EXCLUSIVE
RIGHT MAN
‘What’s he done wrong?’ – Danny Mills clashes with Simon Jordan as he passionately defends England boss Gareth Southgate, rubbishes Sean Dyche suggestion and gives positive hope for Euro 2024
Danny Mills has passionately defended former teammate Gareth Southgate with the England manager facing calls from a selection of fans and pundits to stand down.
The Three Lions crashed out of the World Cup on Saturday after losing 2-1 against France in the quarter-final despite an impressive performance.
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But Southgate has received criticism over his tactics, with the England manager himself admitting he 'needs time to think' about his future.
That is despite Stuart Pearce calling for him to stay in charge, with Ally McCoist insisting England were 'unlucky' to lose to France.
And Mills, who played alongside Southgate at both England and Middlesbrough, has declared that the 52-year-old remains the best person for the job.
He rubbished suggestions that axed Burnley boss Sean Dyche would be a better candidate, while giving a positive prediction for Euro 2024 - should Southgate still be at the helm.
Speaking on White and Jordan, co-host Simon Jordan was critical of Southgate and his record against stronger opposition in major tournaments, which Mills disagreed with.
And you can read the best bits from Mills and Jordan's discussion on talkSPORT here.
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On England's quarter-final exit in Qatar
Jordan: "The tragedy for us, the unfortunate part of this argument, is that whenever we play a side that on paper we might have difficulty beating, we lose!
"That's the end of the discussion. If the only teams that you beat are the ones that you should, what's that saying?"
Mills: "Hang on! Look at the squad, and look at the side that we played in his first World Cup.
"If Harry Kane scores that penalty, we go on and win the game because the momentum is in our favour, I genuinely believe that.
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"He made changes, and [Mason] Mount wins the penalty. If that penalty goes in, tactical genius.
"We've seen substitutes come on and score with their first touch and go, 'masterstroke by the coach'."
What needs to change for England to win a major tournament?
Mills: "Experience, the average age of a World Cup winning side or a Euro team is 27 or 28, we are way below that because we don't have the experience.
"We were better than we were at the Euros, because we didn't panic when we went 1-0 down and 2-1 down, it didn't change, we started to play a little bit.
"Success is never linear, you don't just go in a straight line, you don't go semi-final, final, win it, no team has ever done that, you've got to have your knockbacks.
"This wasn't Iceland, this wasn't Brazil in the second half of 2002 where we never had a shot on target.
"This is not other games where we've lost being poor in the second half."
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Sean Dyche an option to replace Southgate?
Mills: "Sean Dyche? You might as well put Sam Allardyce back in charge!
"Do people genuinely think that Sean Dyche would do a better job with that England team? Ridiculous!"
Jordan: "I don't sit there watching this masterclass from Gareth Southgate.
"I don't sit there watching a tactical masterclass that makes me so in awe of what he's achieved and make me consider anybody else in this space.
"When you've had three outcomes which have been absolutely the same, there is a point when you ask, do we want a fourth?' And if the answer is yes, that's what we're going to get."
Mills: "Why would it be a fourth, why would we not win the next one? Players will not be better next time around, more experienced, know how to handle the experience?"
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On England team selection at the World Cup
Mills: "What's he done wrong? What's he done wrong in this tournament? The clamour was you have to play 4-3-3, he played 4-3-3.
"The clamour was don't take Harry Maguire - one of our better players from throughout the tournament - absolutely fantastic the way he was managed.
"Luke Shaw, not in great form going into it, Kyle Walker, not played, 19-year-old kid [Jude Bellingham] in midfield, given the belief.
"Don't play [Phil] Foden, didn't play Foden, I need to play Foden, did play Foden, [Bukayo] Saka plays, what more could you have done in that game?
"Apart from win the game, and state the obvious, what more could England have done to win that game?
"I've heard some pundits say Harry Kane shouldn't have taken that penalty, oh my god that is embarrassing.
"There's not a single football person on the planet that didn't think Kane was the right person to take that penalty."
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Can England win a tournament under Southgate's tutelage?
Mills: "I think we have a great chance of winning the next one. Just as much chance as anybody else, the top teams I'm talking about.
"I think it's a genuine 50-50 (about whether Southgate remains in charge). I think that was the case before the tournament, and I think that will be the case now.
"You have to take a step back and look at it from the bigger picture, was there progression? Has Gareth learnt? Has he changed the team?
"Everybody said he has no idea what he's talking about taking Harry Maguire. Harry Maguire was superb in the tournament.
"I don't think any of the players in this tournament played badly."
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Will winning Euro 2024 ease the pressure on Southgate?
Mills: "This is the problem we have, as England manager, the only ever time you will considered to have done OK is if you win.
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"What divine right do we have to win? Are the [England] players the best players in the world?"
Jordan: "We've had three tournaments, and Gareth Southgate as England manager, as a matter of bleeding fact, has not beaten a side that everybody thought they wouldn't beat, not one."
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