July 18th 2024.
During Euro 2024, Gary Neville had a feeling that Gareth Southgate would be stepping down as the manager of the England men's team. In a recent revelation, Neville shared the moment when he knew Southgate's resignation was imminent. Just two days before the official announcement, England suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Spain in the European Championship final in Berlin. This was the second consecutive Euro final loss for England, after their defeat to Italy at Euro 2020.
Despite the lack of major trophies, Southgate's eight-year tenure as England manager saw the team make deep runs in two World Cups, reaching the semi-finals in 2018 and the quarter-finals in 2022. Neville believes that England fans should be grateful for the job Southgate did, but also acknowledges that it was the right time for him to step down. In his newsletter, The Overlap, Neville wrote, "It is the right time to go. When I heard him say during the tournament that it was an 'unusual environment', I thought his time was up."
Neville, who has been involved in 12 major tournaments as a player, coach, and pundit, sensed that things were not quite right within the team. He noticed that Southgate and the players were getting involved in the negative media coverage, something that he had not seen before. As an experienced member of the football community, Neville was able to pick up on the underlying issues that may have contributed to Southgate's decision to step down.
One of the main challenges for Southgate was managing the egos within the team. Neville believes that this squad has more big personalities than any other Southgate has previously managed, and it would require a lot of energy to harness their best form. He also mentions the possibility of issues behind the scenes that may have played a role in Southgate's decision.
Despite these challenges, Neville believes that Southgate has done an incredible job and has left a lasting legacy for the team. He credits Southgate for not only steadying the ship but also taking England into deeper waters. Addressing the criticism that Southgate is the reason why England has not won a tournament, Neville argues that the team would not have even made it to the finals without him.
With Southgate's resignation, the search for a new England manager has begun. Eddie Howe, the current Newcastle United boss, and former Chelsea manager Graham Potter are said to be the frontrunners for the job. Southgate's 100th game in charge of England was during the recent Euros, and he resigned from the job with a heavy heart. "As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for England and to manage England," Southgate said in his resignation statement. "But it's time for change and for a new chapter."
As the football community looks back on Southgate's time as England manager, Neville believes that he has done much more than just steady the ship. He has turned the team around and brought them to new heights. While there may be those who continue to criticize Southgate, Neville reminds them that without him, England would not have even been in the finals.
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