After a 67-day and one-match experiment with Sam Allardyce by the Football Association, 53-year-old Southgate was given the permanent position in November 2016.
Allardyce had taken over for Roy Hodgson, who had quit after England’s humiliating last-16 loss to Iceland in the French Euros.
Since then, Southgate has led England to the final of Euro 2020 and the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.
When England lands and makes its way to their headquarters at Blankenhain, there are plenty of reasons for optimism.
Along with instilling a sense of well-being in the England team, Southgate has also created a sense of goodwill toward the team and himself from the outside, allowing players to enjoy representing their country without feeling burdened by the shirt and expectations.
In fact, Southgate’s rule has produced enough narratives for a Dear England West End Theatre performance; the only issue is that this drama doesn’t have a happy conclusion, either on stage or in the game.
