Job security is a luxury most of those who work in sports are not able to enjoy.
Unless you’re Gareth Southgate.
According to English FA chief executive Martin Glenn, his manager has a job no matter what happens in Russia during the 2018 World Cup.
“We have a long-term plan. You’ve seen some of the fruits of it,” Glenn said according to a number of English media outlets.
But Glenn admitted things can change, and public perception can often put pressure on an otherwise fluid process.
“Long-term plans are hard to defend when the short-term results go against you. He’s not looking at Russia as a free pass. The World Cup’s a really important staging post for our development, I think. We go out there wanting to win it but also being realistic. No-one wants to have a bad World Cup but we’re confident he’s the right guy to take us through for the next few tournaments.”
Glenn’s reference to “the next few tournaments” likely includes the World Cup, plus Euro 2020. He looked to other European powers as a model.
“We’re going to do it in a way that’s sustainable,” Glenn said. “We know that worked for the Germans and we know that worked for the Spanish, so we’re just repeating things they’ve done with our own emphasis on it.”