If you’ve got the balls to take a penalty for England in the semi-final of a major tournament on home soil, miss it, see England eliminated, and STILL go out of your house and be seen in public, then it’s fair to say you’re not lacking in the minerals department.
Having said that, for some reason not everyone thought Gareth Southgate had the mental toughness to take on the England job.
Possibly because he’s not a loud, boorish oaf, prone to bullying people.
Instead, Southgate seem like such a nice young man. Well brought up. Most likely a reader. The sort of chap you’d be happy for your daughter to bring home from university. And he’d do the washing up.
Gareth Southgate: He wouldn’t stay out past his curfew (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)
But is he hard nosed enough to bawl out Kyle Walker when he’s just misplaced a crucial pass?
Well if reports coming from the press pack following the England squad are correct, then the answer to the question above is a resounding ‘yes’.
It is now widely being reported that Southgate will drop his captain Wayne Rooney for the match against Slovenia on Tuesday night.
The skipper has been under intense scrutiny after one too many sub-par performances for his country. His club form hasn’t been much better, prompting Jose Mourinho to bench him for Manchester United’s last three games.
It looks like Southgate has now followed suit – and England fans are right behind him…
https://twitter.com/GimmeMour/status/785456760463196161
https://twitter.com/trentenders/status/785456745737023488
Southgate has dropped Rooney? Fair play, puts to bed the question about Southgate having the guts to drop big names
— Matt (@matt_johnson_89) October 10, 2016
Well done #Southgate on dropping #Rooney #AboutTimeToo..!
— Jack The Biscuit 🏴 (@JtheB_DKP) October 10, 2016
Some think he’s being very canny here:
A gimme for Southgate. Drop Rooney and you automatically have 90% of the public's vote. Regardless of result, this will be his legacy.
— Robbie Dunne (@robbiejdunne) October 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/shine_st10/status/785455869647388672
If Southgate drops Rooney and makes Henderson captain then he can have the job for me 👍 #ENG
— Rob Smith (@Rob_Damien) October 10, 2016
Give Southgate the job on a permanent basis if he's actually planing to drop Rooney
— Karim 🇵🇸 (@Kreamansari) October 10, 2016
Finally, a man who has the bollocks to do what should've been done a long time ago… Rooney is gone 🙌🏻 thank you Southgate!
— Harry (@Harry_White96) October 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/craigryansports/status/785454905104429057
Though not everyone is convinced:
Loved @England once and everything about it. Never have I cared so little #Rooney #Southgate #Iceland #shambles
— Fitzy (@2testiclestonil) October 10, 2016
Of course it could be that England really should be winning a qualifier against Slovenia whether Rooney plays or not, and Southgate wants to try out someone else in the position, or a different formation.
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