On July 16, Beijing time, England officially announced that Southgate officially resigned as England coach, ending his 7 years and 9 months of coaching career in England.
At the just-concluded 2024 European Cup in Germany, Southgate led the England team to reach the European Cup final for the second consecutive time, becoming the fourth team in history to achieve this honor. However, unfortunately, England lost in the final 1 -2 lost to the Spanish team and finished second again.
The England team led by Southgate once again missed the opportunity to win the European Cup.
England has the highest net worth in Europe at 1.52 billion euros, but Southgate has failed to sail this aircraft carrier to the other side of his dream of "football coming home". Amid the controversy over employment and tactics, Southgate I still let go of my obsession. Although doubts have always been surrounding, it is undeniable that Southgate's performance in his 7 years of coaching is still good. More importantly, he solved a very critical problem and laid a hope for the future of the England team. Seed.
One of the best coaches in British history
In the 2016 European Cup, England was defeated by Iceland in the 1/8 finals. It was almost a shameful gesture to bid farewell to the European Cup, amidst the "storm" of anger across the UK. , Southgate took over as a firefighter. Unexpectedly, this rescue would last seven years.
102 games, 64 wins and 20 draws, with a winning rate of 62.7%. This result ranks second in the entire history of English coaching. The first place is Capello, who only coached 44 games. In terms of competition results, Southgate and England have experienced 4 competitions together, one quarter-final, one semi-final, and two runner-up medals. This result is only inferior to that of the champion coach Elf Ramsey in the 1960s, who led England to win the only major trophy in history.
FA CEO Mark Bullingham mentioned in Southgate's resignation statement that Southgate has won more in these years than in the previous fifty years. Judging from the results, Southgate can continue to coach, but football is not just a game of statistics after all. Fans need to see championships and the England team playing beautiful scenes. This may be the reason why Southgate left. the real reason.
Fluctuating between genius and mediocrity
The end of the 2021 European Cup was perhaps the most painful day for Southgate. In the final, he was one goal ahead and chose a squatting tactic. All the players who were replaced in the penalty shootout lost points. , for a time Nanmen was labeled as "mediocre".
In this tournament, South Gate continued its mediocre performance at the beginning. The two mediocre draws in the group stage and the decisive draw against Slovakia in the 1/8 finals all made England fans shake their heads. But in terms of substitutions, Southgate is like a genius. The players Palmer, Ivan Toney, and Watkins have all made extraordinary achievements after coming on the field. Some people attribute this phenomenon to "hard luck". "It may be luck once or twice, but if it succeeds repeatedly, there must be an inherent reason. Just like when replacing a big center, Slovakia chooses Toni to hit the header when facing the intensive defense, and chooses to use Toni when facing the tall and powerful Netherlands. Watkins walked on the ground, which is enough to show Southgate's skills in on-the-spot dispatching.
From the 4 defenders at the start to the 3 central defenders in the final, from Alexander-Arnold to Menu, Southgate has been working hard to adjust the lineup. He has worked hard to win the European Cup, but the scene is still dull. Perhaps as Lineker said: "England needs innovation and an offensive head coach."
The most important thing left to England is
In the doubts of the outside world, England has "nine sons to win the throne" phenomenon, implying that there may be discord in the team. In fact, in this cup, the England team showed an amazing sense of team honor. This is the most precious treasure Southgate left to England.
Captain Kane mentioned Southgate's name when he expressed regret after losing the championship: "It's a pity that I couldn't bring a championship trophy to Southgate." Former main defender Maguire said goodbye to Southgate. Gate also said: "You make us believe again and the memories will last forever."This is enough to show that Southgate was very popular during his coaching period. Although he did not win the championship, the England team worked together to ensure the stability of the team. This is also the lower limit that they have been able to maintain in the past four major competitions. Reason.
The England team has a tradition of internal strife. A former Manchester United star once revealed: "The reason why England's golden generation failed was that players from different Premier League clubs could not coexist. "
Southgate attaches great importance to communication issues. According to the "Competition" report, after taking office, Southgate delivered a speech entitled "Moment of Change" at St. George's Park. The main purpose was to strengthen communication and let the players write together. History.
has coached Southgate in England since U21. He has witnessed the growth of a generation of English people and taught them the importance of unity. Although he is leaving now, the seeds of unity may have been planted. Next, as he mentioned in the last sentence of his farewell letter: "I hope the England players can inspire this fertile ground and bring the entire country together. "
