Alan Shearer believes Gareth Southgate should remain as England manager for Euro 2024. France became the latest nation to dump the Three Lions out of a major tournament with a 2-1 win on Saturday.
Leading into the World Cup, there were calls from a section of supporters to sack Southgate - England’s most successful manager since Sir Alf Ramsey. A quarter-final finish was viewed by pundits as the bare minimum in Qatar as a meeting with reigning champions France appeared inevitable.
Southgate earned a contract extension until 2024 after guiding the Three Lions to a European final last summer. Despite coming within a penalty shoot-out of ending the 56-year silverware curse, critics still called for his head due to a poor Nations League campaign.
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A mediocre World Cup campaign has amplified those doubters, causing Southgate to signal a period of “reflection” on his future. Former teammate and Newcastle United legend Shearer has backed Southgate to fight on.
“I have no doubt at all that Gareth Southgate should stay on as England manager to take us to the 2024 European Championship,” he told the BBC. “I know he hasn’t delivered the trophy we wanted in Qatar, but we have to look at the bigger picture.
“Not only about how we have played at this tournament but also the progress we have made during his six years in charge. We were a shambles when Southgate took over in 2016 and it felt like we were going nowhere.
“We had been a laughing stock under Roy Hodgson at the Euros earlier that year and then had to contend with the embarrassment of Sam Allardyce’s exit when it had felt like things could not get any worse. Compare that to where we are now, after the amazing experiences we have had at three major tournaments with Southgate, and it is probably why losing to France hurts so much.”
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