Gareth Southgate Quits – So Who Should I Back To Be Next England Manager?

No England manager has taken the Three Lions closer to winning a major trophy since Sir Alf Ramsey than Gareth Southgate. However, after losing to Spain 2-1 in the final of Euro 2024, his second defeat in the European Championship Final, Southgate has fallen on his sword.

His resignation was not unexpected. Despite the best record since Alf Ramsey’s 1966 World Cup Winners, Southgate’s tactical approach, starting in the final of Euro 2020, had alienated many England fans and pundits alike. 

The last straw was England’s defeat at the Euro 2024 Final. Despite reaching the Final, England rarely played well in the tournament and Southgate’s tactics and his reluctance to change players and formation, finally saw him undone. 

Barely had the announcement been made by the now ex-England boss, than the odds on who will step up to replace him began to take shape on sites like bet365 Sport.

BET365 BONUS CODE

BET247

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

Bet365 Review   ⊕ Min Deposit: £5    ⊕ Expiry: 30 days    ⊕ Min Odds: 1/5 (1.20) 

Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. The bonus code BET247 can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way. Registration Required.
WILLIAM HILL PROMO CODE

TOP30

Bet £10 and Get £30 In Free Bets

William Hill Review » ⊕ Min £10/€10/$10 stake    ⊕ Expiry: 30 days    ⊕ Min Odds: 1.5

18+. New customers using Promo code TOP30 only, Min £10/€10/$10 stake, min odds 1.5, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15/$15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is settled, payment method/player/country restrictions apply.
GG POKER BONUS CODE

NEW BONUS

DEPOSIT £10 GET £60 FREE PLAY

GG Poker Review »  ⊕ Min Deposit: £10    ⊕ Limited period    ⊕ $1 for ever $ in Rake

18+ GGPoker’s game currency is USD ($), other currencies such as GBP (£) are only used for illustrative purposes. Welcome Bonus and Honeymoon promotion for new players only over a limited period. Welcome Bonus only available to new players that make an initial deposit. Minimum deposit is $10/£10. £60 Free Play offer made up of $52.50 in free All-In Or Fold SNG tickets from Welcome Bonus and $2.50 in free tickets from Daily Freebie. Free tickets automatically credited to eligible players’ accounts over a 6 period. A 100% matched deposit bonus worth a maximum of $600 can be claimed by players selecting ‘Match Bonus’ when making their first deposit(s) over a limited period. Bonus cash is released at a rate of $1 for every $5 paid in net rake/tournament fees.

Before we take a look at some of the contenders for the post, what was it that finally saw Gareth Southgate compelled to resign as England manager?

Let’s examine the positives and negatives of his tenure as manager.

Gareth Southgate – The History

Gareth Southgate

England fans should realise the immense change for the positive that Gareth Southgate has overseen. When he took over as manager, England were at a nadir. They had been eliminated from Euro 2016 by Iceland seeing Roy Hodgson lose his job and his replacement Sam Allardyce lasted one game before his contracted was terminated. 

That came after Allardyce was secretly recorded by the Daily Telegraph explaining how to circumvent FA Rules on third-party ownership, as well as mocking former manager Hodgson and criticising the F.A’s development of Wembley.

Southgate, then manager of the U21 team, stood in for Allardyce temporarily initially but then was awarded the position full-time. 

Having led England to the 2018 World Cup Finals, where his team were not expected to do well, he confounded critics leading England to the semi-final against Croatia. Despite taking a 1-0 lead in that game, England foundered against the Croats, who won 2-1 in extra time. 

YouTube video

Despite that missed opportunity, Southgate was lauded by fans and another qualifying campaign was successfully negotiated, this time for the Covid-delayed Euro 2020. In between, England finished third in the inaugural Nations League competition. 

At Euro 2020, aided by a run of knockout games at Wembley Stadium, England reached the final. There against Italy, they once again took the lead, before sitting back, leading to an inevitable Italy equaliser and a loss on penalties to the Italians. 

An inexperienced England reached the World Cup Quarterfinals in 2022, eliminated 2-1 by France after Harry Kane missed a late penalty. The ignominy of relegation from Nations League A followed after a dismal campaign against Hungary, Italy and Germany. 

Then after qualifying for the Euro 2024 finals, England dithered their way through the tournament and fortuitously reached the final, where they were deservedly beaten by Spain. 

Two days later, Gareth Southgate handed in his resignation after 8 years, 102 games, two Euro Finals, and a World Cup semi-final. 

Gareth Southgate – The Positives

Gareth Southgate
Image by Coombesy from Pixabay
  • He has restored a unified team spirit within the England camp, something that was clearly lacking from the late 1990s onwards. 
  • Southgate also brought through several outstanding stars from the Youth and U21 teams to bolster his squad at the right time. 
  • He has improved England’s record in penalty shootouts. 
  • He has won more knockout phase games at major finals than any other England manager.
  • His record is second only to Sir Alf Ramsey. 
  • He restored fans faith in the team after the debacles in 2016, although that had started to wane following the Euro 2020 Final against Italy. 

Gareth Southgate – The Negatives

  • Despite promising only to pick players in form, regardless of their reputation, Gareth Southgate clearly had ‘favourites’ who were picked in the squad even when their form did not warrant it. 
  • Southgate’s tactics became gradually more and more defensive throughout his tenure, alienating fans who wanted to see this crop of exciting England attacking talent given a chance to thrive. 
  • Certain players were overlooked by Gareth Southgate despite excellent club form and never really given a fair chance with England. That included the likes of James Maddison, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney.
  • Tactically, Southgate’s caution first approach never brought the best out of England’s main strengths, their attacking players. This led to many close games against teams that on paper England should have beaten easily and defeats against teams that many fans felt England should have beaten. 
  • His inflexibility with tactics and players infuriated fans and punters, especially at Euro 2024
  • He was unable to get the best out of some of England’s most talented players such as Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.
YouTube video

Who Will Replace Gareth Southgate?

A look at the list of names set to battle it out to replace Gareth Southgate is interesting. Let’s take a look at each, their current odds with bet365 Sport and whether or not they would be a good choice as manager.

  • Graham Potter – 3.50

A tough spell at Chelsea hasn’t dimmed Graham Potter’s supporters belief that he could be a great option for the next England manager. He has experience abroad, taking Ostersunds into Europe and then was outstanding managing Swansea and then Brighton in the Premier League. Would be an attractive option as he is currently unemployed and would be able to take the role immediately.

  • Eddie Howe – 3.50

Eddie Howe is probably the most impressive English manager in the Premier League. Having spearheaded Bournemouth’s charge through the divisions, he took over at Newcastle and has overseen their new Saudi-backed era well, returning Champions League to the club last season and reaching a League Cup Final. The question is, would he want to leave the Newcastle project for the England role?

  • Lee Carsley – 3.75

Having led England U21’s to their first Euro U21 Championship in July 2023, Carsley was wanted by the Republic of Ireland as their new manager earlier this year. He declined that role to stay with England U21’s. The FA are known to be a keen admirer, but his lack of managerial experience at the highest level is a very big mark against him. 

Some of the more interesting outsiders for the job include:

  • Jurgen Klopp – 11.00

The ex-Liverpool boss would be many fans choice given his ‘gegenpresse’ style of football and attacking outlook. He has the charisma and talent for the role, however having just left Liverpool for a break from football, he would find the England job like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The Germany job in a year or two’s time is a more likely prospect. 

  • Mauricio Pochettino – 12.00

The former Chelsea boss struggled in the first two thirds of last season, but saw his team improve markedly over the final third, but not enough to save his job. He is well-travelled with spells as manager with Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, Paris St. Germain and Chelsea on his resume. However, he has had many critics from his time with Chelsea. 

  • Thomas Tuchel – 19.00

Few managers boast as CV as impressive as Tuchel who has managed Borussia Dortmund, Paris St. Germain, Chelsea and most recently Bayern Munich. A master tactician, he would likely bring about an entirely new way of playing for the English team. However, a mixed time at Chelsea and recently with Bayern may count against him. 

Who Will The FA Appoint Compared To Who They Should Appoint?

The FA will likely appoint either Howe or Potter to replace Gareth Southgate. I think they will sound out both about the position and see what Howe’s reaction is. If he is committed to Newcastle, then I’d be backing Graham Potter to win the job. 

Carsley is too inexperienced as a manager at the top level, Klopp, Pochettino and Tuchel would be intriguing but all have plenty of reasons why they would not want the role, even if offered it. 

However, the man the FA should get if England want to win is obvious. And he is odds of 26.00 on the current bet365 list of options.

That is Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola

Would City want to lose him? No. Would Guardiola take the job? Probably not, but it would signal the FA had at least the right intentions to appoint the right man for the role. 

Ian John is a seasoned sports writer and UK gambling expert with over a decade of experience at Bonus Code Poker. For the past 10 years, he has been providing readers with insightful analysis and expert opinions on sports betting and poker.

Important Disclosure

#AD – Bonus Code Poker is an affiliate of the brands we promote throughout this site. While we strive to maintain accuracy throughout our content, we do receive compensation for this promotion.
UEFA

Bet365 bonus codes and no deposit poker bonus for UK players. Learn about Bet365 Free Bets, Bet365 Bet Builder+, or the Bet365 live streaming schedule where bet365 players can watch tons of sports action for free. Check out the most popular Bet365 Bet Types with in depth explanations on how you can make these bets on the Bet365 online sportsbook. How Bet365 compares versus top online gambling sites including a Ladbrokes vs bet365 comparison.

Bonus Code Poker

Bet365 Bonus Code, Sports, Casino and Poker Sign up offers and News - All contents are © 2024  Bonus Code Poker

18+ Worried about your gambling?    Gamcare
When the fun stops – STOP!