After a riveting World Cup final, England have been crowned champions! Of fair play...
The Three Lions were awarded the prestigious honour by FIFA after Argentina 's dramatic victory over France on Sunday at the Lusail Stadium. As Lionel Messi 's dream came true, the English squad watched from home after crashing out at the quarter-final stage.
But at least there's a tiny consolation prize for Gareth Southgate and co; the fact they finished the tournament with the best disciplinary record. England tallied a mere one yellow card throughout their five-game run in Qatar, and it came in the dying embers.
Harry Maguire 's elbow on France star Antoine Griezmann saw him receive a booking in the 90th minute of their quarter-final defeat, as the Three Lions agonisingly lost 2-1. In the comfortable wins against Iran, Wales and Senegal, Southgate's side kept their discipline, just as they also managed to in their frustrating 0-0 draw with the United States.
So much so, England have been told that they need to be meaner and swap fair play awards for trophies of real significance. While Roy Keane claimed on ITV after the final that the Three Lions are "too nice," ex- Premier League manager Neil Warnock has suggested that the Three Lions dressing room would benefit from having a younger version of himself in there to add a competitive edge.
"I don't mean that being funny but someone that's gonna raise their fist a bit and get a bit of passion in the dressing room," Warnock vowed to talkSPORT. "I don't see that, They're all nice people and when you get competitive it's [an extra] 10 per cent, that's all we need.
"We've got the best young lads I've ever seen in my lifetime. So he's got to look now and it might not be another player to bring in. I think he's got to bring another member of staff in to shake it up."
Gary Neville appears to agree with Keane and Warnock's stance, saying: "We can't applaud teams for getting too many yellow cards but one does seem a little bit too nice." Meanwhile, Ian Wright praised the Three Lions' approach. "We just didn't get booked. What's that got to do with us losing?" the Arsenal legend asked. "We just didn't get booked, I think it's a good thing."
Unfortunately for critics, there'll be no change in the dugout until after the European Championships in 2024. The Football Association confirmed on Sunday morning that Southgate will stay on as boss after the 52-year-old spent a week pondering his future. "We are delighted to confirm that Gareth Southgate is continuing as England manager, and will lead our Euro 2024 campaign," a statement read. "Gareth and [assistant] Steve Holland have always had our full support, and our planning for the Euros starts now."
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham praised Southgate and co's efforts throughout the World Cup, which promised so much but ultimately ended in disappointment. "Like all England fans we feel the pain of losing a quarter-final, along with the coaches, players and support team who are hurting this morning," Bullingham declared the day after the Three Lions' exit.
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"Gareth and Steve prepared the team exceptionally well throughout the tournament. The players were committed to winning the trophy and were very well led by Harry Kane. But sport can have fine margins and on the day, against the current world champions, it was not to be.
"This is a very exciting young English squad and, despite the intense disappointment of last night, they should be very proud of their performances in Qatar. We are incredibly proud of Gareth, the players, the coaches and the support team and appreciate all the hard work they put in."
