It's fair to say, the England manager's job is one of the most criticised positions in world football. Gareth Southgate has held the position for eight years now so is no stranger to the day-to-day scrutiny that comes with the job.
Former England captain Paul Ince has also experienced criticism during his time in management but is first to acknowledge that his former teammate deserves credit especially for the recent change in formation, Ince exclusively told Ladbrokes 1-2-Free:
I think you've got to give a lot of credit to Southy [Gareth Southgate]... whether he fell on the idea of playing three at the back against Switzerland, I don't know. I'm not sure whether or not it was by design, but he matched them in the quarter-finals, and performances improved as a result. So, credit to Southy for changing the system, because we're now looking forward to a Euros final as a result.
Much speculation will surround England's starting line-up against Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday. However, Didi Hamann isn't anticipating changes to Gareth Southgate's team. pic.twitter.com/hizjnCTKC9
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 10, 2024
Having spent the majority of his playing career at the highest level including winning two premier league titles with Manchester United, Ince knows Sunday's final is all about getting over the line
You don't want to rely on luck, but at the end of the day I don't care how we win it, whether we win it by outplaying Spain, or getting lucky, or getting the right decisions, we just want to win it now... we really do.
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World Cup 2026
With Southgate's future as England manager still unclear, the possibility of him leading this side to a World Cup in 2026 following their 2nd consecutive European final is looking more likely and Ince feels strongly about the possibility
Maybe he'll want to step down and take a break, but if they win it on Sunday, I think he'd be a fool not to take this squad to America in a couple of years from now. When you look at the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice... these guys are only going to get better. Why would you not want to challenge yourself as a manager of that squad on the biggest stage at the World Cup?
A clinical finish from Ollie Watkins sent England to the final of Euro 2024, but Did Hamann believes the Netherlands could have defended the chance better. #NEDENG #Euro2024
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📱 UPDATES https://t.co/yT3G5igtKa pic.twitter.com/jieebdmi2h— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 10, 2024
Only time will tell who will be in charge ahead of the next World Cup but it feels like Sunday's result will have a huge impact on the FA's decision.
