Voice of London

“He should leave with his head head high, or carry on!” said Sky Sports News Editor, Lyall Thomas, when asked to comment on England manager, Gareth Southgate’s leadership of the team.

Saturday’s World Cup semi-final match ended with England narrowly losing to France 2-1.

England captain, Harry Kane, scored the first penalty against France, but missed the second penalty.

Kane was “gutted” and took “responsibility” for the “small detail” of the missed penalty.

Criticism raged online, as both fans and former footballers, such as Gary Neville, were appalled by the refereeing of the match.

After the match, defender Harry Maguire told the BBC that he estimated that there were between 5-6 fouls in the first quarter of the game. He was outraged that not even one yellow card was awarded.

On Friday, ahead of the match, Sky Sports News Editor, Lyall Thomas spoke to the Voice of London about what he predicted the nation’s reaction would be if England lost.

Thomas criticised England football manager, Gareth Southgate’s leadership style as being “pedestrian” and “cautious”. However, he went on to praise Southgate, stating, “whether he stays, or whether he goes, he should be considered as one of the best managers England’s had.”

He cited Southgate’s achievements as being “remarkable”, transforming the English squad “from a group of individuals, into a team.”

If Southgate does choose to step down following England’s loss, Thomas suggests that someone such as Mauricio Pochettino, manager of Argentina, would be a great candidate to take over. He said: “his brand of football would be interesting to see with England’s players.”

As Southgate takes “a bit of time to review and reflect” following England’s defeat, listen and watch below to hear what Thomas thinks is next for England’s best manager:

Words: Nadya Salie | Subbing: Yana Trup