Three years ago, the 53-year-old led the team to the EC final. There was a loss against Italy after a penalty kick.
Although England’s star-studded side may not have impressed many in this year’s tournament, they will face the Netherlands in a semi-final on Wednesday night.
The experts are divided in their opinion about the future of the coach of the national team if they lose.
Butchery
Disagreement
Just a day before the championship began, Southgate indicated that he is considering retirement if England do not win.
– It could be the last chance, he told the German Bild.
However, Viaplay expert Lars Tjærnås believes Southgate will continue – even if the team does not reach the top.
– He can well argue that the semi-final is a perfectly acceptable result, even if there is not much excitement about the game. And he knows that the tribe in the team is quite young, and from that point of view he is certainly tempted to be involved longer, Tjærnås writes in an e-mail to Dagbladet.
READY FOR PAGE STAGES: England progressed to the semi-finals after beating Switzerland on penalties. Photo: AP Photo / Martin Meissner / NTB
Sea view
TV 2 football expert Erik Thorstvedt, on the other hand, believes Southgate will give up if England lose the semi-final against the Netherlands tomorrow.
– He has done a great job. He raised the national team and its performance in relation to what they have done in the tournament, Thorstvedt tells Dagbladet.
– But if they pull out tomorrow, it will be reinforced, so I think it will go away.
The mention of Gareth Southgate in the European Football Championship has not gone down well with supporters.
Sea view
– Going for an Englishman
If England have to find a new national team manager after the championships, Tjærnås believes they need to define what they need in a manager first, before deciding who will take over.
– It is about everything from leadership in confrontation, the ability to deal with pressure, media management, the ability to choose, to assemble the right team, and style of play. So there can be many names, but they have to do it in the right order.
Sharing happy news
Thorsvedt predicts that they will seek out an Englishman.
– There aren’t that many names that you immediately think of. Then maybe Graham Potter is available, he says and continues:
– Otherwise, it is becoming more common to see U23 or U21. That they use people from their own system. Spain, for example, has done it.
Admit it is tough
After the third pool match against Slovenia, empty beer cups were thrown at the England coach.
– I don’t think it’s normal for someone to throw cups of beer at you. I can’t deny that it hurts when it gets as personal as it did,” Southgate said, according to the BBC.
Slovakia ahead of England.
Sea view
The 53-year-old admits that the criticism from journalists and supporters is sometimes harsh.
– We will continue to enjoy this trip. If I’m not going to enjoy this moment, then everything is just a waste of time. Sometimes this job is a joy.
The semi-final in Dortmund will start at 21:00. The game can be seen on TV 2. The final will be played on Sunday.