Gareth Southgate landed in Germany on Monday to lead England into Euro 2024 knowing that it may be his final tournament in charge of the national team.
Southgate has made no secret of the fact his near-eight-year stint — the longest England managerial spell since Sir Bobby Robson held the position between 1982-90 — is nearing its natural end.
The 53-year-old is out of contract in December and neither the English Football Association (FA) nor the man himself are looking beyond the conclusion of Euro 2024 — although the FA are keen to retain his services and are yet to line up a replacement should he leave.
Southgate, however, is now talking openly about the prospect of his own departure after Euro 2024. “If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore,” he told the German publication Bild when asked whether this tournament — his fourth in charge — will be his final opportunity to win silverware with England. “Then maybe it was the last chance.
“I think about half of the national coaches go after a tournament; this is the nature of international football. I know that you can’t constantly stand in front of the public and say, ‘Please a little more,’ because, at some point, people will lose faith in your message.
“If we want to be a big team and I want to be a top coach, then you have to deliver in the big moments.”
Gareth Southgate arrived in Germany with doubts hanging over his post-tournament future (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
There were similar questions over Southgate’s future prior to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but they are being asked more loudly this time.
In Germany, the former Middlesbrough manager could clock up a century of England matches; the 1-0 warm-up defeat to Iceland at Wembley last week was his 95th in charge.
His eight years in charge of England have been transformative. There was a first World Cup semi-final in almost 30 years in 2018 and a Euro 2020 final in 2021 (the tournament was delayed during the Covid-19 pandemic). Perhaps most importantly, however, Southgate has created an environment that players want to be part of and reconnected England’s fans with their national team.
“Gareth has shaped a hugely positive culture in which pride in the shirt and the honour of representing England shines through,” the FA chief executive Mark Bullingham told ESPN this week. “This has played a part in the transformation we have seen on the pitch in our attacking play, consistent results and strong tournament record. Overall, there is a natural togetherness within the squad based on trust, friendship and belief.”
That bond, however, is being tested. Several England players were unhappy at Southgate’s decision to omit Jack Grealish and Harry Maguire, two popular team-mates, from his 26-man squad for the Euros.
Southgate’s bold decision sent shockwaves through the squad and extended beyond the players, with partners and families who travel together to tournaments and socialise also feeling the absence of familiar faces.
Such is the positive culture created by Southgate, England’s get-togethers – whether they come at major tournaments or during international breaks during the season – have become much anticipated for reasons other than football.
They are an opportunity to catch up with friends and forget the demands of a draining Premier League campaign. The omission of Grealish and Maguire — on the back of other experienced campaigners such as Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Reece James being left out of the provisional squad – has cut deep.
Southgate’s relationship with senior players such as Harry Kane has always been strong (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
But Southgate knows that if he is to achieve his ultimate goal — leading England to their first major tournament win since 1966 — he needs to be ruthless and make brave decisions, regardless of their popularity.
The question is how the players will cope with the uncertainty thrown up by Southgate’s squad selections — and his own uncertain future. There is no doubting the talent at his disposal in Germany, from Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka to newcomers Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton. It is a young team, but one with realistic prospects of lifting the European Championship on July 14 in Berlin.
If that happens, Southgate could well be in demand at club level. He has spent the last few months being linked with replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, owing to his ability to create a positive culture, working in a structure and his close relationship with Sir Dave Brailsford, now helping run football operations at Old Trafford.
Southgate continuing his managerial career post-England is not a certainty, though. Speaking to Sky News in May, he even floated the idea of retiring if England are triumphant in Germany.
“I’ve worked in this building for over 10 years and, yeah, the ambition has been to win a tournament,” he said. “If we can do that, maybe I’ll retire and do nothing anyway.”
Both Southgate and the FA allowing the former’s contract to enter its final year — therefore placing further emphasis on England’s performances at the Euros — has created intrigue. But the manager is relaxed about that.
He cited the FA giving Fabio Capello a new deal before the 2010 World Cup as an example of what can go wrong when attempts are made to neutralise the speculation before a major tournament.
In his case, Southgate believes a similar move would “invite more criticism” and add “more pressure” on the team.
England came close to glory at the final of Euro 2020 (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Despite Capello being given a new deal in 2010, England scraped out of their group at the World Cup in South Africa (finishing second to the U.S.) before being humbled 4-1 by Germany in the round of 16. It was a brutal lesson for the FA, and one they have learned from.
Southgate’s last contract extension was in November 2021, taking him through the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024. Ideally, the FA would like him to lead England into the 2026 World Cup, which is taking place across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Over the next five weeks, Southgate’s future at England will become clearer. But until then, the manager’s focus is on preparing his team for their group-stage matches against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia.
How England perform at this tournament, especially following his big selection calls, will go a long way to determining whether there is appetite on all sides to continue what has been an almost-perfect partnership.
(Top photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
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