Gareth Southgate Signs Two-Year Contract Extension

“Southgate, who marks five years in charge of the Three Lions at the end of this month, has overseen a period of positive progress, guiding England to a FIFA World Cup semi-final and UEFA Nations League third place before securing the best men’s performance in 55 years with the UEFA EURO Final this summer.

“The new deal means Southgate and Holland will lead England to the 2022 World Cup, for which qualification was secured earlier this month, before taking the team through qualifying for the 2024 EURO, which starts in March 2023.”

Southgate added: “I am delighted that Steve and I have been able to extend our stay in our respective roles.

“It remains an incredible privilege to lead this team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mark [Bullingham, FA CEO), John [McDermott, FA technical director] and the Board for their support – and of course the players and support team for their hard work.

“We have a great opportunity in front of us and I know they and the fans are all excited about what this squad could achieve in future.”

The impossible job

How Southgate is viewed among England supporters differ essentially based on what type of person you ask.

For on the pitch matters, one side views Southgate as someone who has progressed England far beyond what the country has come to know. He has taken England to the World Cup semi-finals, the European Championship final and, for what it is worth, the Nations League finals. He is technically the second most successful manager and one major trophy from being honoured alongside Sir Alf Ramsey.

On the flip side, others see Southgate as a negative manager who is holding back the talented breadth of the England squad. His reluctance to play Jack Grealish more consistently, or give Jadon Sancho any time at all on the pitch, drew criticism during the Euros.

Likewise, his insistence in playing two defensive midfielders – Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice – brought negative responses. Eventually, his critics caught up to him when England failed to capitalise on their early lead against Italy in the Euros final.

Nevertheless, picking the perfect team for England, especially at a major tournament, is an impossible task as everyone has their favourites and preferred method of football. Social media heightens this tension further.

Southgate has seemingly learnt from France’s and Portugal’s tournament triumphs and has attempted to mimic their type of system. The former Middlesbrough manager was just a few successful penalties away from being proven right.

Southgate The Statesman

Away from the field, Gareth Southgate has represented England with dignity and pride. He has built a culture of intolerance towards any form of discrimination and he never shies away from discussing societal issues. In the summer, he spoke of how his parental instincts activate when his players receive abuse online.

In a further complicated matter, Southgate will face further challenges in this side of the job when scrutiny of the Qatar World Cup intensifies.