I entered the National Football Center at St George’s Park armed with what I thought was a bright red scoop.
One of my best and most secret sources within the FA has informed me that the Southgate family loves pantomime. I was geared up and ready for the big questions.
“Gareth, what is your favorite pantomime?” The England manager looked back at me, puzzled.
I needed a quick follow up. “I heard that you and your family love pantomime?”
It was a calm response. “I mean, when I was younger, my dad’s company used to be involved in pantomime a lot, but that wasn’t really the case for us, it was a long time ago.
“I’m not a widow bastard!”
I felt like shouting, “Oh, that’s right!” Instead, I retreated.
Full credit to Southgate for trying to collaborate. But in reality, the topic was as dead as a cheap Christmas cracker without a bang. Like sticky sprouts. Good start, Rob.
Now let me ask you something more serious.
“You’ve created a very unique atmosphere in this England squad. Is there any part of you thinking, ‘I’d like to bring that to a Premier League club at some point in the future’?” That’s part of your ambition, too. mosquito? ”
“I know I can do it,” Mr Southgate replied bullishly. “There is no doubt in my mind.
“Frankly, there is no job in world football that would scare you or turn you off after having done this job. I’m not going to be pressured, that’s not the case.”There will be more complex issues. ”
He also said he felt he received a bad reputation when he was manager of Middlesbrough some 15 years ago and would relish the chance to prove himself again as a Premier League manager at some point in the future. There is.
“I was 35 when I took charge in the Premier League. We finished 12th and 13th and I didn’t know anything about what I know now,” Southgate explains.
“Everyone was talking about Middlesbrough, saying, ‘Oh, he got Middlesbrough relegated.’ Well, yeah, in the third year we got relegated. But I’m not a Premier League manager. I served for three years.
“Without a doubt, my first season was the biggest one in my mind, growing from captain and player to running a multi-million pound business in the toughest league in the world and finishing almost par. We were on a budget.
“I’m confident in this role. I’m confident in whatever happens in the future. Of course I don’t plan on being here (in the FA) for 20-30 years. We don’t know what’s going to happen. “I’m very calm about it.
“I remember talking to Jose[Mourinho]when I was at Manchester United and he said, ‘Look, once you’re done with your current role, you’ll be able to do anything.’ I was like, ‘Really?'” Maybe he was right, but seven years later, he’s definitely right. ”
So how does he feel about the job now, seven years after he first took it? Is he still enjoying being England manager as much as ever? I wonder?
“That’s a good question,” came the thoughtful answer. “I love my job every day because I work with good people and I work with the team. We have players that I really like. They react to everything you do. They want to get better and we work together.” They’re top players so that’s a privilege.
“Of course, the big games you win are the fun for the next few minutes, so it’s a very small fun.
“On nights like Hampden[where England beat Scotland 3-1 in September]you go up to the cauldron representing England and the team plays well and we win. It’s a great night. Enjoy being yourself while sitting on the bus. But it’s short. That can’t be denied.
“The longer you’re in the game, the longer your victories last, because there’s always another challenge.”
Remain undefeated in 2023
So how does Southgate assess 2023? That year, England had a somewhat disappointing result, drawing in Skopje and defeating Malta 2-0 at Wembley.
However, England remained unbeaten for 12 months and qualified for the Euros at the top of their group, becoming one of the top seeds. This led to a not-too-difficult group for the final, which included Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia.
Southgate admits England are a far more attractive prospect than the teams they faced in qualifying.
“We were definitely the toughest qualifying group in terms of the standings. Ukraine and Italy were the big concerns, but we knew North Macedonia had some great results in the past.”
“Yes, going to Italy and winning, then beating at home to back that up…those were important results, but they were also good performances.”
Harry Maguire has had a very tough 2023. He was forced out of Manchester United’s starting lineup until an injury gave him a chance to play at the end of the calendar year. He was clearly subject to jeers and ridicule from opposing supporters, not just in Scotland but in North Macedonia as well.
Southgate told me he was right to continue selecting Maguire for his country, even though he was not playing for his club. And the England manager has nothing but praise for how he has coped with the most difficult period he has faced in his career.
“He’s a resilient character and you have to have that resilience. When you’re playing for a club like Manchester United, it means you’re one of the biggest clubs in the world. There’s going to be a story.” Such clubs are reported in the news every day.
“We know he can play in big games, we’ve seen him in tournaments and we know what he brings to the group. In my view, you support the players And I’ve felt what we’ve felt.” It needed to be done and it was the right thing to do.
“We’ve always believed in him. People say, ‘I have favorite people,’ but that doesn’t mean, ‘These are my favorite people.’ They played well for us. They’re the people that we think are our best players yet. ”
Cultivating the Bellingham-Cain connection
There is no doubt that Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are England’s best players. That’s crucial if we have any real hopes of winning the Euros. Mr Southgate agrees.
“You’re 100 percent right. Your best chance of winning is having the best players,” he says.
“I think every football club in the world, even Manchester City, loses something from a team if they don’t have certain players.
“Fortunately, there’s very good competition in a lot of positions and the downs aren’t too bad. And of course the key is finding a way to beat the available players. So I think Jude, for example, I think we only played five of our 10 games last year, so we’re trying to develop other games for those eventualities.
“Harry and Jude are both playing very well for their clubs. Obviously they’re both at huge football clubs so they have to perform under pressure every week. That’s the kind of environment we want for our players.”
He also admitted that he had encouraged Bellingham to get more forward in an England shirt, as he did at Real Madrid, in an attempt to improve his understanding with Kane.
“We’ve been playing him higher up. In some games, Jude was just below Harry. That allows us to attack and defend a little bit differently. We’ve played that partnership. I’d be mad if you didn’t try to make it work.”
“The maturity with which he adapts to that, the way he does it, says everything about who he is as a player and as a character.”
It’s not like Southgate will make Bellingham forget his defensive duties, but when I ask if Bellingham’s role in the future – an attacking number 10 – could be that?
“He has some responsibility,” the boss says animatedly. “He may not always do it, but he has a responsibility to get back at it. So if he’s watching, do it right!”
A wildcard entry into the euro?
While Bellingham and Kane have been named as potential candidates for the Euros, Southgate has not ruled out a wild card or two for a spot in the second-half 23-man squad.
“I think there are one or two players who are yet to be capped who could still be available in the summer,” Southgate said. “I’m sure about that. It should be more difficult to get into the team now. We are an established and not an aging team, so this team will not suddenly decline after the next tournament.”
“Our young players, some of them under 23, have already won 20 to 30 caps, so we’re actually where we’ve wanted to be for 10 years.”
With his eyes set on Euro 2024, Southgate is working hard to turn the knife on his side. He knows England are real favorites to win the trophy, but he also wants to avoid any further pressure that could lead to his team being labeled as favorites or arrogant.
Southgate said his proudest achievement during his time in charge was restoring pride to both the players and the fan base.
“Pride is something we all have and it’s an honor to represent England. That’s why I came here to work on youth development and I came here to work with the U21 team. That’s when I decided I wanted to improve English football.”
“The dream is always to win a trophy, which I haven’t had in years.
“Yes, we have played the first semi-final for however long, we have played the first final for however long and we are still trying to break history here because we are away from England. Because we’ve never been to a final. We’ve never won a European Championship, so we’re always trying to break the wall.
“For that to happen, pride alone is not enough. We have to play well, we have to manage well, we have to work well together as a group of staff. I think there’s a sense of pride in wearing a badge.”
“We have to constantly remember and recognize that we are part of this timeline of English football, so we need to appreciate and cherish that.
“But what we need are good decisions. The players play well, everyone commits to the cause, everyone sacrifices themselves for the group. That’s how we win.”
“We’ve been so close so far that we know we’re capable. It’s very possible.”