Gareth Southgate has been outspoken about the state of England’s men’s national team, and furthermore has claimed he didn’t want the gig.
Yet it seems the crowd who think he’s the right man for the job is growing at a steady pace, with an impressive list of names attached.
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Consider that both Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger think he would be a fine hire. Henderson is the vice captain of England, and Wenger has been hinted as a long-term solution for England.
Both say, Southgate. From the BBC:Wenger said Southgate “has accumulated experiences and is a good observer of what’s going on in the national team.”
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“There’s always a demand for big names but the most important thing is the person’s competency. He has a good opportunity and I’m happy he has a chance to show he has the quality.”
As for Henderson:
“The manager has been brilliant. The players have got on really well with him this week,” said Henderson, 26.
“We need to put in the performances, not just for ourselves, but the fans and him and the coaching staff as well to make sure we keep working together for a long time.”
England could do far worse than a man who has worked with many of England’s senior players when they were U-20 and U-21 starlets. With the Three Lions on track to win a very winnable World Cup qualifying group. With the team for the 2018 tourney looking like far from a world class squad, England might want to risk it on a man who knows the players well.
At the very least, Southgate may jump to the front of the line for domestic club jobs.
