NEW YORK — The great hope, freely shared by England’s departing manager at the time, was that the Gareth Southgate era would be the start of something not the end. In the aftermath of this major tournament exit, in these circumstances, that is a fanciful notion. Something has been lost and it has been replaced by bitterness.
The fear now is not that England will lose finals, as they did twice under Southgate, but that they won’t reach them again. This World Cup opened up: none of DR Congo, Mexico, Norway were ranked in the world’s top 15. England had a lead against Argentina and the match exactly where they wanted it. Now less than nothing.
Southgate was not perfect nor nowhere near it, although I would broadly describe myself as a badge-carrying apologist. This is old ground. Thomas Tuchel climbed aboard the same train, speaking (in slightly patronising fashion) about how England lost to Spain in 2024 through a fear to win and attack. Lesson learned, gotcha.
England may have lacked belief because they had never scaled the mountain before. But Southgate never made substitutions that were a complete abdication of duty. Even if England were retreating a little naturally, Tuchel rubberstamped the strategy. This is his failure.
