Gareth Southgate is “dubious” about the imminent prospect of an independent regulator for English football, claiming: “It’s another VAR waiting to happen.”
As he prepares for England’s final Euro 2024 qualifiers, at home to Malta and in North Macedonia, Southgate was happy to play a straight bat to questions about the prospective 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, VAR and even the terms of his contract with the FA. But when it came to the topic of the regulator, with legislation confirmed in the king’s speech last week, he couldn’t help himself.
“If I’m honest I don’t really know what the remit is,” Southgate said. “That’s the bit I haven’t read or haven’t seen or maybe isn’t there. I know the FA have supported the idea of some sort of financial controls but I’m not sure what’s expected of the position and who is this person and what their experiences are.
“It would worry me that we’re trying to find simple solutions to very complex problems. Which is often the way in life. I haven’t read through it all because I’m … dubious that we can solve all the issues. For me, it’s another VAR waiting to happen.”
Since taking charge in 2016 (his first match a 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Friday’s Wembley opponents, Malta), Southgate’s reputation as a manager who is both thoughtful and principled has consistently grown. But his views on the regulator are a reminder that his opinions are his own and aren’t always in tune with popular sentiment.
Another issue on which Southgate is happy to buck what might be the opinion of a number of fans is the style and approach of his side. The Three Lions are never far away from being urged to “take the handbrake off” their football, but the public perception of a safety-first side is not something Southgate shares as he begins the final preparations for a European Championship in Germany next summer that England are looking to win.
“We want the fans to come to Wembley to see goals and exciting performances – and we’ve had some good nights. We will keep trying to do that,” he said. “Without a doubt, that’s how we want to play. We were top-scorers-per-game at the World Cup and we’ve been top scorers in qualifying for the two previous tournaments.”
Southgate says that changing perceptions of English football, showing that the country could compete with the most technical and assertive nations, has long been a personal motivation. “That was one of the reasons I joined the FA 10 years ago to work with the under-21s. We felt we wanted to do that,” he said. “We have achieved [a change in perception] throughout the rest of Europe because when I travel I realise that’s how people now see us. We haven’t achieved that so much with our own public at times! But it’s interesting to see how we are viewed elsewhere.”
The recent evidence is certainly in Southgate’s favour, with England on a tear since the World Cup in Qatar, a tepid 1-1 draw away with Ukraine excepted. Victories over the European champions, Italy, have been the highlight, but there has also been a shift in tactics that has emphasised England’s attacking approach; namely, the addition of a No 10 to the team.
Asked whether this was a natural progression as England look to become a team that can win international trophies, or the product of having a generational talent in Jude Bellingham (and a more than capable alternative in James Maddison), Southgate said it was “a bit of both”.
For a club side, he said: “You can recruit players to fit a model of how you want to play. At international level, you’ve got to get the best out of the best players that you have available. As new players emerge, you are looking at the best way of getting a Bellingham or a Harry Kane into the team, and what the balance of the team is behind that, because you can’t just have seven or eight attacking players.
“Clearly our preference now is to go with a back four because we have got these attacking players. We can play with a 10 or two 8s and that opens itself up to different players within that group. If we are playing with a 10, at the moment Jude and James are at the head of that pile. They do it differently, they have different attributes and both might be key to unlocking a different type of game or different type of opponent.”
Maddison has been forced to withdraw from the latest England squad as a result of the ankle injury he sustained playing for Tottenham against Chelsea on Monday. The injury is a blow for the player who was in a rich vein of form but it seems unlikely to change his status as a valued member of the England squad, after years of being a fringe player. “We’ve enjoyed working with him,” Southgate said. “He’s very coachable. He’s settled really well with his chance of club. He has got that belief that is important at this level as well.”
There was another setback for Southgate on Saturday night, with Carlo Ancelotti, the Real Madrid manager, saying that while Bellingham would travel to be assessed by England’s medical team, it was unlikely the 20-year-old would be fit to play.
Southgate will also be without Newcastle’s Callum Wilson, who suffered a hamstring injury against Borussia Dortmund. Eddie Howe, speaking after his side lost at Bournemouth, said: “Callum won’t travel with England. He’s going to be out for a number of weeks.”
