There have been no obvious signs of ego clashes in the England camp — though we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, and this has indeed been an issue for earlier generations. One way to suppress power battles within the ranks is for the manager to maintain an iron grip. Ferguson adopted a dictatorial approach at his club, regarding it as essential to achieve a position of comprehensive control. That, though, is close to the opposite of Southgate’s management philosophy, which is based on communication, empathy and empowerment.
His style has unquestionably been successful up to now, evidenced not only by England’s tournament results but by the apparent freedom and fluency with which the team has played (at least some of the time) during his tenure. It is this elan that’s now gone missing. Some contend that Southgate’s naturally cautious tactics are unsuited to the riches that he now has at his disposal. With players of this caliber, England should be more ambitious, goes the argument, aiming to sweep opponents aside rather than trying to protect a lead as soon as it goes one goal ahead.
If you think tactics are the problem, Britain’s sporting press has you covered. There’s almost no permutation that hasn’t had an airing in the blanket coverage of England’s failings: Drop Kane; build the team around Kane; play Bellingham further back alongside Declan Rice; drop Bellingham; play Foden in the center; drop Foden; play Palmer on the right and Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon on the left; play Saka as a left wing-back; drop Saka. And so on.
Perhaps the biggest issue isn’t tactics or an excess of talent, but something simpler: the burden of expectations. England’s loss of cohesiveness and energy is the recurrence of an age-old problem. The 1966 World Cup win and the country’s status as the birthplace of the modern game gave English supporters the unrealistic view that the national team would always be a contender for tournament glory. This was a lot of weight for successive generations of footballers to carry. In the cliche of the sporting pages, “the shirt hangs heavy.”
Southgate’s great achievement was to liberate England from this mindset. But six years of relative success and the flood of talent that now adorns the squad have raised hopes once again — and with it, the psychological burden on the players. An intriguing 2018 study in the Academy of Management Journal found that when tennis players with high external performance expectations encounter early setbacks, they may be less likely to persist than those with low expectations. The shirt doesn’t hang heavy only on footballers.
The study doesn’t offer a solution, so this armchair pundit will: Care less. Have more fun. Football careers are short, and the high points pass quickly, so don’t waste time worrying. England is still in the tournament, and the team may yet click. It’s all still to play for.