England manager Gareth Southgate might be a divisive figure among the fanbase, but the support for him within the walls of the Football Association remains high.
Old foe Germany awaits EnglandSouthgate’so 2020 Round-of-16. Beyond that, there is an opportunity for the Three Lions to reach the final, courtesy of them being drawn in the “easier” side of the knockout stage draw. Despite England’s achievements over the last Euro and World Cup cycle, Southgate doesn’t enjoy unanimous support.
According to Guardian, over 2,000 fans took to Twitter to voice their concerns ahead of the tournament, and many others have since joined in the criticism, especially after England’s draw against Scotland. However, the FA have been so impressed by the job he has done that a potential contract extension is on the agenda.
“He knows that we think he’s doing a great job. We would love him to carry on, for sure, beyond this contract. Our support is unwavering, we are 100% behind Gareth. We’ll get into that formal conversation after this tournament. But if you ask me now I’d say yes we’d like him to carry on.”
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said.
Southgate took over the England job on an interim basis, following the sacking of Sam Allardyce. The former Three Lions player enjoyed public support during his team’s semi-final run during the World Cup 2018 in Russia. England beat Colombia and Sweden in the knockout stages that summer before ultimately losing to Croatia in the semis. They then lost the third-place play-off to Belgium but, regardless, achieved their best finish in the competition in decades.
Should England beat Germany in their next match, they will face either Ukraine or Sweden in the quarter-finals of the Euro. Meanwhile, one of the Netherlands, Wales, Denmark, or the Czech Republic could potentially be waiting for the Three Lions in the semis.
