Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton believes Gareth Southgate should have resigned by now after another missed opportunity for England at the World Cup in Qatar.
England bowed out in the quarter-finals after a 2-1 defeat to holders France in which they can consider themselves the better side over the course of the 90 minutes, and would have sent the game to extra-time if not for Harry Kane’s missed penalty.
It marked a third tournament in charge of the Three Lions for Gareth Southgate in which they have reached the semi-finals, final and now last eight, but failed to get across the line with a deeply talented squad. Before the tournament Barton said that this World Cup would mark “the end of the cycle” for Southgate and foresaw an exit at the hands of France on the rationale that England would be unable to beat a genuinely elite team.
Southgate, the first manager since Sir Alf Ramsey to take England into a major final and who possesses the fourth highest win percentage in the history of the national team, is under contract until the conclusion of the European Championships in 2024 but has said he needs time to assess whether another two years in the job is right for him, the FA and his family.
In Barton’s opinion, that decision should already have been made as he tweeted: “Can’t believe Southgate hasn’t resigned yet. That’s two World Cups and a home European Championship we could/should have won.
"Stop rewarding failure. Got to go. Time to hire somebody who can win. Pizza Hut advert years ago. Enough said.”
The “Pizza Hut advert” is in reference to the infamous advert Southgate starred in alongside fellow former England internationals Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle as they lampooned their penalty misses at previous tournaments. Southgate saw his decisive spot-kick in the semi-finals of Euro 96 against Germany saved.
When tweeted a picture of the 52-year-old’s record in 2023, Barton replied: “Exactly Harry. Time for him to move on. You have to win. He’s a nice guy but he isn’t a winner.
“When he put Pizza Box on his head after missing the pen, he was done with. No self respecting man would ever do that. Sorry. He’s had his time. Move him on.”
In the wake of the defeat to France, Barton has also criticised the decision to substitute Phil Foden: “Good, bad and indifferent players are defined by what they do under the most intense pressure in the World’s biggest tournaments. Got to show some balls.
“I’ll never understand the Phil Foden sub. Big chance to win a World Cup gone. Gutted. Too many nice guys.”
Barton celebrated 100 games in charge of Rovers with a 1-0 win over Port Vale on Saturday, with the Gas 12th in League One having secured promotion in May. The 40-year-old continues to grow and enhance his coaching reputation in north Bristol with Barton being clear that he wants to one day work as a coach in the Premier League.
Gashead Sam Dyson tweeted the message, “hopefully you’re not interested in the job, Joey? Have to get to the Championship first” to which Barton - who earned one England cap, in a friendly against Spain in 2007, and by his own admission has experienced a challenging relationship with the FA down the years, for a variety of reasons - joked: “More chance of Vladimir Putin getting it than me…”
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