Critics Suggest Iconic Premier League Manager as Replacement
Pressure is mounting on England manager Gareth Southgate, with calls for his dismissal before the Round of 16 clash at Euro 2024 on Sunday. One prominent critic even suggests an iconic Premier League manager should take over.
England’s performance against Slovenia on Tuesday night was lackluster, lacking energy, creativity, and drive. Despite the draw being enough to secure top spot in Group C, it was only because Denmark failed to beat Serbia. Southgate made just one change for the Slovenia match, replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold with Conor Gallagher in midfield. Gallagher was substituted at halftime, and three games into the tournament, Southgate still seems unsure about his ideal midfield pairing with Declan Rice.
As group winners, England will face one of the teams advancing by finishing third in their group, with possible opponents including the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Belgium.
Ahead of the Round of 16 match at 5 pm on Sunday, beIN Sports anchor Richard Keys has urged England to sack Southgate. Keys believes that keeping Southgate will almost certainly lead to England’s elimination. When asked by Dutch legend Ruud Gullit if England should fire Southgate, Keys responded, “I’m so depressed, I thought that was so miserable once again tonight. I’m at a point whereby if I were able to make that decision, yes, I probably would [sack Southgate] because we are going nowhere double quick. We’re here to win it, that, what I’ve seen tonight, that’s not winning the next game, let alone the tournament.”
Keys also suggested iconic English manager Harry Redknapp as a potential replacement. “Harry Redknapp’s sat in Dubai tonight, give him a call,” Keys added. “[Jurgen] Klopp won’t do it but Harry, you think he wouldn’t be on a plane tomorrow morning?”
A few England fans were seen throwing empty beer cups at Southgate when he approached the stands to thank them for their support. Southgate is aware of the scrutiny on his position and suggested the focus on him is better than on his players. However, he admitted that the growing discontent among fans is affecting the team. “I understand the narrative towards me and that’s better for the team than it being towards them,” Southgate said post-match. “But it is creating an unusual environment to operate in. I’ve not seen any other team qualify and receive similar. I understand it, I’m not going to back away from it, but I’m very proud of the players for how they’re operating within it.”
In a separate interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Southgate added, “I was not going to back away from going over to thank people for coming and giving the support that they did, but I know that this is causing an issue for the group. I can deal with that but I need them to support the players.”
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