Matt Maher: England have what it takes to claim a trophy
England have beaten Italy as many times in 2023 as they did in the previous 40 years combined.
That achievement is another added to a lengthy and impressive list for Gareth Southgate, along with the latest stress-free cruise to qualification for a major tournament.
Not that it will stop the grumbling. For a while it has been more fashionable to criticise what England’s second-most successful manager of all time hasn’t done, rather than appreciate what he has.
It’s understandable, to a point. Last month marked seven years since Southgate took the reins, initially on a temporary basis, from Sam Allardyce. In football terms, it is an eternity. No manager, not least that of England, can serve so long without at some stage contradicting themselves or making mistakes.
