Gareth Southgate speaks out on management plans, takes dig that could be directed at Ruben Amorim

Former England manager Gareth Southgate has commented on his plans, amid Manchester United’s search for a new head coach.

Gareth Southgate is out of work and Manchester United are looking for a new manager. But this does not mean that an appointment is likely.

In a new interview with The Football Boardroom, Southgate says that his motivation for club management is not high, and admits he is a ‘complicated’ choice for potential bosses.

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Gareth Southgate left the England manager role after Euro 2024 and he has not worked in football since.

He is waiting for the right opportunity for his next step – and there is no guarantee that is in football management.

Explaining his mindset, Southgate says that he does not want to manage a mid-table Premier League club, and admits that his track record does not necessarily make him a compelling candidate for an elite team.

He said: “I’ve got no passion to just go and manage in the Premier League. I did that at 35, finished 11th to 12th. Who is in those positions now, probably Bournemouth, Brighton? I don’t feel the need to just go and do it to say I’ve managed in the Premier League.

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“I’ve had one of the biggest jobs in world football, so I’ve been spoiled, huge nights working with outstanding players. No owner interfering.

“People like to say, well, ‘he didn’t win’. So how do you prove that you can win? You’ve got to go to one of those big clubs.”

A possible dig, and self-awareness

Southgate pointed to managers who have been given opportunities at big clubs and failed. It is impossible to consider that he is not talking about Manchester United’s recent head coach, Ruben Amorim.

Amorim was sacked after just 14 months in charge, with the worst win percentage in recent Manchester United history, and the lowest ever Premier League finish.

Southgate said: “Do I think I could have done the job that some people who’ve been in those clubs recently have done? Could I do better? I think I could.”

He went on to admit that his managerial record, that only extends to a stint with Middlesbrough in club football, could give owners pause for thought.

The former player explained: “We’ve talked about the baggage that comes with me as an appointment. If you’re an owner, there’s a reality around [me], I can understand what that noise is. I think that makes me potentially a complicated appointment for a club.”

The real issue at hand appears to be that Southgate is not particularly highly motivated to take on a new role, considering his current options.

“There’s also the reality that I needed a period after England. That consumed me for 10 years. I gave everything I had.

“365 days of the year, that consumed everything, because it had a higher purpose. That’s my country.”

He added: “I don’t want to go and manage a different national team club. It’s honestly not what I’m looking to do.”

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Southgate was of interest to United previously

Gareth Southgate was linked to Manchester United ahead of Euro 2024, when the club were assessing options to replace Erik ten Hag. The timing did not work.

Southgate was available when Ten Hag was fired later in the year, and if he was ever going to be appointed, that was the time.

He was reportedly touted by former director of football Dan Ashworth, but United moved in a different direction, hiring Ruben Amorim. It was a decision pushed by Omar Berrada, and Ashworth subsequently left the club.

Southgate is still an outsider for the upcoming United role, and it is worth noting that his England assistant coach Steve Holland is currently working at Old Trafford.

But it makes little sense to swap out Michael Carrick for Southgate, with the current coach doing so well and on track to achieve Champions League football.

Southgate’s lack of club experience makes him a questionable choice for a team like United, and the gripes about his failure to win silverware with England are fair, considering the strong positions he got the team into at four major tournaments.

His style of football was also seen as too cautious and defensive at times, and he would face a real task to win over supporters.

Would he do better than Amorim? Probably. But that does not mean he would do well enough to actually succeed at United.

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