Gareth Southgate Agrees New England Contract

[Smiley Culture]

Good news. Can't help but think we may have seen the best that it's going to be, but nonetheless, he's deserving of a new contract.

[6666]

Can't say he's done anything that impressive but meh, he's not done anything that bad either so there's no real need to make a change anytime soon.

[Danny]

The only England manager who's had a long term plan that we can get behind, only right to see if he can fulfill it after the World Cup

[Guest]

2 hours ago, 6666 said:

Can't say he's done anything that impressive but meh, he's not done anything that bad either so there's no real need to make a change anytime soon.

We lost to Iceland in 2016 and went out in the group stage in 2014 I would say he has done quite well. 

[Dave]

We need stability and continuity. I never thought Gareth Southgate would be the man to do it but fair play to him. A contract until 2022 is deserving.

Ignoring how close we were to a World Cup final, which seems mental to think about even now, theres been many things ive been impressed with.

For example, his emphasis on youth. He led from the front in that regard. All the regulars want to be injured around international week so why not give Solanke, Reuben Loftus-Cheek etc a chance. Very ballsy move that appears to have given a lot of these lads confidence knowing they could get recognised.

Then you've got his decision making process around experienced players. Nobody seems to remember that it was only two years ago Wayne Rooney thought he could just turn around and say "yeah ill retire after the world cup". It came across like he thought he had some given right to be in the squad. From that moment on Gareth built a squad away from him. Then there was Joe Hart, changing the first choice Goalkeeper just before a major tournament failed horrendously in 2010. Gareth Southgate again made a ballsy decision to drop an experienced Joe Hart for Jordan Pickford, and Jordan Pickford left Russia a hero.

Theres other things as well that go under the radar that i have found impressive. His press conferances for example have improved greatly in two years. He is the first manager to introduce meetings with the squad and the press which seems to have gone a long way in makong the media appreciate these players are human. Hes also handed individual incidents really well. Like when Danny Rose expressed his concerns about a World Cup in Russia. Gareth sat the squad down as a group and gave Danny the opportunity to express how he felt let down by previous experiences. All i felt about that was it seemed like a great way to unite the group.

What I've been most impressed about however is how he has made the whole squad click together. They all seem united as a team instead of individuals. Given no other manager has made that happen since Terry Vennerbles, I think Gareth deserves credit there. Eric Dier said at the last team selection that none of them could wait to all get back together. I imagine that's a feeling that England players haven't had in well over a decade.

Maybe we have seen the best, but let's enjoy going in to at least two more tournaments with optimism knowing what this team could be potentially capable of.

[6666]

16 hours ago, Gunnersauraus said:

We lost to Iceland in 2016 and went out in the group stage in 2014 I would say he has done quite well. 

I can give him some credit for not messing up against lesser opposition and see that as a slight improvement but it's not really that impressive to get the team to do the bare minimum that they're expected to do.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, 6666 said:

I can give him some credit for not messing up against lesser opposition and see that as a slight improvement but it's not really that impressive to get the team to do the bare minimum that they're expected to do.

True but it is England.