WOLVERHAMPTON, England – And to think Gareth Southgate was looking forward to playing first England fans again.
There were plenty of shell-shocked supporters in the empty stands applauding the 51-year-old as he made his way towards the far side of Molineux but, turning towards the Sir Jack Hayward stands, that recognition has drowned out by an orchestra of angry boos after HungaryA remarkable 4-0 win on Tuesday night.
It was Southgate’s biggest defeat as England manager, and the first time England had lost by a four-goal margin since 1964. Brazil. It was their heaviest home defeat since 1928 and the first time they had lost a home game by a four-goal margin in their entire history.
It may not matter in the grand scheme of things – after all, the Nations League is hardly an urgent priority in a World Cup year.
But having enjoyed long and widespread support since taking charge of England six years ago, it is as brutal a referendum on Southgate’s current celebrity status as anyone could have imagined. .
Sayings about “you’re going to get fired in the morning” and “you don’t know what you’re doing” can feel absurd, especially when the shock of the scoreline subsides.
By definition, Southgate is the second most successful England manager of all time, having led England to the semi-finals of the World Cup and to the final of the European Championship in the last two major tournaments. He has earned the right to test and there will be no lasting judgment based on four games crammed like a coda for a grueling campaign with most of its time coming in a few short weeks.
But if the 2019 Nations League is a stepping stone in the right direction from Russiacombine like it won Spain – in Spain – and Croatia before losing in tight extra time first Netherlands and finished in third place with a penalty shootout victory Switzerlandthen these two weeks must rank as a worrying setback.
These four matches were supposed to be a test of how England would have played without the comforts of home last summer – two away, one tight and then another. home away from Wembley to finish. Two points, one goal and no win is a tough comeback.
Southgate spent most of this panel talking about the need to balance short-term results with pre-testing Qatar. Final product – two defeats against Hungary, a reliable draw first Germany and stuck with Italy – thus only increasing the pressure on Southgate to get access to the World Cup.
And if he didn’t know it before, he does now. He is a deep thinking man who tends to scrutinize his position, even most recently last week declaring that he would be “not far from my welcome” with as England manager despite having a contract until 2024.
After talking about the benefits of a full house after only 2,000 schoolchildren were able to attend Saturday’s match against Italy due to UEFA sanctions, the abuse he received here will take a toll. . It feels like a lifetime ago now, but there was actually a performance of “Southgate You’re The One, Football’s Coming Home Again” early in the first half, a hymn created in 2018 and sustained in 2020 as Southgate’s popularity reaches a peak rarely witnessed by previous UK managers.
He has achieved his former level of acclaim by taking great strides in rebuilding the relationship between players and supporters, navigating age-old historical barriers to further progress. most of his predecessors. But finding the right balance in midfield remains arguably the biggest conundrum Southgate has yet to solve.
Of course, it’s not his fault, he doesn’t have Luka Modric, Jorginho or Frenkie de Jong to strengthen, but England need to find a way to overcome the lack of a player playing deep to be able to bring the team together. They were subdued by Modric in the 2018 semi-final against Croatia, which saw the situation turn firmly against them as Jorginho and Marco Verratti took control of Italy in last summer’s Euro 2020 final and here, with their near-endless possession, they were unable to disrupt a well-organized but limited Hungarian side. . That’s why he chose the first safe central midfield axis of Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips at the Euro and perhaps this is the crux of the accusation that he is too conservative.
That was the root cause of the growing frustration in the stands as England labored and fell further and further behind. Roland Sallai England opened the scoring as England failed to take a free-kick after 16 minutes. The 25-year-old scored twice with 20 minutes remaining, becoming the first Hungarian player to score twice in a home game. away with England since both Ferenc Puskás (two) and Nándor Hidegkuti (three) did so in a 6-3 win at Wembley in 1953.
It was Hungary’s last – and only – victory on English soil, achieved by the team dubbed the “Great Heroes”, at the time considered the best in world football. The 2022 version aren’t nearly as talented but England did their best to make them look that way, yielding to a more disastrous defense than Zsolt Nagy and his substitute Daniel Gazdag attack to inflict humiliation on the home team and make them stare relegated from League A, group 3.
Southgate introduced Raheem Sterling at break time – his companion with Harry Kane was on the pitch – switched the system from 4-3-3 to three defenders and even hit the pitch Phil Foden for his arrival this month following a case of COVID-19 – but England could barely focus on anything when Kane’s late header hit the crossbar.
John Stones sent off for a second countable foul eight minutes after the end, an inexplicable decision by French referee Clement Louis Jean Turpin as Gazdag appeared to have simply rushed in. control him. But Southgate’s decision-making is now facing scrutiny.
Southgate’s trusted aide, Steve Holland, had been waiting for full-time contact seemingly to help absorb some of the hostile atmosphere as Southgate’s speed quickly reached the safety of the tunnel in sight. . The pair have made huge strides for England in recent years. This is a painful reminder of a relentless mission.
