Gareth Southgate prepared for his fi rst game as permanent England manager by insisting foundations are now in place to narrow the gap on their opponents Germany – but warned the country’s “island” mentality must end. England’s 3-2 win over the World Cup holders in Berlin last March left then manager Roy Hodgson proclaiming his “fi nest moment” in charge – only to resign in June after a humiliating last-16 exit to Iceland at Euro 2016.
Southgate, who replaced Hodgson’s successor Sam Allardyce after an unbeaten fourgame run in interim charge, faces a stern test in Dortmund on Wednesday before a World Cup qualifi er against Lithuania at Wembley on Sunday. Th e 46-year-old says plans are now in place that will put England in a position to fi nally catch up with the German model of consistent success. “Some of those things have already started, such as the reform of academies and the improved focus on coaching, which is a process they went through,” said Southgate. “We’ve probably got some work to do in terms of the way they have a connection between the DFB (the German football association) and the Bundesliga that is immensely strong. Th ere is an opportunity for the young German players to play in that league – there is a real buy-in on that, partly because of the ownership model of the clubs. “To highlight the diff erence, they postponed the start of the Bundesliga because they got a team in the Olympics.
We can’t even get a team in the Olympics. Th at is the collaboration they have.” However, he added: “We are diff erent. We have to get off the island and learn from elsewhere. We have some great strengths and if we couple those with some other traits we could be more powerful than anybody, but we have a lot of work to get to that point.” Southgate also admitted the lack of recent major football success for England was the “missing piece” in the country’s sporting portfolio. “I’m not sure we’ve always looked at ourselves in the mirror as closely as we should, that’s what we need as a football nation,” he added. “We’ve had success in every other sport in our country. “It’s probably the hardest one to succeed in – and if we do succeed it’s the one that will have the most impact on our country and on the people.
