The highs and lows of his England tenure

Gareth Southgate managed England for 102 matches across a near eight year reign in English football’s top job.

Under his leadership the Three Lions won 61 games, drew 24 and lost 17, scoring 213 goals and conceding just 72. His win ratio of 59.8% was not as high as Fabio Capello, Glenn Hoddle or Ron Greenwood but was a smidge higher than Sven Goran Eriksson.

What he did do better than those others is he guided England to their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years and reached their first ever European Championship Finals in 2020 and 2024.

Let’s look at some of the highs and lows of his time in charge.

After 102 games and almost eight years in charge, Gareth Southgate has announced he is to leave his role as manager of the #ThreeLions.

— England (@England) July 16, 2024

Highs

We’ve got our England back

It’s fair to say Gareth Southgate took over at perhaps the lowest ebb in history, when it comes to engagement with the England National Football team.

At the 2014 World Cup Roy Hodgson’s side had lost 2-1 to Italy, by the same score to Uruguay and then drew 0-0 with Costa Rica. Hodgson irked many with his statement that his side had knuckled down and given England fans ‘something to cheer’ in the stalemate which sealed their position at the bottom of the group.

Euro 2016 was certainly more dramatic, although not necessarily in a good way. Russia nabbed an injury-time equaliser in England’s opening game, Daniel Sturridge netted the winner in the dying seconds against Wales and a goalless draw with Slovakia rounded-off the group.

Iceland were next up in the Round of 16 and England were ahead after just four minutes through Wayne Rooney’s penalty. What happened next was one of the darkest chapters in English football history. The minnows came back to win 2-1 and Hodgson was gone.

His replacement Sam Allarydce lasted just 67 days and one match before leaving the role after an undercover investigation uncovered ‘inappropriate behaviour’ with regards to rules regarding player transfers.

Southgate had been with the FA since 2011 and had been under-21 coach since 2013. He had ruled himself out of the running after Hodgson’s departure but accepted the interim role after Allardyce’s hasty departure on a four-match basis.

They won two, including a win over Scotland, and drew two, the second being a 2-2 draw against Spain in which England led 2-0 until the 89^th minute – they were the only goals they conceded across the four matches. An early glimpse into his pragmatism in the role.

The players, however, loved turning up for international duty. With the notable exception of Ben White, international breaks have been embraced by players from all the top clubs and Southgate is credited with fostering a club-like bond on which much of the success which follows has been built.

Southgate guided England to the 2018 World Cup and the rest is history…

📅 England & Wales locked horns at Euro 2016 eight years ago today.

Joe Hart’s error saw Wales take the lead through Gareth Bale — but Jamie Vardy’s equaliser & Daniel Sturridge’s 91st-minute strike earned victory for Roy Hodgson’s side.

📽️ @Englandpic.twitter.com/SAsfoxzhXn

— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 16, 2024

 

On the spot

England’s Round of 16 tie at the 2018 World Cup in Moscow will not live long in the memory, but it’s epic conclusion will.

Harry Kane put England ahead through a second half penalty but Yerry Mina’s 93^rd-minute equaliser sent the game to extra-time.

England regained their composure but neither side were able to conjure a winner in the additional period and the game went to penalties.

The ghosts of six penalty shootout defeats in seven previous opportunities at major tournaments swooped around the Spartak Stadium as Jordan Henderson saw his spot-kick saved by David Ospina, however Mateus Uribe rattled the crossbar from his attempt to give the Three Lions hope.

Jordan Pickford then wrote his name into folklore with a fine save from Carlos Bacca’s attempt allowing Eric Dier to drill home to win the shootout and send the nation wild.

The win ushered in a new era for England, who went on to beat Switzerland on penalties in the 2019 Nations League and also the quarter-final of Euro 2024.

They lost just one shootout of their four under Southgate, albeit the most painful of all, losing 3-2 against Italy at Wembley in the final of Euro 2020.

Reminded of the Jordan Pickford save in the shoot-out v Colombia in the World Cup.

I’m delighted to report that under the new penalty law, this would have been LEGAL!!

See, it can be done 🙌👏 pic.twitter.com/Vm7N5jdgZp

— Arlo White (@arlowhite) June 19, 2019

 

The draws

It might seem a little strange to not be able to pick out huge occasions along the way as England worked their way into the business end of four straight major international tournaments, however the reason is they haven’t exactly had any.

Ok that might sound churlish for a country which had gone past the last-eight once in the 12 World Cups since 1966 (and still only twice in 18 World Cups in total) and only once reached the semi-finals in 13 instillments of the Euros.

But really, a 2-0 win over Sweden in Russia in the 2018 World Cup quarter-final? A 4-0 cruise against Ukraine in the last-eight of Euro 2020? A quarter-final against Switzerland (which they made hard work of, admittedly).

Some of England’s greatest achievements have come against tier two teams, to be kind.

The only footballing powerhouses England have actually drawn in their 13 knockout games under Southgate were Germany, Italy, France and Spain. They saw-off the worst German side for many years in the Round of 16 in 2021 but fell short in the other three matches.

The nine other sides they were paired with in knockouts?

Colombia, Sweden, Croatia, Ukraine, Denmark, Senegal, Slovakia, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

 

Lows

Hungary

Yes it was ‘only’ the Nations League, but June 2022 marked a turning point in Southgate’s relationship with England fans.

The strains of Southgate You’re The One were so loud at the 2018 World Cup and were still present but slightly more muted at Euro 2021, however they were all but gone by the 2022 World Cup and that was in large part due to Hungary.

England began their tricky League A campaign with a 1-0 defeat in Budapest, courtesy of a second-half penalty from future Liverpool man Dominik Szoboszlai.

Ok. These things happen. However 10 days later England lost the return leg 4-0. These things do not happen.

Roland Sallai’s early goal gave the visitors a lead they held until 20 minutes from time, when all hell broke loose. Sallai made it 2-0 on the break, Zsolt Nagy blasted a long-range third 10 minutes later, John Stones was sent-off two minutes after that and Daniel Gazdag added a fourth in the 89^th minute.

It was England’s worst home defeat since 1928, and made it four games without a win for the first time in eight years.

The England fans at Molineux that evening were not impressed, booing the side off and calling for Southgate’s dismissal, with chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ cascading from the stands.

The winless run extended to six in their final two games before the Qatar World Cup, which saw the Three Lions finish bottom of their group and suffer relegation to League B.

England 0-4 Hungary
Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton

Never seen a worse home performance from an England side. Complete and utter disgrace. Thanks for the memories Southgate, but it’s time to go. You have completely lost the plot. #ENGvHUN pic.twitter.com/hqbRRZjNMH

— ßen (@BCAFCBH) June 14, 2022

 

France

The 2022 World Cup quarter-final between England and France could so easily have ended up in either high or low section.

Southgate’s side put in a spirited display against the defending champions in the Al Bayt Stadium, bossing long stages of the game and creating a host of chances, however they met a keeper in inspired form and ultimately fell short to come home far earlier than anyone would have wanted.

They fell behind to Aurelien Tchouameni’s low fizzer on 17 minutes but after a good spell of England pressure the goalscorer brought down Bukayo Saka in the box allowing Harry Kane to slam a penalty past his then Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris on 36 minutes.

Olivier Giroud headed France back into the lead with 12 minutes remaining but Theo Hernandez’s foul on sub Mason Mount on 84 minutes gave Kane the chance to equalise from the spot once again, only to smash his penalty over the bar as France went through to play Morocco in the last four.

The devastation on the faces of Southgate and his squad was clear. This squad was better than the one which fell just short of making the final in 2018, and they knew it. Morocco were inspired in that tournament but England would have fancied themselves to secure a date with old foes Argentina in the final, and then, who knows what just might have been possible…

Jude Bellingham was the only England player to comfort Kane for his penalty miss against France in the World Cup.

Never question his loyalty to his teammates.
pic.twitter.com/bVbjn0ZUky

— JBZ fan (@JBellinghamZone) May 1, 2024

 

Wembley

In Berlin on Sunday night England lost the Euro 2024 Final to the better team. Spain won their seventh straight tournament match – unprecedented success – and completed a campaign in which they outclassed some of the games biggest powers in the form of Croatia, Italy, Germany, France and then England.

Southgate’s dismay will be deep, of course, England came very close to landing a trophy few would argue they truly deserved.

Italy was different. The final of Euro 2020 – delayed a year by covid, of course – was played at Wembley Stadium in London. The date of July 12^th, 2021, will have been circled on calendars for months in advance.

A home final. All England had to do was get there. And they did it. Some of it in style, too. Croatia and Czech Republic were seen off in the group, with Scotland drawing the other game.

Old foes Germany were then brushed aside late-on at Wembley in the last-16 and Ukraine were pummelled 4-0 in Rome in the quarter-final. Denmark made them work for their extra-time victory in the last-four and there England were, in a first ever European Championship Final.

Luke Shaw’s goal after just two minutes sent Wembley into a frenzy and the long wait from July 30 1966 looked like it might be over.

However they did not press home their advantage. Italy grew into the game and equalised on 67 minutes when Leonardo Bonucci fired in amidst a scramble.

As nine times previously, England’s fate would be decided by penalties. Marcus Rashford hit the post and Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma meaning Jordan Pickford’s heroics were in vain. It’s Coming Home, became It’s Coming to Rome.

Spain were too good for England on Sunday. France surely would have been too good for England in 2018, but make no mistake, when his head hits the pillow, Italy at Wembley is the one Gareth Southgate would really want back.

Brains over brawn 🧠 pic.twitter.com/aM4bS0jCT2

— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) July 12, 2021