
Not that Southgate had an opportunity to reflect on that after the game. Not until he boarded that flight home anyway. Until then, of course, he was wrestling with the difficult question of how anyone responds to the behaviour of the Balkan bigots.