Euro 2024: Paul Ince slams criticism of 'genius' Gareth Southgate

Ex-England international Paul Ince has slammed the criticism of 'genius' Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate days before the Euro 2024 final against Spain.

Former skipper says Southgate would be 'a fool' not to take Three Lions to World Cup, on one condition.

• "In management, when you make substitutions, you're either going to look like a fool, or you're going to look like a genius... if you bring certain players on, you're going to get people asking questions. "Bring on Toney, bring on Gordon"... but, listen, it worked, and Gareth looks like a right genius."
• "The world of social media nowadays means it's almost impossible to get away from the criticism. But I don't think it'll bother Southy, I really don't. We're here now, and we're in the final... and he'll probably still get criticised even if we go on and win it! That's the nature of the beast."
• "Yes, we've had a bit of luck, but we're definitely due it... you think back to 1996... we could've easily won that tournament... then you've got 1993, when Ronald Koeman should've been sent off. There are so many occasions where things haven't gone our way."
• "Of course I'd love to see Gareth win it; he's changed England in so many ways. Culturally, you know, I remember when I was playing for England and some players just didn't want to play for their country, because they had a big club game coming up."
• "Maybe he'll want to step down and take a break, but if they win it on Sunday, I think he'd be a fool not to take this squad to America in a couple of years from now."
  

The first 45 minutes against the Netherlands was the England we've been waiting the whole tournament to see. The players seemed to be playing with a little bit of freedom, they seemed to know their roles and there was a lot more fluidity and cohesion in there. That being said, we were still a goal down after six minutes! You just thought 'oh no, here we go again!'

But, to be fair to England, they've been in so many games now where they've gone a goal down in this tournament, so I did feel like they would respond well to that. Maybe it was a case of scoring too early, for Holland.  

The penalty was a dubious one, if I'm being totally honest; we were quite fortunate to get that. But Harry Kane showed everyone what a great player he is, by stepping up and getting the equaliser. I think England would have been disappointed to have gone in level at the break; their performance in that first-half warranted them to be leading the game.

The Dutch, for me, looked a bit nervous from the start; I thought they were really poor. But, then again, in the second-half, it was a bit like the England of old. Both teams were scared to lose it, rather than going to try and win it, and so it became a little bit mundane, a little bit boring, if I'm being totally honest. 

We were getting the kettle on, ready for extra-time, but Ollie Watkins had other ideas! To be fair to Gareth, he's made some great decisions. 

In management, when you make substitutions, you're either going to look like a fool, or you're going to look like a genius. You know, that's the way it is; if you bring certain players on, you're going to get people asking questions. "Bring on Toney, bring on Gordon"... but, listen, it worked, and Gareth looks like a right genius. 

What a goal it was, by the way, from Ollie Watkins - it was a great finish, although I thought the defending from Stefan de Vrij was poor, I expected better from him, especially coming from Inter. Poor defending, but it doesn't matter - it was just so great to see it go in the back of the net.

And that's been England's story in this tournament so far, really... they're a team of moments. Listen, the team performance in that first-half against Netherlands was very, very good, and if they perform like that on Sunday night, then they could win it. But, really, if you analyse the tournament as a whole, it's been about individual moments, and players making things happen. Against Slovakia, it was Jude Bellingham's overhead kick, against the Swiss it was Bukayo Saka cutting in, and then on Wednesday it was Ollie Watkins out of nowhere... these bits of magic are the reason England find themselves where they are today. 

When you look at the tournament as a whole, looking ahead to Sunday, you'd say we're going to have to perform a lot better against Spain. But that first-half against the Dutch has given me a lot of belief, and I think it's done the same for a lot of people across the nation.

I think you've got to give a lot of credit to Southy [Gareth Southgate]... whether he fell on the idea of playing three at the back against Switzerland, I don't know. I'm not sure whether or not it was by design, but he matched them in the quarter-finals, and performances improved as a result. Sticking with it again last night, it just seemed like everyone knew what they were doing again. So, credit to Southy for changing the system, because we're now looking forward to a Euros final as a result.

I know Gareth [Southgate] well, I played with him at Middlesbrough, and obviously with England, too. He knows that criticism comes with the job, especially when you're the England manager. Unless you're winning tournaments, or constantly performing well, you're always going to be criticised. It's tough, because sometimes you just can't win. You know, Gareth's got his way, he's got his players and he knows how he wants them to play, and at the end of the day, he's the manager. Like I said, if you're the England manager, and you're not winning tournaments, you're going to be criticised. It's as simple as that.

The world of social media nowadays means it's almost impossible to get away from the criticism. But I don't think it'll bother Southy, I really don't. He's got broad shoulders and he's been in this job for eight years now... that criticism certainly isn't going to affect who he plays or the system he goes with.

He'd be the first to admit that things weren't great in the group stages, performances weren't great, and we should've been knocked out in the Slovakia game, but we managed to stay in the competition. So, we've had our luck in this tournament, and he'd be the first to say that. But we're here now, and we're in the final... and he'll probably still get criticised even if we go on and win it! That's the nature of the beast.

Of course I'd love to see Gareth win it; he's changed England in so many ways. Culturally, you know, I remember when I was playing for England and some players just didn't want to play for their country, because they had a big club game coming up. What Southy has done, is he's got everybody onboard, wanting to be a part of it. You can see that in the players who turn up. 

He won't get a better chance of winning a tournament than what we'll see on Sunday. Yes, it's going to be a tough game, yes Spain are very good. But England - on their day - can beat anybody, and hopefully that's the case. 

Yes, we've had a bit of luck, but we're definitely due it, and hopefully it continues that way. You know, you think back to 1996... we could've easily won that tournament, when you think about the Gazza [Paul Gascoigne] miss at the end in the semis, and that was before we got to the penalty shootout... then you've got 1993, when Ronald Koeman should've been sent off. There are so many occasions where things haven't gone our way.

You don't want to rely on luck, but at the end of the day I don't care how we win it, whether we win it by outplaying Spain, or getting lucky, or getting the right decisions, we just want to win it now... we really do. 

I think, if we win on Sunday, Gareth [Southgate]'s got a big decision to make. If he wins it, he might want to take this squad to the World Cup in a couple of years... they're still relatively young. That's what I'd be thinking, if it was me, personally. If he loses it, he might then think about stepping down and taking a look at club football again.

Eight years is a long time to be England manager. It's a lot. People don't understand the stress that comes with being a manager, and obviously that's amplified when you're managing a country whose expectations are so high. 

Maybe he'll want to step down and take a break, but if they win it on Sunday, I think he'd be a fool not to take this squad to America in a couple of years from now. When you look at the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice... these guys are only going to get better. Why would you not want to challenge yourself as a manager of that squad on the biggest stage at the World Cup?

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