Sven-Goran Eriksson tells Gareth Southgate to carry on as England boss ‘for at least another two years’ with the FA wanting a quick answer on his future after World Cup heartbreak… as Swede says a foreign successor ‘will always be criticised’
Gareth Southgate should remain England manager ‘for at least two more years’ despite the team’s World Cup quarter-final exit, according to Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Southgate, who has been in the job since 2016 and has guided England to a World Cup semi-final and a European Championship final, is considering whether to stay on.
The Football Association will ask Southgate, who is taking a break with family after returning from Qatar, to make a quick decision with the first Euro 2024 qualifiers taking place in March.
Gareth Southgate is considering his future as England manager after the World Cup exit
Southgate consoles Harry Kane after his agonising penalty miss against France last weekend
Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel are two potential successors if Southgate steps down and the FA decide to appoint a foreign manager.
Swede Eriksson, who was the first overseas manager of the Three Lions, has urged Southgate, 52, to carry on.
‘This England squad was very strong, you had a very good balance of youth and experience,’ he told betting blog OLBG.
‘But some of the old players can’t wait long enough until the next World Cup because of their age, so I can understand if people want to see a new manager in charge.
‘The quarter-finals is not good enough for the FA and the England supporters.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has called on Southgate to carry on in the job
Eriksson took England to three tournaments, exiting at the quarter-final stage every time
‘There is still resistance to appointing a foreign manager for England, so I don’t know what they are going to do. I would keep Gareth Southgate for at least two more years.
‘Gareth will have a big decision on his hands, he will feel if the FA and, most importantly, the players are behind him.
‘If you don’t have the backing of the players then it’s a very difficult situation.
‘Normally you have two or four-year contracts with England. The manager gets to spend a lot less time with the players because he does not see them as often. Whoever comes in will need to create something special.
‘England will always want an English manager in charge, it’s in their blood. We foreign managers who have been in that job always were criticised for not being English.
England boss Gareth Southgate will be asked to make a quick decision on his future by the FA
The FA have no succession plans in place and a shortage of credible English candidates, with Eddie Howe and Graham Potter (pictured) committed to Newcastle and Chelsea respectively
‘If I was the FA, my No 1 priority would be the keep Southgate because I don’t know what English manager would be available to take over.’
Eddie Howe and Graham Potter would be the leading English candidates to take the job but they are employed at Newcastle and Chelsea respectively.
Southgate’s contract runs until after the 2024 European Championship, for which qualifying begins with a tough away game in Italy in March.
He will discuss his future with senior England players after his Christmas break although most of them have already publicly made clear they want him to continue.
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