This is not the new golden generation — well, not yet!
SAYS GARETH SOUTHGATE
GARETH SOUTHGATE has been around the block when it comes to international football.
He played 57 times for England, entered the Hall of Fame of penalty flops, analysed it as a TV pundit, managed the Under- 21s, and is now trying to take the senior team to the World Cup in Russia.
He’s witnessed all the hype – and subsequent disappointment – as successive groups of players have been built up to be worldbeaters ahead of tournaments, only to be publicly ripped apart when it all went wrong.
So when he’s asked the question as to how he’d feel if his current batch of players were ever to be dubbed the“new golden generation”, his laughter is genuine.
“At the moment, there’s no basis to do that,” he says. “Very few of them have won anything.
“In most cases we’re talking about potential. It’s our job to try to help that potential to come to the fore.
“The great guides for me were our games against Spain, Germany and France last season.
“At times, we showed we can play to a really good level and score goals against the top teams – but we didn’t win any of those matches.
“That is a good marker for me and shows the level of improvement we’ve got to go through.
“When we start beating those teams, maybe we can get a bit more excited.
“Remember, it’s still only 14 months since we were knocked out of the Euros in the second round by Iceland.
“Our players might think they’re up there, but we’re not there yet. That’s the message.”
That message was drummed home last week when Wayne Rooney, the last of the previous golden generation, England’s record scorer and most- capped outfield player, called it a day.
Southgate has a lot of young, promising players in his squad – Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Marcus Rash ford, John Stones, for example — but he doesn’t believe he has anyone of the standard Rooney was at during his breakthrough international years.
“When he came through, Wayne was at a level which was different to any of the players we’ve got at the moment,” says Southgate.
“I was playing with him at that time and his attributes – his strength, his goalscoring, his range of passing and his intelligence – at 17-18 were better than any of the players in the current squad.
“We’re talking a different level completely.
“In my time with England, we had Paul Gascoigne, Paul Scholes and Rooney, who had just a little bit more than all the others.
“We’ve had other high- level people like Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and Frank Lampard. But the really outstanding talents are very few and far between.
“That’s where Rooney was, and at the moment all of our guys have still got that to prove.
“You look at Dele. He’s an exciting young player, but he’s not a proven player and he hasn’t won anything.
“He’s got to keep looking to improve and it’s a great opportunity for him to really kick on.
“But he’s got to challenge the likes of Rashford, Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling in our squad who can also play in the No. 10 position.
“Dele’s scoring record over the last couple of years is phenomenal for a player who’s not an out-andout striker but we’re going to keep pushing him because we think he can get better.”
Southgate is well aware that one of the many gaps left by Rooney’s retirement is his consistency in front of goal, particularly in qualifiers.
He scored 30 times in 53 qualifying ties and, while England top their group, Southgate can’t afford the goals to dry up in what look like two straightforward matches in Malta and at home to Slovakia over next weekend.
He has been able to recall two of the strikers who have seen their England careers stutter because of injury over the last couple of years – Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck. They could face each other when Liverpool and Arsenal meet an Anfield this afternoon.
“I spoke with Jurgen Klopp before I picked Daniel and he was very positive,” says Southgate.
“Jurgen was impressed with his physical preparation during the summer and told me that Daniel had a very strong pre- season before picking up a minor injury.
“Daniel has also shown in the matches he’s played for us, like the game against Scotland at Wembley, that he can score goals in the biggest games.
“I could have taken a view he hadn’t played enough and not included him, but we haven’t seen him for six months and I wanted to let him know he’s still on our radar.
“Liverpool have some outstanding attacking players. I saw that against Hoffenheim last week – and I did ask Jurgen if Sadio Ma ne had any English grandparents!
“Daniel has competition on his hands there, and hopefully that will bring the best out in him. And if he gets in that team, he will be in a good place for England.
“I’ve not worked directly with Danny Welbeck, but I had contact with him when I was Under- 21s coach and he was in the seniors.
“He’s got a good scoring record at international level, one every twoand-a-half games, and that stands up against most players.
“We know his personality, he’s a very popular member of the group and a good type.
“He can play a couple of different roles and he will be a valuable asset.
It is only 14 months since we were knocked out of the Euros by Iceland
“I would have liked to have picked in him in March and June, but both times he wasn’t fully fit.
“It seems that the summer has been good for him. He has started the season well.”
Southgate will have a decision to make around his goalkeepers, with the form of the two main understudies – Jack Butland and Jordan Pickford – notably more impressive t h an that of established No.1, Joe Hart.
“We have real competition in that area of the pitch,” he says.
“Jack had a long-term injury, but he’s a supremely-focused and positive character.
“I didn’t really have any concerns that he’d be back playing at a very good level.
“He has an international pedigree, having captained the Under- 21s when I was in charge.
“Jordan also had a good pathway through the age groups with England. He’s had good experiences with all the clubs he’s been at and he has started the season very well with Everton.
“Fraser Forster is a top goalkeeper and we’ve not been able to put him in the squad. That shows the depth we’ve got.”
For all Southgate’s keenness to dampen excessive claims about the quality of his current players – and, indeed, those of the England age groups, who won both the Under- 20 World Cup and the Under- 19 Euros in the summer – he does confess that he’s encouraged by a number of Premier League clubs giving opportunities to young English players.
“Everton have given chances to Tom Davies, Dominic CalvertLewin, and Mason Holgate, then there’s Trent Alexander- Arnold and Joe Gomez at Liverpool,” he says.
“So there seems to be some belief in English players, and you want as many as possible playing in big games where there’s pressure and intensity and a lot riding on the result.
“The Under- 20s World Cup winners are not quite ready to be considered.
“On the one hand, they are world champions. On the other, they still have to challenge to have a career at the highest possible level.
“That shows that you can never sit back in football.”