Rarely has a manager faced the simultaneous situation of relegation from one competition while being considered among the favourites for another. This is where England find themselves in their final gathering before the World Cup finals start in November, a curious juxtaposition of trying to salvage a faltering UEFA Nations League campaign while getting ready for the biggest show on Earth.
Of course, the Nations League pales into insignificance compared with what is to come in Qatar, but England’s position at the bottom of League A Group 3 hints at a persistently underwhelming level of performance which raises questions that Gareth Southgate needs to find answers to now.
The nadir undoubtedly came in mid-June when England slumped to their worst home defeat in 97 years, a 4-0 loss to Hungary in front of an unimpressed Molineux crowd, thousands of whom sang “you don’t know what you’re doing” and “you’re getting sacked in the morning” at a shellshocked Southgate.
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It came with a much-changed lineup at the end of a long season, with many visibly exhausted players, but the public judgement was unmitigated and brutal. After 28 players assembled at St George’s Park on Monday for upcoming Nations League games against Italy and Germany, midfielder Jack Grealish described that reaction as “very harsh” on a manager who has overseen steady and undeniable progress during his near six years in charge.
England reached the 2018 World Cup semifinals before losing the third-place playoff to Belgium, finished third in the inaugural Nations League in 2019 and runners-up in last year’s delayed Euro 2020 final.
Fourth, third, second. The next step is clear. But for Southgate to deliver the nation’s first trophy in 56 years, there are several issues to resolve during this international break as players scramble for a place in his final 26-man squad.
