Gareth Southgate: National hero or overhyped mediocrity?

Gareth Southgate's tactical and managerial qualities still split fan opinion as he leads England in his fourth major tournament at the Euros in Germany this summer. But one thing that can't be disputed is Southgate's ability to unite his players in a team whose confidence has been battered by two decades of under-achievment. The former Aston Villa captain has been a leading voice against racism directed at young black English players and is arguably redefining the notion of Englishness in modern Britain. 

Simon and Mehreen discuss the steps and experiences that how Southgate came to manage another golden generation of English footballers, growing up in a respectable family in South London, learning from the negatives, and bouncing back from *that* penalty miss in Euro '96. But will Gareth Southgate go down in history as a unifying England manager or just another nearly-ran? 

Timecodes:

00:00:43 - Proposition: Gareth Southgate is a very laudable, commendable figure, but is he a national hero or overhyped mediocrity?

00:02:22 - Southgate's background and upbringing in Crawley

00:05:52 - Joining Crystal Palace as an apprentice and experiencing class division

00:08:31 - Southgate's playing career at Palace, Villa, and Middlesbrough

00:12:04 - First meeting with Southgate and the Euro 1996 penalty miss

00:19:25 - John Major's encouragement after the penalty miss

00:22:22 - Southgate's unfulfilled club career and disappointment

00:27:56 - Becoming England manager in 2016 after a national humiliation

00:33:06 - Resetting expectations and creating a high-performance culture

00:39:20 - 2018 World Cup and learning to love the new England team

00:43:16 - Black Lives Matter movement and Southgate's stance

00:50:00 - Euro 2020 final against Italy and the penalty misses

00:54:10 - Expectations for the 2022 World Cup and Southgate's limitations

01:00:22 - Southgate's vision of an inclusive and modern Englishness

01:04:34 - Conclusion and Southgate's potential legacy

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