England, coached by Gareth Southgate, travel to Germany to take on an acid test that will either prove they are the genuine deal or just a bunch of nearly men who can’t cross the line when it counts.
Whether Southgate’s tenure ends with their Euro 2024 campaign or extends beyond, it will always be judged by the amount of progress made in comparison to the disarray he took over.
After a 67-day and one-match experiment with Sam Allardyce by the Football Association, 53-year-old Southgate was given the permanent position in November 2016.
Allardyce had taken over for Roy Hodgson, who had quit after England’s humiliating last-16 loss to Iceland in the French Euros.
Since then, Southgate has led England to the final of the Euro 2020 competition, the World Cup quarterfinals in Qatar in 2022, and the semi-finals of the 2018 tournament.
England’s humiliating loss to Iceland on Friday at Wembley, its renowned Euro 2016 winners who are currently only ranked 72nd in the world, was hardly the spectacular farewell they had hoped for before departing for Germany.
It gave Southgate a lot to think about ahead of Sunday’s Gelsenkirchen tournament opener against Serbia, but it also has to be seen in the larger picture as a friendly before the real business gets underway.
When England lands and makes its way to their headquarters at Blankenhain, there are plenty of reasons for optimism.
Along with instilling a sense of well-being in the England team, Southgate has also created a sense of goodwill toward the team and himself from the outside, allowing players to enjoy representing their country without feeling burdened by the shirt and expectations.
In fact, Southgate’s rule has produced enough narratives for a Dear England West End Theatre performance; the only issue is that this drama doesn’t have a happy conclusion, either on stage or in the game.
Nevertheless, Dear England is returning the next spring, leaving a few gaps in the present storyline until Southgate and his team can turn it into a victorious one at Euro 2024.
This tournament therefore has a sense of ‘now or never’ following England’s World Cup defeats to Croatia in 2018 and France four years later, as well as the hugely disappointing penalty-filled loss to Italy at Wembley in the Euro 2020 final, which was essentially a home tournament for England save from the name.
The England campaign has enough side stories to guarantee that discussions about whether this is Southgate’s final stand will abound.
England is bringing to Germany a wealth of talent, including Phil Foden of Manchester City, Jude Bellingham, the new golden child who is now winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, and captain Harry Kane, who would make any other nation at the Euros green with envy.
Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace were two of Southgate’s more audacious choices for the midfield and attacking sections of his team. Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United and Cole Palmer of Chelsea also provided width and flare.
It meant that James Maddison, a playmaker for Tottenham, and Jack Grealish of Manchester City would not be playing. Additionally, Southgate will be greatly affected by the injury to Harry Maguire, a defender for Manchester United, as he has grown to rely on him for presence and leadership.
The England team is full with energy and experience. They ought to believe they can win Euro 2024.
This time, there are no justifications allowed; anything less than victory has to be viewed as a grave letdown. If, as predicted, they play France in the semifinal and face Kylian Mbappe and company at their peak, it would be too harsh to declare it a disaster.
But a significant letdown? Indeed.
The Hodgson years, the awkward flirtation with Allardyce, and a period of chaos mean that the stakes are particularly high for Southgate, a calm, collected man who has brought authority and common sense to an infamously tough position.
It is now up to the manager and England to demonstrate that they are winners.
England may have all the feel-good vibes in the world, but if they lose again, it won’t last until the summer.
Either way, Southgate’s future will surely be a topic of discussion when it comes to Germany. He has not hinted at leaving, and any speculation that he would succeed Erik ten Hag at Manchester United has been dismissed. His primary concentration is on England because of his ideals.
The events of the next few weeks will undoubtedly shape the manager’s next step.
Should England fail to break the men’s team’s unbroken streak dating back to their 1966 World Cup victory, Southgate might conclude that his tenure is ended after four significant tournaments spanning nearly eight years.
Southgate will have managed England in more tournaments than both Sven-Goran Eriksson, who oversaw three quarter-final exits, and Hodgson, but his record with the Three Lions is better than anyone since Sir Alf Ramsey.
Hodgson, the former manager of Fulham, guided England to victory in three major tournaments; yet, his final two experiences—the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, where the squad was eliminated from the group stage, and the embarrassing loss to Iceland two years later—proved to be excruciating causes of national sporting shame.
If England triumphs in Germany—and what a chance they have—Southgate will have to choose between calling it quits or giving it one more shot at the World Cup in 2026.
Many people consider his team to be the favorites, despite the fact that Belgium and France are ahead of them due to their fourth-place status in the FIFA rankings. Though not terrifying, a group comprising Serbia, Denmark, and Slovenia will not be treated lightly.
England might play Italy in the round of eight, France in the semifinal, and possibly Spain in the championship match if everything goes according to plan and they win the group.
Since we are in England, the word “if” has a lot of work to do in that sentence.
However, England does possess a team capable of taking home the trophy, so anything less will not be considered sufficient.
It is obvious that players like Bellingham, Foden, Kane, and others would fit in well with any squad on the continent.
Jordan Pickford, the dependable and seasoned goalkeeper, and John Stones of Manchester City, the elite center-half when healthy, are the two standout players for England.
There are still unanswered concerns over left-back, central defense, and Declan Rice’s midfield partner, but overall, England appears to be a serious contender—until they emerge victorious, that is, which is the problem with Southgate and this group.
Will England’s mental toughness, which has occasionally felt like a psychological barrier at crucial moments, be strengthened by the setbacks of the last three major tournaments?
Or will, when it comes to the pressure points of Euro 2024, old ghosts and memories come to the surface again?
The answers to these queries will have a significant impact on Southgate’s and England’s short- and long-term futures.
