England manager Gareth Southgate is in trouble ahead of his renewal. Southgate led England to Euro 2024 runner-up but suffered criticism throughout the tournament. According to British media, his term is until December this year. The English Football Association (FA) prepared for Plan B by looking for candidates for successors.
British media 'Guardian' reported on the 16th (Korea Standard Time) that Eddie Howe (Newcastle), Graham Potter (former Chelsea), and Thomas Tuchel (former Bayern Munich) were on the list of candidates for the next head coach. The first priority is a second term in Southgate, but all possibilities should be left open. Southgate has yet to give the FA an answer.
Southgate is England's best performing leader in nearly 30 years. England's best performance since the 1966 World Cup was in the semifinals of the 1990 World Cup in Italy. I've never even been to the Euro final. Southgate was appointed in 2016. He led the team to the semifinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the runner-up in Euro 2020, the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and the runner-up in Euro 2024. It is the third round of the semifinals, including two finals, in four major tournaments.
However, the fans' greed is endless. Why can't we win the championship. In particular, this Euro 2024 went too far. In the third round of the group qualifying round, the crowd threw a beer cup at Southgate. Experts such as Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer took it for granted to use players and criticize tactics, and even Southgate's words were caught and fell. The tabloid 'The Sun' even took issue with the outfit, saying that the winning rate varies depending on Southgate's outfit.
Nevertheless, it has brought undeniable results of advancing to the semi-finals of the World Cup in a row to the final of the Euro. For the FA, a managerial change is an adventure. The Guardian hopes Southgate will stay and lead the team until the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America. Southgate received a lot of criticism from fans and pundits during the tournament. It's not surprising if he leaves the manager's post. He looked tired at times. Southgate said he would make a decision in a few days.'
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The most likely candidate to replace Southgate is Howe Newcastle. He is the FA's preferred coach and has also proved his leadership by advancing Newcastle to the Champions League. However, the fact that he is an incumbent manager at Newcastle and the difference in salary are obstacles. The Guardian reported 'Southgate's annual salary is 5 million pounds (about 9 billion won), the lowest in the Premier League. We also need to persuade the Newcastle board and fan base who support Howe' Howe's annual salary is reported to be 6 million pounds (about 10.7 billion won).
Foreign directors are also subject to consideration. The Guardian pointed out that England, which has not won in 58 years, has not ruled out foreign coaches. England's last foreign head coach is Italian Fabio Capello, who took the helm from 2007 to 2012. If you turn to foreigners, Tuchel is the number one. The Guardian wrote that 'Tuchel is an independent after leaving Bayern Munich. Tuchel is tactically brilliant and enjoys life in England. Mauricio Pochettino, who led Tottenham and Chelsea, has a great resume but doesn't feel right from the background. The Guardian pointed out that "Pochettino, an Argentine, must ponder how it will be accepted by his compatriots to take charge of the UK." Argentina and Britain are deeply troubled by the 1982 Falklands War.
