‘Gareth Southgate is a good loser… the mentality has to change’: Former England captain Tony Adams is fed up of Three Lions being ‘plucky losers’ and need a ‘serial winner in the camp’ if they are going to finally lift a trophy
- Southgate is considering his future following England’s World Cup exit
- The FA are desperate for him to remain in charge for the Euro 2024 campaign
- Adams claims a change of mentality is required to turn England into winners
Former England captain Tony Adams has branded Gareth Southgate a ‘good loser’ after calling for a change of mentality to turn the Three Lions into winners.
Southgate is considering his future following the team’s heartbreaking World Cup exit at the hands of France on Saturday and is taking a period of reflection during which he will speak to those closest to him before making a final decision.
The FA are desperate for Southgate, the country’s best performing manager since Sir Alf Ramsey, to remain in charge for the Euro 2024 campaign and will make clear they want him to stay during talks, which will be led by FA technical director John McDermott, in the coming weeks.
Former captain Tony Adams (R) says England boss Gareth Southgate (L) is a ‘good loser’
But Adams said it was a time for a change to turn England into winners.
Adams wrote in The Sun: ‘I’m fed up with us being plucky losers.
‘After we lost to France all the talk was: “Well done England, jolly good defeat, keep your heads high.
‘This is the mentality we have to change.
Southgate is considering his future following the team’s heartbreaking World Cup exit
‘They’re all nice people in the England camp. Gareth Southgate’s lovely, Stevie Holland is wonderful, Chris Powell is a beautiful man.
‘But they need an experienced, serial winner around the place.
‘Gareth doesn’t lack courage, he has tremendous courage. But he’s a good loser. It’s hard to say that but it’s the truth.’
The 52-year-old has been in charge of England since 2016, after he took over from Sam Allardyce when the former Bolton and West Ham boss resigned after just one game in charge.
The FA are desperate for Southgate to remain in charge for the Euro 2024 campaign
Since then, Southgate has won 51 of his 81 games in the hot seat, and overseen three positive tournament experiences.
He guided England to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, the final of Euro 2020 and the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
England’s exit on Saturday has largely been met with pride, with the general consensus from fans being a desire for Southgate to stick around.
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