Failure is simply not allowed: Gareth Southgate must finally win a prize with England at the European Championship

They duck across the Channel in shame when you ask how many prizes they have on their list of achievements. Just one: the 1966 World Cup, 58 years ago and in our own country. Okay, finals then, to keep them talking. But also here: in addition to that World Cup final, exactly one. The European Championship 2021 was lost to Italy on penalties. Even in your own country.

English football, in all its arrogance as the founding fathers of football in the last century, has lagged behind for years. Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa,… they won the European Cup for national champions, precursor of the Champions League, right? What else could the professors from the continent notice? Nuance: Northern Irish, Scots, Irish, Welsh,… usually played in crucial positions at those clubs.

England have top players they haven’t had for years. Not so much at the same time, anyway. They are called the ‘golden generation’.

Star players

Only with the exponential growth of the Premier League and the introduction of foreign owners, trainers and players has England really started to pay attention to youth training, professional player guidance and balanced training. The English national team is doing well.

It ensures that all those English talents no longer misbehave en masse, à la Paul Gascoigne. There are still incidents, but much fewer than before. In England people now speak of ‘the golden generation’, a term that also brings back memories for us. Because the pool of talent that England has always been is now paying off. At least, at their clubs. Kyle Walker, John Stones, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane,… these are top players that England have not had for years. Not so much at the same time, anyway. That is why The Three Lions are quite rightly, together with France, the big favorites for the upcoming European Championship in Germany.

A must

If England has been the favorite in its own country for more than a hundred years, even with much less talent, you can imagine what things are like now. National coach Gareth Southgate must become European champion. Not only with an accent on the letter e, but also with three exclamation marks after it.

The 53-year-old former defender of Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough earns almost 6 million euros per year. That is at least six times more than our Domenico Tedesco. But after eight years in office, he finally has to win something.

Extremely disappointing

That the pressure is great was already apparent after the defeat in Saturday’s practice match against Brazil: 0-1, the first defeat in fifteen months. Could happen against one of the top countries in the world. Especially if the aforementioned stars Saka and Kane were not there and Walker was injured. However, it is immediately said here that it is ‘extremely disappointing’ and that the rinse after the stars is very thin. You don’t have to be a clairvoyant on whose head all that negativity will ultimately end up. Despite all the attacking talent, Southgate still continues to emphasize defensively. That will be no different tonight because of his star ensemble he can only field Stones, Rice, Foden and perhaps Bellingham.

“The public understands that and also sees that important players are missing”

Gareth Southgate

England coach

“With the absence of Trippier, Walker and Maguire we lack a lot of experience,” said an extremely calm Southgate at his press conference on Monday, where not a word was said about Belgium. “The public understands that and also sees that important players are missing. We’re working towards something, you know.”

It is expected that Southgate will say goodbye after the upcoming final tournament, to give his successor all the time to prepare for the World Cup. But if it were up to the English Football Association, the national coach would extend his expiring contract. Still, it’s best to wait and see how things go at the European Championships.