By Mike Woitalla
@MikeWoitalla
Although England is known as the birthplace of soccer, its national team has wononly one major championship, the 1966 World Cup it hosted. And thus expectations are low for Gareth Southgate, promoted from interim to permanent head coach on Wednesday.
Martyn Herman of Reuters led his article on the appointment with:“Gareth Southgate was handed the onerous task of ending England’s decades of underachievement at major tournaments when he agreed a four-year deal to become national team manager.”
England’s latest appearance at a major tournament ended with a loss to Iceland at Euro 2016 in the round of 16, which led to the sacking of Roy Hodgson, who guided England toa winless first-round exit at the 2014 World Cup.
England at the European Championship
1996 semifinals (TerryVenables)
2000 group stage (Kevin Keegan)
2004 quarterfinals (Sven-Goran Eriksson)
2008 did not qualify (Steve McLaren)
2012 quarterfinals (Roy Hodgson)
2016 round of 16 (RoyHodgson)
Hodgson’s successor, Sam Allardyce, lasted only 67 days because he got caught in a newspaper sting. Southgate was named interim coach. He had been in charge of England’s U-21 team, which at the 2015U-21 European Championship finished last in a group with Portugal, Sweden and Italy.
The FA put Southgate in charge for four games during its coachsearch. The first three were World Cup qualifiers, a 2-0 win over Malta, a 0-0 tie with Slovenia, and a 3-0 win over Scotland. The fourth was 2-2 friendly tie at Wembley with Spain.
Southgate,who played 57 times for England in 1995-2004, has a modest coaching resume.
After moving from player to coach at Middlesbrough in 2006, in three English Premier League seasons, it finished12th, 13th and was relegated. He lasted 13 more games in the second division before getting fired and left Middlesbrough with 36 wins in 127 league games. In 2013, he took over England’sU-21s.
“I certainly find it perplexing that a manager who was sacked by Middlesbrough, having been relegated the previous season, is considered the mandatory choice on the back of a ploddingwin against Malta, a pretty wretched 0-0 draw in Slovenia and then a flattering victory against one of the worst Scotland teams in years,” wrote Daniel Taylor, the chief soccer writer for the Guardian and the Observer.
His advocates cite his experience withyoung players. In addition to his U-21 stint, Southgate spent 18 months as FA’s head of elite development in 2011-2012.
“Gareth is the right man for the job,” said former England captain Terry Butcher. “He is a personable guy and he has shown he wants to learn and adapt. He will learn in thejob and I am absolutely certain he will learn well. He will develop his own coaching prowess at international level.”
Former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, England’s most cappedplayer, said:
“I think it’s a decision based on potential more than what he has actually achieved in management. In some ways he fits the bill. He has had international experience as a player.And he fits the profile off the pitch that the FA wants after the (Sam) Allardyce fiasco. On the other side his (Southgate’s) record at Middlesbrough wasn’t great. Managing international teams at theWorld Cup — has he got that toughness that goes with it? Good luck to him.”
There should be no doubt that England will qualify for the World Cup. Group F is as soft as it comes, withSlovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Scotland and Malta.
And at the 2018 World Cup in Russia he’ll have a low bar to meet.
England at the WorldCup
1994 did not qualify (Graham Taylor)
1998 round of 16 (Glenn Hoddle)
2002 quarterfinals(Sven-Goran Eriksson)
2006 quarterfinals (Sven-Goran Eriksson)
2010 round of 16 (Fabio Capello)
2014 group stage (Roy Hodgson)
“It’s athankless task,” saidformer England forward Matt Le Tissier. “Because I don’t feel we have the players to compete at the very top level of international football.”