England were suffering. Gareth Southgate thought they were suffering for their success. Unlike those who went before them, the Southgate generation has never really tasted unpopularity and underachievement. Until a manager who had taken England agonisingly close to their second major tournament had secured a historic first, their inaugural relegation from the Nations League. Until they were losing to Germany and for a man as integral to pivotal moments in the history of the England team as Southgate, perhaps it had to be Germany in what might be his Wembley farewell as his country’s manager.
Did the boos beckon? We may never know for certain but the previous two matches suggest so. But if this might yet be a tale of the rise and fall of Southgate, it was interrupted by signs he still commands his players’ confidence, that he, and they, can orchestrate a turnaround. In coming from 2-0 down, in drawing 3-3 with Germany, Southgate sensed a winning blend of character and quality that means more when it is demonstrated in difficult times.
