How classy Gareth Southgate turned England

GARETH SOUTHGATE won nothing but changed everything.

The decision for him to resign is the correct one but Southgate leaves a legacy which will hugely benefit his successor.

So how will he be viewed in history? It might be kinder in a few years’ time.

At the moment, there is still so much frustration at the way it all ended in Berlin.

Yet Southgate is second only to Sir Alf Ramsey in terms of overall success and no other manager gets close.

To get to two major finals — one on foreign soil for the first time — was a huge achievement.

So was the overhaul of a dysfunctional football team which had just lost to Iceland at Euro 2016.

The players were so paranoid they even refused to tell us in France who was the best at playing table tennis.

That deluded group of individuals thought everyone was against them — and they weren’t.

Southgate changed all that with a far more grown-up approach.

He encouraged the players to tell their own story, to express themselves, and he got rid of a siege mentality that did not need to exist.

Former manager Fabio Capello used to moan that the England team played with fear.

Under Southgate, players loved pulling on that white shirt.

There were no more cliques, no more egos and no more pulling out of squads with dubious injuries which then cleared up by the next Prem game.

Southgate created a club atmosphere within the England team and now you only have to look at the pictures each time the players greet each other at St George’s Park.

They are all mates, pulling together in the same direction, as it should be.

Southgate had a reputation for sticking with his favourites — even though Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart, Jack Wilshere, Chris Smalling and Dele Alli were all dumped by him.

Jack Grealish, James Maddison,  Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire all missed out on the Euro 2024 squad.

Smiling-assassin Southgate was certainly not afraid to make a big decision.

In some cases, fans and pundits think the written media have been too soft on him.

The reason other managers were given a harder time was because England were bloody awful at major tournaments and were considered a joke around the globe — particularly at the 2014 World Cup after finishing bottom of their group.

It is also worth remembering that England failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

And the team included Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and Gary Neville.

Yet despite having to field international rookies Marc Guehi and Kobbie Mainoo due to injuries, Southgate was getting pelters after reaching the final.

Admittedly, Southgate did not get the best out of the team at Euro 2024.

In Germany, he selected an unbalanced squad, failed to make changes during games quickly enough and paid the price for starting Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Kieran Trippier when they were not 100 per cent fit.

But, even though Southgate came under fire from all quarters, he put on his tin hat and dragged England to the final.

Yet the criticism he received throughout Euro 2024 — and a lot of it was really nasty — clearly upset him.

It will have played a part in his decision to quit yesterday. He was clearly annoyed with the digs from all pundits, not just Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

He was also deeply upset to have beer thrown at him by fans.

After changing the culture and overall results over eight years with England, Southgate was stunned to have found so much hatred thrown in his direction by fans.

He felt he deserved better. And he was right.

As a patriotic Englishman, to be ridiculed on social media will have been absolutely gut-wrenching for him.

Regardless of the result on Sunday, I think Southgate would have left because of all the s**t he was getting.

There is no doubt that Southgate let some colossal, history-making opportunities slip through his fingers.

But football is all about fine margins.

Had Hart not delivered a 10/10 performance in a World Cup qualifier at Slovenia in October 2016, England would not have escaped with a goalless draw.

And Southgate would not have got the job full-time.

While leading Croatia 1-0 in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, England would surely have got to the final had Harry Kane squared the ball to Raheem Sterling.

At Euro 2020, in the final against Italy, there were the three penalty misses from England players.

Had Kane not missed his penalty in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final against France at 2-1 down, it may have been different.

Hugo Lloris said recently that England would have won easily in extra-time because the French were knackered.

And then this year, there were more fine margins, Jude Bellingham rescuing England with his 95th- minute equaliser against Slovakia, a win over Switzerland on penalties.

In the final, Spain’s winner was marginally onside and then England wasted chances right at the end.

Where Southgate ends up will be intriguing.

The 53-year-old feels he has done enough to get a big job but most fans at Premier League clubs will groan if he is appointed at theirs.

It needs someone with large cojones to make a huge decision.

If the season starts disastrously for Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, which it probably will, United could be looking for a manager in October.

The sporting director at United is Dan Ashworth, who knows Southgate well from their time together at the FA.

Although it would not be a popular decision, it would not be a surprise if Ashworth called his former colleague.

But for now, Southgate just needs a break.

He has been a class act and he leaves with his head held high.

England just fell short with him in charge. There’s no denying that.

But let’s hope Southgate will still get the respect he deserves and is remembered as the man who did, indeed, change everything.