Arsenal’s Wenger Backs Gareth Southgate as England’s Manager

Gareth Southgate was appointed as England’s interim manager after Sam Allardyce was axed from the post.

File photo of England’s interim manager Gareth Southgate. (Photo: AP)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Thursday backed England interim manager Gareth Southgate to take over the role in a permanent capacity.

Wenger Heaps Praise on Southgate

Is Southgate the outstanding candidate for the job? Yes. In England, there’s always the demand for the big names — that is the difficulty. What is most important to me is the competence of the person and, if a person is competent, then he can make a name for himself. He (Southgate) has a good opportunity to show that. I’m happy to see that he has an opportunity to show that he has quality.

Arsene Wenger, Manager, Arsenal

Southgate has guided the England team in two World Cup qualifiers. The England team, who had crashed out of the European Championships following a defeat to Iceland earlier this year, continued their rather prolonged run of poor form with a laboured 2-0 win over minnows Malta and a goalless draw with Slovenia.

Gareth Southgate is yet to lose a match as England’s interim manager in the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers. (Photo: AP)

Wenger however, asserted that the former England defender has the ability to take the England team out of their prolonged slump.

"He has handled himself quite well. He has accumulated experience, first with Middlesbrough and now with the FA. He was a good observer of what was going on in the English national team and, after that, we're in a job where you are questioned, especially when you have less experience," the Frenchman said.

The only answer he can give is by doing his job, and our job is selection and decision making. He has to show that the decisions he makes are the right ones, and that he has the strength to do what he believes is right.