How good of a job is Gareth Southgate doing?

You have to say he’s exceeded expectations and done an excellent job, but he’s probably taken them as far as he can. The Three Lions profited from a generous draw on their way to the Euro 2020 final and his cautious tactics are not suited to getting the best out of a hungry and energetic team.

Average. I can understand the need to protect a suspect defence but he errs too much on the side of caution and seems to stifle or under-use his most creative players. England benefited from favourable paths at the last two major tournaments but they might not be as fortunate this time.

Good but perhaps not good enough. Runs to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the final of the Euros are not to be sniffed at but I agree with the general consensus that Southgate is far too cautious and does not make the most of the wealth of attacking options at his disposal.

It may seem churlish to complain about a manager who has led England to a World Cup semi-final and a European Championship final but they had dream draws in both tournaments. England’s lack of attacking cohesion in recent games is a huge concern and the semis may be the limit for Southgate again.

Fine. Players get results, good or bad. A manager should not do anything that makes them worse. And Southgate does not seem to. When was the last time England reached the last four or beyond in successive competitions? 1966 and 1968. And that was the only time.

The Nations League campaign was poor and there are concerns about the centre of his defence. But, he has taken all the fit players people have demanded be included and he won’t be panicked into doing anything. He has a good squad, which helps, and it is difficult to see any English manager representing an upgrade.