November 21 – Gareth Southgate, England’s interim first-team coach who stepped into the job after the resignation of Sam Allardyce over a newspaper sting, looks ever closer to being given the role on a full-time basis as the country attempts to finally regain some kind of managerial stability.Southgate, 46, was meeting FA officials today for what was effectively his interview for the role having just concluded a four-game stint beating Malta and Scotland and drawing with Slovenia and Spain.
“I think Gareth is the only candidate because he has earned it, he should get it and he is the right man for the job,” former FA director Adrian Bevington told the BBC saying the FA “need to be promoting English coaches” following the previous high-profile appointments of Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, both of which failed to ignite the nation.
“I genuinely believe the England team should be managed by an Englishman,” Bevington said. “There are number of phrases used to describe Gareth – he’s a bit too soft, a safe pair of hands, a company man. But he is very intelligent and highly experienced football player and coach at international level.”
England’s next game is a friendly in Germany in March and while the FA are reportedly determined not to be rushed into an appointment, Southgate is firm favourite after wins over Malta and Scotland as well as the draw away in Slovenia left England top of Group F in their quest to secure qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
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