It was all going so well for Gareth Southgate.
A semi-final and final in his first two major tournaments as England boss undoubtedly make him one of the Three Lions' most successful managers, breeding a new culture that had the country swept up and right behind him. But after the events of Sunday, July 11, 2021, it's turned rather sour for the national darling.
While the record suggests that World Cup qualification was another breeze for England, a messy 1-1 draw with Poland in Warsaw last September before Hungary, against the odds, earned themselves a gritty point at Wembley raised eyebrows. Of course, Southgate had enough credit in the bank for those results to effectively be forgotten about by fans - especially after the four successive wins that followed, during which his side scored a whopping 20 goals and conceded just one.
But this summer, 12 months on from the Three Lions' spectacular run to the European Championship final, the pressure gauge snapped into motion. A humiliating 1-0 loss in Budapest got England off to the world possible start in their Nations League group - and it would only get worse.
A 1-1 draw with Germany won't go down as a bad result in the history books, but England produced another limp performance in Munich and supporters quickly realised that the feel-good factor was fading into frustation. The mood only soured with a stalemate at home to Italy four days later, and it'd plummet to rock bottom when Hungary came to Molineux and pulled off a historic 4-0 thrashing.
Calls for Southgate to get the chop rapidly ensued, with only two more matches between the whimpering display in Wolverhampton and the World Cup, where the Three Lions' campaign begins against Iran on Monday, November 21. Since June, the 52-year-old has been plotting to bounce back and will name his penultimate squad next Thursday - but he's got a plenty of headaches.
Starting from the back, the trusty Jordan Pickford has had his place as England's No.1. goalkeeper secure for the past five years. Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, news broke on Wednesday that a thigh injury is expected to rule him out of this month's clashes with Italy and Germany, as England look to avoid relegation from the Nations League top tier.
While it's an opportunity for Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale or Dean Henderson to impress, it's unlikely Southgate will deviate from having Pickford between the posts in Qatar should he be fit. That in itself presents an issue, as Southgate can't fully trial his ideal starting XI this month due to the Everton stopper's absence.
Speaking of those not playing, Southgate's defensive unit is currently rudderless. Harry Maguire, who's form for England has hardly ever been questioned since breaking into the team, is firmly on the bench at Manchester United, dropped for the first time since signing in 2019 by new boss Erik ten Hag.
Teammate Luke Shaw joins him on the sidelines at Old Trafford, while a number of others in the rearguard are out of form and are equally cause for concern. Tyrone Mings has been stripped of the captaincy at Aston Villa and John Stones still hasn't fully convinced Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Even Trent Alexander-Arnold, who fans have berated Southgate for not playing in recent years, looks a shadow of his former self.
It's a similar story in midfield, where injuries are the overwhelming worry. Jordan Henderson may not be Southgate's favourite, but his experience and impact from the bench was vital during the Euros and 2018 World Cup. The Liverpool captain is currently ruled out of action, as is Kalvin Phillips for Man City, England's reigning Player of the Year.
Mason Mount - who'll soon have a new manager at Chelsea - hasn't registered a single goal or assist so far this season, boasting the same blank record as £100m City star Jack Grealish and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen. Even Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, who many would claim to be the Three Lions' two brightest young stars, haven't exactly started the Premier League campaign on fire.
There are, of course, a smattering of positives for Southgate embrace. Harry Kane already has five goals in six Premier League games, Raheem Sterling has settled well at Chelsea, and even Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho's resurgent form for Manchester United gives them a strong chance of making Southgate's 26-man squad in November, much like Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier.
The England boss flew out to Italy over the weekend to watch Tammy Abraham turn out for Roma. While a 4-0 loss to Udinese won't have done much for the former Chelsea striker's case, it's a sign that Southgate is willing to select players from outside of the Premier League, with Jude Bellingham nailed on for a place on the plane to Qatar and Fikayo Tomori more than deserving of a ticket.
Get involved! How should England line up in Qatar? Let us know your starting XI in the comments section.
The debate will rage on as to whether Southgate is the right man for the job, but it's an almost pointless conversation right now given the timing of this year's World Cup. Southgate has two months to rekindle England's spirit and produce another superb tournament campaign, aiming to go one better than the headache of last July and winning the whole thing.
Amid the growing frustration from fans and increasing pressure on his position, the FA are continuing to back their trusted coach, who had a contract until 2024. But as we've season before, a major tournament collapse can bring down even the best of international managers. For the nation's sake, let's hope Southgate responds to the critics in style.
