The English Football Association (FA) hopes that Gareth Southgate will continue as national coach after the elimination at the World Cup in Qatar. Former international and analyst Rio Ferdinand supports the FA’s request, but is critical of Southgate after the defeat against France.
England lost to France in the quarter-final on Saturday, after which Southgate indicated that he would talk to the English federation about his future. The English media now write that the FA sees no reason to say goodbye to Southgate now. The former England international has been at the helm of the national team since September 2016 and has a contract until the end of 2024. The European Championship will be in Germany in a year and a half.
The former defender for Leeds United and Manchester United among others. Ferdinand also sees no reason to say goodbye to Southgate. But does look back critically at the role of his former fellow international during the game against France. “With his substitutions, Gareth let us down,” said Ferdinand in his own show on YouTube Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE.
Southgate brought in Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling immediately after Olivier Giroud’s 1-2 and Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish came into the team in the closing minutes. Ferdinand thinks Southgate should have switched ‘proactively’ and not ‘reactively’. “Until the game against France he was actually doing perfectly, but in a game like that every decision matters. In terms of tactical changes, Southgate fell short,” said 81-time international Ferdinand.
“When we got to 1-1, I thought: we’ve got them now, bring in new forces and keep going. He had Rashford and Grealish up his sleeve. But they only came in at a moment when I thought: it’s too late man. Southgate should have brought them in when we controlled the game,” the former defender suggested.
Interestingly and perhaps shockingly, Tuchel is the name suggested to replace Southgate. If the Englishman does step down from his role.
