Before England has even played a match in Qatar, someone has already declared themselves ready to take over as manager of the Three Lions from Gareth Southgate. That would be Mauricio Pochettino, who captained Tottenham.
Southgate is under considerable pressure
Coach Gareth Southgate, who replaced Sam Allardyce in 2016 after Allardyce was fired, has had some success with the English national team.
Statistics prove this to be the case. Under Southgate’s tutelage, the Three Lions have won 46 of 76 matches since 2016. Furthermore, Southgate’s faculty and students advanced to the World Cup semifinals in 2018 and earned the European Championships (EURO) 2020 runners-up trophy.
The English Football Association (FA) showed their appreciation for Southgate by extending his contract by two more years, to the end of 2024, in November 2021.
There is a lot of pressure on Southgate because of how poorly the Three Lions have performed in their World Cup preparations.
That’s why some are worried about how a loss in Qatar would affect Southgate’s future with England.
Mauricio Pochettino is confident he can replace Gareth Southgate
Mauricio Pochettino, the former head coach of Tottenham, recently affirmed in an interview with The Athletic that he would be ready to lead the England team one day.
The Argentine coach, now 50 years old, stressed, “Of course, my relationship with the English players has always been quite good. After settling into life in the UK, I felt immediately at ease. You can never predict the future. Anything goes with me, and I’m willing to take risks.
It’s worth noting that Pochettino has been out of work since he was let go by PSG at the close of the previous campaign. Pochettino’s action is sufficient evidence that, should Southgate go, the former Tottenham manager is prepared to seek for this role.
Having worked with so many brilliant English players while at Spurs, Pochettino clearly enjoyed his time in England.
Spurs advanced to their first Champions League final under Pochettino in 2019. The Argentine coach also played a role in the careers of stars like Harry Kane and Eric Dier. Both are included in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup 2022 roster for England.
In addition, Pochettino did an excellent job developing some English players like Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Lallana, or Luke Shaw during his spell at Southampton before joining Tottenham as manager in 2014.
All of these things show how deeply Pochettino is rooted in England.
As a coach, Pochettino has gained valuable experience leading the fog teams, and his familiarity with the culture and people of England only helps his case to replace Gareth Southgate as England’s head coach.