England are looking like US President Joe Biden on the campaign trail at this 2024 European Championship. Planless, unimaginative, harmless. Completely uninspired, paralyzed, nervous and anxious.
The subtle and big difference: one of them is 80 years old and the others are in the prime of their sporting careers and together form the most expensive team in the world.
National team coach Gareth Southgate has long been at the bottom of the pile among fans and experts. There has long been speculation on the island and almost everyone is not only calling for Southgate to be replaced soon, but also has a wish:
Jürgen Klopp as the new England coach!
Will Klopp be the new England coach?
Southgate has failed to turn this collection of top talent and superstars into an effective team during his tenure, which began in 2016.
The bizarre thing is: Southgate has not exactly been unsuccessful with his horror kick. The Three Lions reached the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup and even the final at EURO 2021 and now 2024. At the 2022 World Cup, they reached the quarter-finals.
The point of criticism, however, is that England simply play horribly. Once again at Euro 2024.
In addition to super striker Harry Kane, four of the ten most valuable players in the world – Jude Bellingham (€180 million), Phil Foden (€150 million), Bukayo Saka (€140 million) and Declan Rice (€120 million) – are currently in the England 2024 squad.
It is a mystery how a trio of Bellingham, Foden and Saka cannot work in combination with world-class striker Harry Kane.
It would be Southgate’s job to ensure that these “Fantastic Four” harmonize with each other. But Southgate is obviously too limited tactically and trapped in his overly defensive and control-oriented style of play.
No matter how the EURO 2024 turns out for England – quarter-finals, semi-finals, final or even winning the title – it is somehow inconceivable that Gareth Southgate will remain England coach after this tournament.
Winning the title would be the ideal time to leave anyway. In the event of an early exit, Southgate would have been unacceptable to England fans anyway.
Also, in order not to waste any more of the great talent and ability that exists in the England national team, it would be all too understandable if Southgate was no longer England coach after the EURO.
And that’s where the question of Southgate’s successor comes in – and there’s really only one solution: Jürgen Klopp becomes the new England coach!
Southgate successor: The reasons for Klopp as England coach
Jürgen Klopp would be the perfect successor to Southgate. Even if you don’t like to hear and read that in Germany.
The lethargic and sluggish England national team needs a new impetus – and a good one at that. Southgate, who sits on the bench as if he’s at a funeral, can’t do that.
Klopp can inspire, motivate, lead and inspire. He also has an attacking philosophy of play that suits this squad. Kloppo has known English soccer perfectly since his time at Liverpool (2015 to 2024). And he would also be highly regarded by all English soccer fans – regardless of city and club color – as well as the media and TV pundits.
What else speaks for Klopp as the new England coach?
He has taken a one-year break from Liverpool FC. It remains to be seen whether he will return to club soccer. There is currently no room for him anywhere – as strange as that sounds.
FC Bayern are trying with Vincent Kompany, in England he doesn’t want to coach a club and in Spain there is really only Real Madrid and FC Barcelona left. Real could look to Xabi Alonso as Ancelotti’s successor from 2025, while Barca have just brought in Hansi Flick.
Klopp was also repeatedly called upon as Germany’s national coach. But with Julian Nagelsmann’s contract extension until 2026, this position is no longer vacant.
This leaves the job of England national team coach as the most attractive solution for Kloppo. He could therefore start as the new England coach and Southgate’s successor.
Whether this will be in the fall of this year or not until 2025 is another matter. The fans, especially those from Liverpool, would certainly not hold it against him if he were to return as the new England coach in January 2025 after a break of just six months – starting with the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
After all, a job as national team coach is much less stressful than taking over a new club.
