You Bet | Gareth Southgate can’t lose after succeeding Sam Allardyce, but can England win against Malta?
The Three Lions play their second World Cup qualifier for Russia 2018 at Wembley Stadium with a new man in the dugout following last month’s win over Slovakia
Five weeks ago this column opened with “a new era - yes, another one - dawns for England” at the start of World Cup qualifying, and those nine words still hold true following Sam Allardyce’s shock departure after just one match in charge.
If there was a song titled 50 Ways To Leave The England Job, Allardyce managed to find one of the most unusual in allowing himself to be caught up in a corruption sting by a newspaper. You fell for the scam, Sam.
Now it falls to Gareth Southgate to take up a job he declined a few weeks ago on the basis that “it wasn’t something I think I’ve got the experience for”.
As caretaker manager, Southgate is in charge for four matches in a seven-week period and, in a sense, he cannot really lose.
If England veer off course, it will be blamed more on the Allardyce crisis than Southgate and, if they are successful, the new man at the helm will be able to take the credit for steering a steady ship.
Southgate will not escape criticism if England somehow fail to beat Malta on Saturday night (midnight Hong Kong time) , but that is highly unlikely.