Former England defender Danny Mills believes it is a coin-flip whether Gareth Southgate resigns his post following the Three Lions’ quarter-final exit in Qatar.
"I’ve spoken with Gareth, and I know he doesn’t have any regrets about the way that the players played. About how the team approached things. About how the management and coaching staff did things.
"But I know it’s a genuine 50/50 as to whether he stays on or walks away because of the scrutiny you come under as England manager. Unless you win the tournament, you get hammered. Absolutely hammered and that’s not right."
Now a respected pundit, Mills is adamant as to what he thinks would be the right decision.
🏴 Gareth Southgate's position as England manager is up in the air after Saturday's defeat to France.
— 888sport (@888sport) December 12, 2022
✍️ @SamRCox_ pens his thoughts on the England boss but is he #SouthgateIn or #SouthgateOut?https://t.co/IWrqsgDR5E
"I think he should stay, and most football people realise the job that he’s done. Most sensible people want him to stay on and see this England side into the next Euros. I think he’s earned that right.
"You look at the performance against France in the second half – we out-played them. We were the better team. We lost because Kane missed a penalty. That’s what it all comes down to."
That England’s departure was the result of such fine margins will no doubt prove to be a consolation in due course, but presently the defeat to France feels like another in a long line of heart-breaking near-misses in a major competition, one to join a catalogue of last eight and semi-final losses that crushed our dreams just as we were starting to believe that football was coming home.
Mills however has played in one such game – a quarter-final defeat to Brazil in 2002 – and his comparison between then and now is both illuminating and heartening.
"In 2002 we were very disappointing in the second half against ten men. We never had a shot on target. We came out of that game thinking we could have done a little bit more.
"I don’t think there is too much more this England side could have done. Kane had a one-on-one. Saka missed a great opportunity, when it fizzed across the box. Lloris made a magnificent save from Bellingham.
"We had more shots than France and created more chances. We played on the front foot. Realistically, what more could they have done during that game? They didn’t get the rub of the green with decisions from the referee.
"Against Brazil, we were disappointing even if they were a great side. Iceland (at the Euros in 2016) was unbelievably disappointing. Against Germany in Bloemfontein, disappointing. Lots of under-par performances. This wasn’t one."
Rather than demanding the traditional post-mortem Mills, who made 19 appearances for his country, instead insists there are plenty of reasons to be upbeat from England’s displays in the Middle-East.
"Defensively England looked solid. I don’t remember John Stones putting a foot wrong in this tournament. In midfield there was real balance to it, with a nice blend in there of Rice and Bellingham.
"Bellingham obviously is a huge positive. He's an exceptional talent and as he matures, he will get even better.
"If you imagine all of the talent and energy that he’s got, then throw in the experience of Jordan Henderson on top of that, a player he will have learned an abundance off in Qatar."
There’s more too.
"The way that Saka bounced back after the Euros and the horrific abuse that he took. Marcus Rashford coming back into form and looking like he’s got renewed vigour. Harry Maguire showing such resilience."
On Maguire, the 45-year-old is full of admiration for a widely-maligned player who many didn’t even want included in the squad.
"I always knew Gareth was going to involve him, and most likely play him. Gareth believes in him. But all credit must go to Harry Maguire. It’s unbelievable resilience. The criticism he’s come under has been horrific at times. It’s been way over the top.
"There is a bit of a Roy Keane effect in there, because when Roy Keane speaks about Manchester United it’s like God speaking. He has such an influence because he was so successful, but the criticism has been overly harsh at times.
"To come through that, to be under that kind of pressure; knowing that one mistake and he will be absolutely vilified.
"His performance levels were superb, and he should go back to Manchester United now, puff his chest out and say, ‘That’s what I can offer you’.
Erik ten Hag knows how important Harry Maguire can be 💪 pic.twitter.com/yHKjhGszNZ
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) December 13, 2022
"If Ten Hag doesn’t want to play him, I think there will be a lot of teams who would take him. Without a shadow of a doubt."
Mention of the defender’s imminent return to domestic duties brings us to the forthcoming resumption of Premier League action, and the possibility of England stars coming back deflated and out-of-sorts.
Mills admits it will be a difficult adjustment ‘playing away at Nottingham Forest’ so soon after participating on the biggest stage of them all, while for one player in particular a World Cup hangover may take an awfully long time to clear.
"Harry Kane will want to score very, very quickly, and I’m pretty sure he will want to take a penalty. Of course, he will take a penalty. But that miss will live with him for his whole life.
"He might never miss another penalty, but he will remember that moment for the rest of his life. He will take that to his grave with him. And it may well haunt him."
Elsewhere in Qatar meanwhile, an injury suffered by a Brazilian forward could yet have a defining impact on this season’s title race.
"Jesus is a real problem for Arsenal because he’s been integral to how good they’ve been. He’s out for three months but that could easily be four months. Generally with knee problems they last that little bit longer.
"I’ve always thought it’s going to be Man City anyway and I think they will come good at some point, with the strength in depth that they have.
"The desire from City to win three in a row, and do what Manchester United did, will be a huge driving force to winning the title."
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 15th December 2022
