THE ENGLAND BOSS’ DEFINING MOMENT
Tom Ball
Perhaps a man who has managed a World Cup Semi-Final would be no stranger to games like the one on Tuesday afternoon. However, England v Germany comes with an added pressure. A type of pressure only Gareth Southgate may have felt before.
Southgate had faced the fierce rivals twice before, two friendlies in 2017, which only produced one Lukas Podolski goal and another goalless stalemate. However, that was before the World Cup and in the infancy of Southgate's reign as boss. Four years on, and Southgate is preparing to face a German side in a major tournament for the first time since his famous penalty miss in a shootout loss in EURO 96 just 25 years ago, an omen, perhaps?
Despite Southgate experiencing the rare moment of a World Cup Semi-Final, Tuesday's match will undoubtedly define him. Despite being an avid defender of the England Boss, it would be naive to say that this game shouldn't be the most critical judgment call. Many believe that the World Cup run fell in his lap with a favourable draw, and we fell when we first faced a truly elite challenge. In the job over 4 years now, Southgate has cultivated a relationship with Captain and Vice-Captain Harry Kane and Jordan Henderson. Furthermore, he has created a buzzing and enlivened environment for these players to operate in. It's time for that work to pay off.
Compared to 2018, the squad is more talented, technical, deeper and more experienced in key areas. We are facing an old foe in Germany that have lost their stardust. Joachim Low has had a tumultuous three years since their dramatic World Cup exit. The axing of three veteran players in Muller, Hummels and Boateng, but then welcoming their reintroduction and a situation involving Mesut Ozil reared some ugly heads. This isn't Germany that we know and fear. It's a vulnerable and nervous Germany.
I would like to proclaim a "no excuses" attitude, but tournament football can throw up anything, as the last few days have taught us. However, Southgate has had the best part of five years to build a team that can and should be at the very top of the international game. His World Cup exploits got the nation dreaming again, yet they were in his job's adolescence. The exit of teams like the Netherlands and France has presented an unrivalled, extraordinary opportunity for Gareth and his men in the last few days. An oppurtunity that can only be taken with a win on Tuesday afternoon.
The FA has been searching for a manager to win England games like this. The Three Lions have a scarred history of falling short when having to rise to a challenger of this magnitude. If the rumours about Southgate already being offered a new contract that will take him beyond the Next World Cup are true, losing this game will raise questions about the FA's thought process. When Mark Bullingham and his team watch the team train and observe the talent their grassroots system has graduated, why should we settle for just 'giving it a go' in these games? The semi-final in 2018 was a game that ended in the country being proud of the coaching staff and players. However, defeat on Tuesday, under the Wembley Arch, with the players' opportunity in front of them, would undoubtedly be a major disappointment.
I am reluctant to feed into the cynicism I have previously scolded over. I have a massive belief that England can and should win on Tuesday, yet I cannot look past the discourse around this game. Southgate is still yet convinced much of the England fanbase. The somewhat less inspiring group stage performances have fed into this. A tournament exit in this context would evermore baffle the England fanbase if it was swiftly followed by a contract extension. It is mere lunacy for the FA to decide on Southgate's future in the lead up to a Round of 16 match against Germany. Whether those decisions are positive or not, Southgate is yet to prove any ability to win games of this magnitude. Croatia was a great team that may have been underestimated, but the weight and importance that comes with a knockout match against Die Mannschaft is a whole different level. Something much of this squad is not used to but Gareth Southgate is.
Therefore, this is the team selection, preparation and execution that will define Gareth Southgate as England boss. The FA certainly believe he is the man to move forward with. Then this game is his to seize. We cannot settle for pride like we did 3 years ago. We must expect victory. It would be counterintuitive to not. However, the question remains, do the FA agree with that sentiment?