FIVE REASONS GARETH SOUTHGATE WOULD *ACTUALLY* BE GOOD FOR MANCHESTER UNITED

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his gang of Manchester United revolutionaries are looking at alternative options to Erik ten Hag, who seems increasingly unlikely to last beyond the summer.

One manager being assessed by the club has precipitated mass head-shaking from Red Devils fans and celebration from their vocal rival fans on social media, who hanker for an Ineos move that would simultaneously see England finally able to take advantage of the actual Golden Generation and United condemned by a manager who has unilaterally prevented that stellar group of players from winning three major international tournaments on the bounce.

Here are five reasons why Gareth Southgate’s appointment may actually not be such a bad idea…

 

Togetherness

Put your cynicism aside for a second, difficult though it is not to imagine Southgate as a travelling team-building consultant stood in front of half-asleep employees with this one word on a whiteboard behind him: “What does togetherness mean to you?”

Because actually, Manchester United players don’t look as though they have the faintest idea, and could really do with a week of inset days to hammer home what it means to pull in the same direction and support each other.

The dressing-room is leakier than a discount diaper and at the first sign of trouble the players either shrink or, in the case of their captain in particular, throw hissy fits befitting individuals for whom nappies should be mandatory.

Southgate may not be the greatest tactician, but there can be no doubting his ability to improve the ethos and dynamics of a dressing-room, having picked England up off the floor after they were thunder-clapped out of Euro 2016 and leading them to a place now where each and every player enjoys wearing the shirt which used to weigh heavy to the point of paralysis.

It’s been a long time since Manchester United players looked as though they were enjoying their football as much as the England stars do, with Ten Hag’s group seemingly burdened like the pre-Southgate Three Lions.

READ: Gareth Southgate in the Premier League: 24 damning statistics which Manchester United should see

 

Dan Ashworth

Gareth Southgate has consistently and vehemently praised the impact of Dan Ashworth on England in their time working for the FA together, crediting the soon-to-be Manchester United sporting director for the country’s success at youth level, which has translated to the significant improvement of the senior team under Southgate’s watch. And the respect is mutual.

“Gareth is an exceptional leader,” Ashworth said ahead of the 2018 World Cup, just before he upped sticks for Brighton. “The environment that has been created is down to him. He’s got a really good understanding of getting the best out of the players and staff. So what’s ended up happening is that Gareth has brought together a way of working for the players and the staff that means it is one big group of people. He has to take the credit.”

Reports, whether you believe them or not, suggest Southgate is leading the race to be the next United boss, and Ashworth has surely played his part in that.

 

Harry Maguire and the Man Utd defence

‘He’s never let England down,’ is the line rolled out each and every time Harry Maguire is selected for England in the face of what has at times been significant evidence that he should not, whether that be not actually playing for Manchester United, or indeed playing for Manchester United.

Like a one-eyed man in the land of the blind, or the fastest snail, Maguire has probably been United’s best centre-back this season. Churlishness aside, he’s been pretty good by his own standards, the highest of which we’ve seen in an England shirt.

A team that’s conceded more shots than any other this year probably does need shoring up a tad. And in what we’re certain all United fans want to hear, he could become the man to lead a team built on the solid defensive foundations that Southgate covets.

We can hear it now: “Defend, defend, defend!”

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Off-field issues and optics

Erik ten Hag dealt with the Cristiano Ronaldo situation well, handled the captaincy change with aplomb, and in general last season looked as though he had commanded the respect not just of his players, but the media, the fans and the wider public through his management of Manchester United’s multitude of off-field issues.

He’s not been quite so assured this season though, with the way in which he’s addressed his and the club’s critics suggestive of a man on the brink. He took issue with Jamie Carragher’s analysis of his defensive set-up, despite actually agreeing with it, ordered Fulham’s social media team to apologise for asking if Bruno Fernandes is OK, took swipes at imaginary reporters who questioned his promotion of Kobbie Mainoo to the first team and claimed ahead of their 4-0 spanking by Crystal Palace that his team “are one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league”. He appears to have gone, not totally, but definitely slightly, mad.

United won’t get that with Southgate, who has proven himself to be – if nothing else – a master of dealing with the media and in the optics of the England team, with his zenith the ‘Dear England’ open letter to the fans, later the basis of a smash National Theatre hit, which might be the best thing any England manager has done ever. Sorry, Sir Alf.

 

Homegrown transfer focus

Sir Jim is said to be keen on signing homegrown talent as part of his changes to the recruitment model at United. He ‘wants to reinforce a domestic flavour’, which sounds suspiciously Brexit-y, but is likely – just as deplorably – to be connected with a desire for more Manchester United DNA.

And if that’s not coming via the youth teams, a near-likeness can be purchased for exorbitant fees from fellow Premier League clubs, whose players can probably just about remember a time when United were good, thus hold the requisite knowledge of the club’s genetics, if not the DNA itself.

Who better to lure English talent to the club than the England manager himself? Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Ollie Watkins are among the England players previously linked with United, while Jarrad Branthwaite – thought to be among their top targets in the summer – will surely soon be called up.

England players have nothing but good things to say about Southgate, who could prove to be quite the United carrot for some very fine footballers.

READ MORE: Southgate to Manchester United as Allardyce and Lampard return: predicting every club’s next boss

2024-03-08T08:25:25Z dg43tfdfdgfd