World Cup

GARETH SOUTHGATE is considering quitting — as he is still scarred by his Wolverhampton nightmare.The England manager has a decision to make on his future following Saturday’s 2-1 World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.
Gareth Southgate is still considering quitting England after their World Cup exitCredit: Dan Charity
The Three Lions boss suffered heartbreak against France on SaturdayCredit: Getty
He was stung by a barrage of criticism after June’s humiliating 4-0 Molineux defeat to Hungary, when he was heavily booed by fans.
Southgate said: “I’ve found large parts of the last 18 months difficult. For everything that I’ve loved about the last few weeks, I still look at how things have been for 18 months.
“What’s been said and what’s been written, the night at Wolves.
“There are lots of things in my head that’s really conflicted at the moment.
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“So what I want to make sure, if it’s the right thing to stay, is that I’ve definitely got the energy to do that.
“I don’t want to be four or five months down the line thinking I’ve made the wrong call.
“It’s too important for everybody to get that wrong.”
Southgate, along with assistant Steve Holland, signed a two-year contract extension a year ago that runs until after Euro 2024 in Germany.
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The FA — along with the Three Lions squad — are desperate for the pair to stay.
England’s next game is a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy in March.
If Southgate walks away, it would leave the FA in a nightmare situation as there is no obvious successor.
The 52-year-old added: “After every tournament, I’ve sat with everybody at the FA and talked things through and I think that’s the right process to go through again.
“It has been difficult to really think things through properly in those following few weeks.
“It takes so much energy out of you and you have so much going through your mind.
“I want to make the right decision either way.
“I don’t think now is the time to make a decision like that. Neither are the next few days, really.”
Southgate also revealed he cannot shake off the disappointment of losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties.
He admitted: “I don’t think I have got over the last one but this feels a little bit different, as I’m not sure what more we could have done.”
England’s Harry Kane is comforted by Gareth Southgate after his penalty missCredit: AP
England’s players returned home yesterday and will now link up with their clubs.
The manager said: “I have very few regrets about the whole thing.
“On the big stage I know how the rest of the world are looking at us now.
“Ultimately, we have fallen short and I also have to accept that.
“But we are feeding at the top table of European and world football consistently now.
“If we are in that place with the depth of squad we have got, that is a difficult and exciting time for England.
“It is a difficult time for everybody and I think the players have represented them in the right way.
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“They’ve played in the right way and we hope everybody has enjoyed the journey.
“We now have some young players with big-match experience already and a core of a group who will be together for a long while.” More

GARETH SOUTHGATE went to Qatar believing this World Cup would probably represent his endgame.Had England bombed spectacularly, or even progressed to the latter stages while failing to excite the nation, he would have recognised he had outstayed his welcome after six years in charge.
Gareth Southgate’s standing is arguably higher than everCredit: Dan Charity
Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka had excellent tournaments for England, while Jack Grealish also has time to developCredit: Rex
And if the Three Lions had lifted the trophy, there is no doubt that he would have waved a fond farewell, bathed in glory.
The only scenario which would have tempted him to stay was one such as this — glorious failure, the nagging sense of ‘what might have been’ and the tantalising prospect of what might be still to come at the Euros in Germany 18 months from now.
Young players such as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Phil Foden enjoyed very good tournaments and they will be better still by the summer of 2024.
So after four fearless, thrilling performances out of five here, including Saturday’s loss to France’s world champions, Southgate is tempted to go again.
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Even in the immediate aftermath of England’s elimination, as the exhaustion of tournament management hit home and the agony of Harry Kane’s late penalty miss wounded him, Southgate was level-headed.
He knew he needed time to think properly about whether he still has the mental energy and supreme motivation to take the Three Lions through another qualifying campaign.
Whether, after 13 years away from  club management, that is what he  truly wants.
So as Southgate considers his future — and this is entirely his own decision, the FA and his players are desperate for him to stay — it is worth understanding that this was his starting point.
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Travelling over to Qatar, Southgate felt unpopular.
Those howls from the Wolves, when England were marmalised 4-0 by Hungary and then booed off by the Molineux crowd in June, were still ringing in his ears.
Days before that Nations League defeat, England’s worst at home for almost a century, Southgate had been unusually prickly in the face of criticism, tired by the accusations of over-caution and negativity.
A couple of tweets from Gary Lineker during the 1-1  draw with Germany in Munich a week earlier had really stuck in his craw.
Southgate, self-aware and emotionally mature, knows that every manager has a shelf life and he understood that public opinion was turning against him.
So he was likely to quit after Qatar, take a break and hopefully find an appealing club job next summer.
And while there will always be pub bores and keyboard warriors demanding Southgate is axed, the England boss left Qatar with renewed respect from most.
Yes, just like the Golden Generation, England lost in the quarter-finals to the first world-class team they encountered.
But this felt different. It was, as Southgate recognised, England’s best performance against elite opposition during his time in charge.
Had Kane equalised with that penalty, the Three Lions had an excellent chance to dethrone the world champions and even win the tournament.
When he reviews England’s campaign, both privately and in an FA debrief, Southgate will find plenty to persuade him to stay, a renewed boldness and  positivity, a sense of renewal for a regime which had threatened to turn stale.
There is no credible, gettable English alternative to Southgate and the FA are loath to go for a foreign manager.
Southgate is a loyal man, with a quiet patriotism, a keen sense of national duty, and a strong affinity with a group of players who hold him in great esteem.
The FA are desperate for him to stay because he makes them look good.
On and off the field, Southgate has restored pride in the England team after decades of farce — three good tournaments for a likeable team with a social conscience, guided by a thoroughly decent boss.
There is no credible, gettable English alternative to Southgate and the FA are loath to go for a foreign manager having invested so much in St George’s Park, their national hub, and their coaching pathways.
One key factor in whether Southgate stays or goes will be the thoughts of his assistant, Steve Holland.
Southgate regards them very much as a managerial duo, always referring to ‘we’ rather than ‘I’.
They have been together for a decade and they complement each other — Southgate the good cop, Holland the bad cop, Southgate the man-manager and ambassador, Holland the tactician and disciplinarian.
They are likely to end up in club management together whenever their England tenure ends.
And while the England post is very much a full-time job for Southgate — as he is so invested in St George’s Park and everything it represents — Holland is often frustrated by the lack of time he spends on the training pitch as an international coach.
Yet how good a club job might Southgate, and Holland, actually get next year? Of the top jobs in the Premier League — the Big Six plus Newcastle — perhaps only Tottenham but that would depend on Antonio Conte leaving and Mauricio Pochettino not returning.
A job abroad? Perhaps, but Southgate is not a globe-trotting multi-linguist like Roy Hodgson.
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So would he want to jack in  the chance of leading England at the  Euros for a fair-to-middling Premier League job?
Because the truth is the FA can find no better manager than Southgate — and Southgate may find no better employer than the FA. More

GARETH SOUTHGATE claims England went “so close” to glory in Qatar and are now consistently “feeding at the top table of world football”.The Three Lions’ boss has “few regrets” despite Saturday’s unlucky 2-1 loss to favourites France in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Gareth Southgate, seen departing Birmingham airport after returning from Qatar, says England have ‘grown’ despite World Cup agonyCredit: Simon Jones
Three Lions’ boss Southgate regrets little despite the missed opportunityCredit: AP
Southgate is “reviewing” his future after a semi-final spot in 2018, shootout woe in the Euro 2020 final and now another near miss.
But he believes England have “exciting” strength in depth and are finally cemented in the international elite.
Southgate told  England’s YouTube channel: “Ultimately we’ve fallen short, I can’t get away from that.
“But we’re feeding at the top table of European and world football consistently now.
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“If we’re in that place with the depth of squad that we’ve got, then that’s exciting and important for England. 
“It’s a difficult time for everybody. We’re really aware of that. I think the players have represented them in the right way, played in the right way.”
Southgate admitted the brutality of a sudden exit – sealed when Harry Kane missed a late second penalty – is hard to take after so long preparing.
Speaking in the Lions’ Den with M&S Food host Josh Denzel, he said: “It’s a really strange feeling because the end of a tournament is so stark.
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“Everyone is packing everything up, after going through years of preparation and then months of tighter preparation.
“There’s also the feeling that we’ve come so close and the performance, we were happy with.
“We felt we could’ve gone on and done more but yet, I really have few regrets about the whole thing so emotionally it’s a rollercoaster.” More

ENGLAND’S stars and staff have touched back down on home turf following last night’s heartbreaking World Cup exit.The Three Lions suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to France in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals at the Al Bayt Stadium.
England’s squad have landed back on home soil after their World Cup exitCredit: PA
Gareth Southgate waves to the cameras as he heads home from the World CupCredit: Simon Jones
Jude Bellingham gives a thumbs up as he departs Birmingham AirportCredit: PA
Kyle Walker looked rather more subdued after the painful defeat to the FrenchCredit: Simon Jones
Les Bleus controversially opened the scoring with Aurelien Tchouameni’s long-range stunner and Harry Kane levelled things up from the penalty spot before Olivier Giroud extended his scoring record to 53 goals.
England’s heroic captain had the chance to equalise once more with another spot-kick but he sadly missed the target.
That meant that our boys were on the next plane home – but not before they showed their class off the pitch this morning.
England showered hotel staff with gifts as they left to fly home from Qatar.
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Players handed out signed shirts and hugged workers, who in turn said Southgate’s 25-man squad had “made them feel like princes” and became “like family”.
Midfield sensation Jude Bellingham urged fans to “stick with us” as he went over to chat outside the hotel and sign autographs.
But Southgate says he is “reviewing” his future with FA chiefs, adding this was normal procedure after major tournaments.
However, those thoughts and the painful memories of yesterday will have to be cast aside after our gallant heroes returned back to normal life this evening.
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Bellingham put on a brave face as he gave a thumbs up while leaving Birmingham Airport, while Phil Foden was happy to pose for photos after he touched down at Manchester Airport.
Meanwhile, Kyle Walker looked a lot more subdued as he headed back to Man City with his head bowed in the backseat of his chauffeur driven motor.
Southgate, 52, is now weighing up if he should stay in charge.
He said: “After every tournament we’ve sat down and reviewed and reflected.
“So we need a bit of time to make sure everyone makes the right decisions.”
“Whenever I’ve finished these tournaments I’ve needed time to make the correct decisions because emotionally you go through so many different feelings.”
Harry Kane missed a late penalty that would have sent the game to extra-timeCredit: Getty
The brave skipper has taken responsibility after the heartbreaking lossCredit: Getty
But it was our brave captain Kane, who blazed his 84th-minute penalty, who has taken responsibility for the World Cup exit and he says the result “will hurt for a while”.
He said: “It is a really tough night to take.
“I am gutted, the team are gutted. We had full belief that we could achieve something special at this World Cup but it came down to small details.
“I thought on the night we had the better chances and better spells in the game.
“It comes down to execution. As captain, I take it on the chin and responsibility missing the penalty.
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“It is hard to take for sure but I can be proud of the group, proud of each other for what we’ve done.
“This will hurt for a while but we will dust ourselves down to get ready in the future.” More

KYLIAN MBAPPE has hailed “GOAT” Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford – after initially irking England fans.The France striker celebrated with a wry smile when Three Lions’ skipper Harry Kane missed a late match-saving penalty in the World Cup quarter-final.
Kylian Mbappe hugged Marcus Rashford and was later supportive on social media after France beat Englang 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
Cristiano Ronaldo’s face says it all as Morocco stunned PortugalCredit: Getty
But he responded positively after icon Ronaldo and England sub Rashford posted touching messages following their weekend exits from Qatar.
Manchester United discard Ron, 37, hinted he is considering his international future after appearing to accept his greatest remaining dream – Portugal winning the World Cup – is now over.
Mbappe replied to the social media post with a GOAL emoji.
And when Rashford posted to say England had given everything, Mbappe sent a heart emoji.
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France are now favourites to retain their 2018 crown.
They face Portugal’s shock conquerors Morocco, whilst Argentina take on Croatia in the other semi-final.
And five-goal Mbappe is on course to win the Golden Boot.
Second-half sub Ronaldo was in tears as he departed down the tunnel early following Morocco’s 1-0 victory.
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He later posted: “Winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career. 
“I fought for it. I fought hard for this dream.
“In the 5 presences that I scored in World Cups over 16 years, always alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese people.
“I gave my all. I left everything on the field. I never turned my face to the fight and I never gave up on that dream.”Unfortunately, yesterday the dream ended. It is not worth reacting hot.
“I just want everyone to know that much has been said, much has been written, much has been speculated, but my dedication to Portugal has not changed for an instant. 
“I was always one more person fighting for everyone’s goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country.”For now, there’s not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. 
“The dream was beautiful while it lasted… Now, it’s time to be a good advisor and allow each one to draw their own conclusions.”
Rashford’s own message was shorter but equally from the heart.
The Red Devils’ frontman, came on in the 85th minute, just after Kane had failed to repeat his earlier spot-kick leveller.
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And with France clinging on to triumph 2-1, Rashford told his 13.2million Instagram followers: “The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions, each and every one of our team gave everything we had to be ready for what was thrown at us, we got close, but not close enough.
“I’ll make a promise that we will come again! Thank you for the unconditional support we have received throughout the tournament, it hasn’t gone unnoticed.” More