Following Roy Hodgson’s exit over the summer, Gareth Southgate quickly announced his reluctance to fill the void that was left.
But now, after Sam Allardyce’s shock departure, the former Middlesbrough man has agreed to stand-in whilst the FA look for the man who will become the next permanent England manager.
However, now given the chance at the highest level, Southgate may just be a little more interested and he has four games — against Malta, Slovenia, Scotland and Spain — before the end of November to prove that he deserves the job full-time.
Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.
His main weakness is a lack of experience at elite club level, but this is not necessarily something that cannot be overcome.
One thing that does sway in his favour is that the pressure will be off on any key decisions that he does face, which should make his temporary charge of the national side that bit easier.
Here are five underlying issues within the senior England side that SHOOT think Southgate would need to solve if he should want to become the Three Lions boss on a more permanent basis…
How to make the most of young English talent
Three Lions and Tottenham midfielder, Alli – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.
Gareth Southgate is a man who knows a lot about the young English talent that is emerging through the ranks.
Despite the senior side having problems, over the summer, the Under-21 side won the Toulon tournament and the Under-19s reached the semi-finals of the European Championships.
Whilst the likes of Dele Alli and Eric Dier have made their way into the England side, neither were at their best during Euro 2016 and there definitely seems to be an issue with integrating the younger talent that is breaking through.
This is a problem that must be solved should any England manager want to stay in the job long-term.
Who is England’s Number One?
Torino shot stopper, Hart – Photo: Offside.
Joe Hart went into Euro 2016 as England’s number one goalkeeper, but after a poor tournament and being shipped out on loan to Serie A side Torino, there must certainly be a question mark over his place in the team.
The 29 year-old was at fault for a number of goals over the summer and despite not getting off to the best of starts in Italy, he has kept two clean sheets in recent weeks.
Should Southgate decide to make the same choice as Pep Guardiola, Hart’s position isn’t one where England are particularly short of players, with Jack Butland, Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton, Alex McCarthy and Jordan Pickford all waiting in the wings.
What system is best for England?
Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.
The failings of the previous England managers is that they never seem to know their best side, their best style or their best formation and the players have unquestionably been hindered by this.
Roy Hodgson and Fabio Capello were particularly guilty of this having changed the team that performed so well in qualification, with the team that they selected for the major tournaments.
The former Middlesbrough manager is likely to be bolder with his playing decisions however as he is usually committed to 4-3-3 and likes to oversee a high pressing game.
A functioning system that the manager and players believe in could be enough to get the team performing at their highest levels once again.
Where is Rooney’s best position?
Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.
This may just be one of the biggest questions in the footballing world at the moment.
Whilst many will argue that he should no longer be involved in the England setup at all, others will argue that his experience and leadership capabilities are still very useful.
During the qualifiers for both the 2014 World Cup and the recent European Championship qualifiers, Rooney led the line as England’s number nine. But at both major tournaments, Hodgson believed on both occasions that he had a better option; first in Daniel Sturridge, then Harry Kane.
The temporary England boss has already selected the 30-year-old in his first squad, but where he decides to play the Manchester United star is another question altogether.
How to restore the Three Lions passion and pride
Hart, Alli and Gary Cahill after England’s Euro 2016 exit to the hands of Iceland earlier this summer – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.
The most notable thing with the England squad over recent years is the fact that no player looks proud to wear the shirt any more and that there is no passion or pride within the squad at all.
With confidence also lacking, the managerial position at England has been described as somewhat of a ‘poisoned chalice’.
The quickest way to get England back to winning ways is to start restoring some of these things, which in itself is not the easiest of jobs.
If Southgate can make progress in any of these areas, he will be one step ahead of both Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce, and the FA would really have to take notice of his claim for the top job.