England coach targeted by former football stars

As England play their quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday, manager Gareth Southgate and his tactical choices are being heavily criticised by former players who have become media consultants.

The United Kingdom has just parted ways with an unpopular prime minister, Rishi Sunak. But there is one man who is now even more criticized in the country: Gareth Southgate, the manager of the England football team.

The English are certainly still in the running for the Euro: they play against Switzerland on Saturday 6 July, in the quarter-finals. But their play annoys a good part of the country. No one across the Channel seems to believe in a final victory. With players like Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, the English supporters imagined fireworks. They are watching sluggish matches with an uninspired team. But it is not the players who are being blamed, it is Southgate. He is considered timid, clumsy in his tactical choices. For the round of 16, painfully won against Slovakia, we have read or heard here that he “destroyed” England’s chances, that he “ruined” the country’s hopes.

Gareth Southgate is especially criticized by a caste that is extremely feared and powerful in England: former players turned consultants. In his podcast, former football star Gary Lineker said about the players in the round of 16 that they are “like lost souls. I’m sure they were told what to do but did they understand it? ? They play in a style that is foreign to them because most of them play high pressing, with dynamic football based on short passes. We have not seen any of that.”

“I think they don’t really know what they’re supposed to do, what their task is, or how the team should play.”

Gary Lineker

about english footballers at the euro

These former players are on the BBC, ITV, TNT, and even on American channels like CBS, since there is no language barrier. They also sign columns in the biggest British newspapers. Their names are Alan Shearer, Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand… Former footballing glories who have become intractable “pundits” (commentators). Gary Lineker, a footballing genius turned TV star, is undoubtedly the most powerful of them. His status goes beyond that of a consultant, since he presents his own shows. He is the highest earner at the BBC, 1.6 million euros per year. Conservative governments wanted to silence him because on social networks, he sometimes criticized their decisions, contravening the BBC charter. But he won his showdown with the channel and with elected officials, he does what he wants.

Gary Neville has also taken political positions in the past, sometimes even on Skysport. Some imagine him as Mayor of Manchester one day. He is omnipresent in the media.
England have not won a title since the 1966 World Cup. They are growing impatient and are angry with the coach, who will probably hand over after this competition. Harry Kane, the current England captain, nevertheless points out that all these very critical former players have never won a single international trophy.