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JIMMY FLOYD HASSELBAINK has launched a staunch defence of Gareth Southgate - and branded managing England a “thankless task”.
Dutchman Hasselbaink was connected Southgate’s coaching unit astatine this summer’s European Championships, moving intimately with the squad’s strikers.
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The Three Lions reached their second-successive Euros last but mislaid 2-1 to Spain acknowledgment to a heart-breaking precocious winner.
Hasselbaink, 52, told Genting Casino: “I don’t deliberation determination tin beryllium an statement made to accidental that Gareth Southgate didn’t bash a fantastic occupation managing England.
“He brought everyone unneurotic and was wholly liable for generating a superb temper successful the England camp betwixt the players.
“The atmosphere, the camaraderie, the togetherness, you person to springiness recognition to the manager for that.
“The England occupation is simply a thankless task. Look astatine what Gareth Southgate achieved successful the clip helium was managing England.
“When helium took over, wherever were they? They were going nowhere. He took implicit and made an instant impact.”
Southgate was promoted from Under-21s brag to elder main successful 2016 aft Sam Allardyce near successful shame pursuing a paper sting, having managed conscionable 1 game.
He stayed successful the occupation for 8 years, reaching 2 Euros finals arsenic good arsenic a semi-final and a quarter-final successful the World Cup.
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Assessing Southgate's legacy
By Tom Barclay
JIMMY FLOYD-HASSELBAINK is close to praise however Gareth Southgate wholly transformed England during his 8 years.
Our nationalist broadside were astatine their lowest ebb erstwhile helium took implicit successful the aftermath of the humiliating Euros exit to Iceland and past the shame of the Sam Allardyce scandal.
Some players did not look to person that pridefulness to play for the Three Lions anymore - but Southgate brought it back.
His grounds astatine large finals was outstanding and successful the fullness of time, volition apt beryllium appreciated for what they were.
The benignant of play astatine the past Euros was justifiably criticised though, fixed however good we had played astatine the 2022 World Cup.
We were not getting the champion retired of our attacking talents, relying connected moments of magic and were a 95th-minute overhead footwear distant from going retired to Slovakia with our tails betwixt our legs.
Anthony Gordon has since admitted the squad lacked “freedom”. But that should not diminish what a feat it was to scope our archetypal last overseas.
Southgate’s bequest volition beryllium 1 of “putting England backmost connected the map”, arsenic Hasselbaink says, and hopefully the springboard to silverware successful the coming years.
Is the Three Lions occupation a thankless task?
You would person said nary successful precocious summertime 2018, erstwhile fans were dressing up successful waistcoats and singing “Southgate you’re the one” advertisement nauseam.
Familiarity breeds contempt truthful possibly it is if you enactment successful the occupation agelong enough.
But whoever gets it adjacent permanently, if they yet extremity 60 years of wounded astatine the adjacent World Cup, they volition beryllium getting thing but gratitude for the remainder of their life.
The 54-year-old stepped down successful the aftermath of that achy decision to Spain, with U21s main Lee Carsley presently successful interim charge.
Hasselbaink, a erstwhile team-mate of Southgate’s astatine Middlesbrough successful their playing days, revealed however that nonaccomplishment to the Spanish successful Berlin enactment the squad and unit done the affectional wringer.
He explained: “When we lost, did it hurt? Hell yeah. It wounded similar crazy.
“I had sleepless nights for weeks aft the final. In football finals, idiosyncratic ever has to lose. That’s football. It was an astonishing acquisition for me. Absolutely unbelievable.”
Gareth Southgate celebrates England's punishment shootout triumph with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Southgate was criticised for his team’s performances and cautious benignant of play astatine this summer’s Euros, contempt their tally to the final.
Hasselbaink said the squad were alert of the flak they were receiving but that it brought them person together.
And helium hailed Southgate for however helium transformed the country’s fortunes during his tenure.
Hasselbaink, who near the nationalist set-up erstwhile Southgate stepped down, added: “Now, erstwhile radical deliberation of England astatine a large tournament, they are ever 1 of the favourites and Gareth is liable for changing that communicative due to the fact that of what he’s achieved with the team.
“He got to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup. In 2022, it was the quarter-final and England mislaid against France connected the finest of margins. England were truthful unlucky successful that game.
“He guided the squad to back-to-back European Championship finals. Again, that’s a monolithic achievement.
“I don’t deliberation a batch of England fans understood the size of the accomplishment and besides the information that Gareth took England to its archetypal last connected overseas soil. England had ne'er played a last extracurricular of its ain state before.
“They’ve ne'er won thing anyplace different than Wembley successful 1966. Whatever radical volition say, Gareth made history with England, and helium enactment the squad backmost connected the map.
“Yes, I perceive the disapproval astir the team’s fluency, but you cognize what, we got England to wrong 90 minutes of becoming a European champion.”
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