Football is a game of opinions despite, or perhaps because of, there being so much that is unknown. Why does a manager pick a player or take them off? Why does a team spring forward in one half but retreat in another? Why does someone who misplaced a simple pass just moments before find the top corner in the next?
During England’s run to the final the debate over Gareth Southgate and his performance as manager has not stopped for a second. Most opinions, understandably, have been formed by what the eye can see. But what distant observers can never truly know or understand is what Southgate has done best, and that is managing the psychological side of the game.
