Now is the Time for Gareth Southgate to Prove He is the Right Man to Take England Forward
"?Well, that was an interesting week wasn't it? In the space of a few days, the status of English football, as well as the credibility of the FA, has been shot to pieces and ripped apart to reveal a set of innards that contains a shocking concoction of deceit and corruption.
And to make matters worse, it has now been highlighted that this wasn't just one silly man who has a severe lack of judgement. Since the revelation of Big Sam's major misconduct, a massive can of worms has been opened, which is so worrying it's laughable. Further resignations and accusations are sure to follow, as English football reaches an all time low.
Up steps Gareth Southgate to take the reigns of an out of control cart temporarily. Not the first man you would have in your mind as the man to bring us out of this untimely mess, but perhaps he should be. Now isn't the time to dither, but instead make a decision that probably should have been made a long time ago. Southgate should be made manager of the senior national side.
The last time an England manager was sacked following comments made to a news reporter was in 1999, after Glenn Hoddle told the Times' Matt Dickinson that disabled people are being 'punished for sins from a former life'. Since then, the FA's attempts at replacing a manager who damaged their reputation has been far from faultless, and in fact, incredibly risky.
Following Hoddle, the next nine managers haven't lasted more than five years, and have brought along with them their fair share of controversy that the FA ideally wanted to avoid. From Sven-Goran Eriksson's lavish and questionable lifestyle concerning women and yachts to Fabio Capello's inability to mutter even a word of English to the press, let alone his own players.
It appears that there has been a common theme of introducing big characters to the England set-up to change our misfortunes on the pitch. However, as a result, performances in major tournaments have declined since the turn of the century, and misfortunes, whether that be through media onslaughts or the opening of a rather large brolly, have started to gain momentum off of the pitch.
The appointment of Roy Hodgson, or as he is now known 'Woy' (good one Sam), showed signs of improvement, hiring a man who's football knowledge and ability to produce results was the only thing that would be judged by the media and the fans, however in the end, his inability to connect with the players was arguably his downfall.
Resorting back to old ways of hiring a big and risky character in the form of Big Sam was a step backwards. It may have been entrapment, but from the looks of it, it was only a matter of time before his life outside of football got him into trouble. It only took 67 days.
So now it's time to make the right decision in appointing Gareth Southgate. A man who has been the bridesmaid and not the bride for some time now, can finally show his worth as both a manager and coach. There's a difference between the two.
As a former player, he understands the game and how players should be treated, while his time in the England set-up with the U21's has injected him with the ethos, style and identity of an England side that has been missing for years.
Is he a world class manager? No. But England aren't a world class side, and that's what's so hard to accept. The talent is there, but no one has found the formula to really make it work on the international stage. He may not be a figure that has an aura about him, and perhaps isn't the most confident of characters to crack a joke or rile up his side. But that isn't what we need right now.
What England need is a man to steady a sinking ship, and bring together a group of players and blend them into a real team. England need a man who won't make any rash decisions, but only ones for the good of the team. England need a man who will be around for the long term, using his knowledge of developing young English talent to the country's advantage.
England need Gareth Southgate.
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