Gary Lineker gives verdict on Gareth Southgate with…

Gary Lineker gives verdict on Gareth Southgate with Pep Guardiola comparison

Gary Lineker was adamant that Gareth Southgate should remain as England manager moving forward - using Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as an example to argue his point of view.

The Three Lions were knocked out of the 2022 World Cup after losing 2-1 to France in the quarter-finals last Saturday, but it has since been confirmed that Southgate will remain as manager and will lead the Euro 2024 campaign.

Southgate, who has 18 months left on his contract with the FA, had admitted that he needed time to consider whether or not he should stay on. However, a tweet from an FA spokesperson on Sunday (December 18) confirmed that the 52-year-old would be continuing in his role.

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Prior to the announcement, Lineker had backed the 52-year-old to remain in charge, using Guardiola's struggles with City in the Champions League as an argument for Southgate staying.

"I do hope Gareth stays, I think it's right that the decision is down to him," he told BBC Sport in Qatar. "He's done a really good job and you've got to consider where we were a few years ago. Everyone thinks it's an easy job and everyone would think, 'I'd have played him and not him, and I'd have brought him on earlier and not him' and it's very easy in hindsight.

"I think Gareth has done a really good job. The only thing about him you would say [is] perhaps sometimes he's not really changed things in a game, dramatically, when it's not going well.

"It's very easy to be judgemental but World Cups are not leagues. A league you get the best team always wins. In a World Cup it's a knockout. Take Manchester City, probably the best club side in the world, but they haven't won the Champions League. And they haven't won it under Pep Guardiola who's the best coach in the world.

"Now no one would say, 'Well, let's get Pep out because we haven't won the Champions League' that would be madness. We haven't won the World Cup but we're going in the right direction. England are playing really good, attractive football with lots of exciting young players. Why would you mess with it now?"

City came close to winning the Champions League under Guardiola in 2021, but ultimately lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the final, with Kai Havertz scoring the only goal of the game in the first-half. However, the Spanish coach has won the competition on two occasions in his career - both of which came as Barcelona manager.

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