It is fair to say that over the last three decades, the England national football team has had its share of great managers, many of whom had a significant pedigree – however, it has been nearly 60 years since the side won a major trophy, despite a going close a few times.
In 1996 at the Euros, under the guidance of Glenn Hoddle, they were agonisingly close to reaching the final, having been dramatically knocked out against Germany.
The period that followed was hailed as the ‘Golden Generation’ and featured two managers in Sven Goran Eriksen and Fabio Capello. Two quarter-final exits in close succession to Portugal ended hopes and prolonged the wait.
This was also a team of greats and sparked many debates – the fact that Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard couldn’t play together. Throw in Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Joe Cole – who would you leave out? Up front the dynamic duo of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney. At the back; Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Sol Campbell and Jamie Carragher – all able to play centre-back.
How does a manager not get a tune out of such a talented group of players. Capello was a proven winner; many players had won numerous elite trophies at club level, playing important parts for their teams. It still is probably the biggest conundrum in international footballing history – especially of the England team.
Why Did It Not Work With Gareth Southgate?
It could be fair to say that Southgate’s card was marked from day one. He wasn’t exactly a name that inspired confidence among the masses – lacking in charisma and such other important traits; even potentially a stiff wind could have blown him over when he first took the job – saying something, considering he played as a centre-back.
However, under Southgate’s stewardship, England managed two finals, two semi-finals and a quarter-final – the best record of any Three Lions coach. Despite this though, there is an argument that he still did deserve criticism.
“Thank you, England – for everything.” ❤️💙
A message from Gareth Southgate. 🧵⬇️ pic.twitter.com/STzYnj2FlF
— England (@England) July 16, 2024
One of the major gripes for many fans was that he played too defensively, given the array of attacking talent that England had at their disposal – ultimately he did not play to the team’s strengths. An average defence throughout his tenure – certainly not of the world class calibre of the aforementioned Terry and Ferdinand – his tactics set his teams up to defend or at least, not concede, which often failed.
However, England did manage to score multiple goals in many games, though usually against much weaker opposition, invariably. It could also be argued that he utilised attacking players in the wrong way, with Harry Kane seemingly encouraged to drop deep rather than play off the last man, though with no overlapping runs from out wide or behind him.
It has since led many to question whether the England job is a poisoned chalice – especially given the pressure and expectation of many fans, not to mention the media with there being an argument that this negative mood can affect the way they play.
How Will The Job Turn Out In The Future?
There is no doubt that whoever takes future England jobs will need a thick skin, be able to cope with external pressures, and be tactically astute at the same time. Currently Lee Carsley is the interim coach, though, emphasis should probably placed on the word ‘interim’.
His approach has been criticised as being too ‘gung ho’ in his approach and it certainly seems chaotic, with seemingly no balance to the side, where the defence gets caught out all too often and attackers who get in each other’s way.
There have been many calls for the next permanent manager to be of the calibre of Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola, though international management is different compared to club management, especially for managers that obsess over the daily intricacies on the training pitch.
Following the search for Capello’s replacement, Jose Mourinho was one of a number of candidates interviewed, reportedly giving a substantial presentation, having compiled an extensive dossier on players in the squad and detailed reports of how he would deliver success. Someone, with a track record of delivering on what he said he would do.
Why he wasn’t hired still to this day bewilders many, though certainly in the future, any England manager will need to be of a similar character. The poisoned chalice tag needs to be blunted as a quickly as possible.