In the space of a week, we seem to have lost the Gareth Southgate who brought the feel-good factor back to English football, writes Charlie Wyett.
Here is a man who now looks haggard and bruised by the fierce criticism he has received not just at home but also from some former England players.
We live in a world where many pundits are cheerleaders, and although Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer were correct in their assessment of the Three Lions after the 1-1 draw with Denmark, it went down badly with Southgate.
The coach says he’s on a mission to protect his players from all the bullshit going around, but he also has to make sure he doesn’t lose focus.
In his eight years as England manager, he has never looked so calm in the first two games.
The mood was upbeat at the team’s European base in Blankenhain. Southgate was in good spirits throughout his media duties.
Here was a man confident in the knowledge that he had a group of players capable of winning Euro 2024.
But after the two draws against Denmark and Slovenia, his mood worsened spectacularly. He’s been through some rough patches, but none like this.
One of the 53-year-old’s greatest strengths has been his ability to appeal to every English fan and create positivity.
No fan will forget the summer of 2018, when they finally fell in love with the England football team.
However, Southgate knows he has lost the trust of practically the entire English public that supports him.
He suffered abuse and ridicule after England lost 4-0 to Hungary in the 2022 Nations League, but this is a different level.
Southgate is acutely aware of how the entire mood of the nation has changed.
In recent weeks, Southgate has made some strange decisions.
It was a mistake to choose Luke Shaw as his only left-footed defender and he is only now close to being fit.
Marc Guehi has been England’s best player in their three matches so far, but Ezri Konsa and Lewis Dunk are not ideal backups.
Southgate should have chosen Harry Maguire, despite his short-term injury problems, or Bayern Munich’s Eric Dier.
Jordan Henderson – despite not having a good end to the season with Ajax – should have been included as he would have had a month to gain speed in terms of sharpness.
Even if he wasn’t ready to start, he is a winner – as he proved at Liverpool – and would have been a constant and knowledgeable influence in the dressing room. As for Southgate’s team selections, the Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment didn’t work.
Nor does putting Conor Gallagher alongside Declan Rice against Slovenia.
While Marcus Rashford and James Maddison couldn’t have many complaints about missing, Jack Grealish should have been included, even if it was to come off the bench.
Southgate has gone too far with his mix and match. Now, he is left with a squad that lacks balance, but which can also go deep in this tournament.
Southgate needs his big players like Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Phil Foden to play without fear.
These same players need Southgate to try not to be affected by public opinion, even if that includes some of his teammates.
Furthermore, Southgate needs to get all his team selections right. And maybe then he’ll leave the job in England on a high.
Read all of Charlie Wyett’s Euro 2024 articles.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
