‘I am absolutely convinced Gareth SHOULD carry on until 2024, but I’m NOT convinced he will’: Gary Neville reiterates support for Southgate to stay on as England manager… but fears he may resign after painful World Cup exit
Gary Neville is ‘convinced’ Gareth Southgate should remain as England boss amid continued speculation about the 52-year-old’s involvement with the national side, but does not feel certain that he will stay on.
Southgate said he needed time to ‘think’ after England’s World Cup elimination in the quarter-final against France, and will talk things over with The FA.
The former Manchester United defender compared the situation to when Terry Venables quit the England hot seat after guiding them to the Euro 1996 semi-finals.
Gareth Southgate has refused to commit to the England manager’s role after World Cup exit
Gary Neville is convinced Southgate should stay on as boss, but is not certain that he will do so
When asked if he was certain Southgate would stay on, Neville told ITV1: ‘Not as convinced as I was, just because he’s said he wants to have chat with the FA. He could have put it to bed.
‘I am absolutely convinced he should carry on. We had 57% possession against France on really fine margins, I think we played really well. We lost a really good manager in Terry Venables after ’96 and went down hill from there.
‘I am absolutely convinced Gareth should carry on until 2024, but I’m not convinced he will.’
Neville compared the situation to when Terry Venables stepped down after Euro 1996 defeat
Southgate led England to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020, but may not stick around for another major tournament after disappointment against France.
It has led to widespread speculation about whether he should remain in the top job, who could replace him, and whether nationality is a key component of a successor.
Ex-England boss Fabio Capello said Southgate must remain as England manager for Euro 2024.
Southgate has been backed by his own players, as well as ex-England gaffer Fabio Capello
The debate has begun about who could fill Southgate’s shoes, with Sportmail reporters putting forward names including Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel and Brendan Rodgers.
Meanwhile Jamie Carragher is one of several pundits to come under fire for wild claims that The FA cannot consider a foreign prospect for England manager, despite prior success under Sven Goran Eriksson, and the international names tipped as possible successors to the Southgate crown.
The next major competition is the European Championships which is being held across Germany in 2024. The qualifying process for that tournament begins with England’s next matches, as they face Italy and Ukraine in their group.
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