Mueez Ajao
– England manager Gareth Southgate says he is “conflicted” about his future, having “found large parts of the last 18 months difficult”.
– Southgate’s side were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup on Saturday, losing 2-1 to France in the quarter-finals.
– Afterwards, he said he would “review and reflect” before deciding whether to carry on in the role.
Also Read: England stars react to World Cup exit
– “I don’t want to be four, five months down the line thinking I’ve made the wrong call,” added the 52-year-old.
– “It’s too important for everybody to get that wrong.”
– Southgate, who was appointed in October 2016, led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and a first European Championship final in 2021.
– He has won six knockout games in major tournaments as Three Lions boss – the same number as England won in the 48 years before he took charge.
– However, England went into the Qatar World Cup on the back of relegation from their Uefa Nations League group after three defeats and three draws.
– One of those losses was a 4-0 defeat by Hungary in June at Molineux, during which England fans chanted at the manager: “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
– “I’ve found large parts of the last 18 months difficult,” said Southgate, who has a contract until December 2024.
– “For everything that I’ve loved about the last few weeks, I still have how things have been for 18 months – what’s been said and what’s been written, the night at Wolves.
– “There are lots of things in my head that are really conflicted at the moment, so what I want to make sure, if it’s the right thing to stay, is that I’ve definitely got the energy to do that.”
– Southgate has won 49 of his 81 games in charge of England, with Saturday’s loss to France being his 14th. His win rate of 60.49% ranks him fourth among England managers.
– His side suffered a 2-1 defeat by Croatia in the last four of the 2018 World Cup in Russia after leading 1-0, and England were beaten on penalties by Italy in the Euro 2020 final, after also leading that match through an early Luke Shaw goal.
– “When I’ve been through the past few tournaments, my emotions have been difficult to really think through properly in those following few weeks,” added Southgate.
– “It took so much energy out of you and you have so much going through your mind.
– “I want to make the right decision either way because it has to be the right one to go again, or the right one not to go again – and I don’t think tonight is the time to make a decision like that.
– “Neither are the next few days really.”
– In the aftermath of England’s World Cup exit, Southgate’s players backed their manager with midfielder Declan Rice saying he hoped he continued in the job.
– “I really hope he stays because the core group that we’ve got, and what he’s made for us, it’s so special to be a part of,” said Rice.
– “I love playing under him and I love playing for England.”
– Centre-back Harry Maguire said Southgate had been “amazing”,
