The FA have reportedly come to a decision over the future of England head coach Gareth Southgate ahead of Sunday's Euro 2024 final against Spain in Berlin.
Thanks to Harry Kane's controversial penalty and Ollie Watkins's dramatic 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands in Wednesday's semi-final, Southgate has achieved something that no England men's manager achieved before him.
The 53-year-old is the first man in history to lead the Three Lions to back-to-back European Championship finals, three years on from their Wembley heartbreak at the hands of Italy in the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
Thanks to England's deep run in the tournament, Southgate has also become just the third manager to take charge of 100 games for the Three Lions, following in the footsteps of Alf Ramsey and Walter Winterbottom.
Despite guiding England to another major tournament final, Southgate has still faced numerous calls to step down on account of the Three Lions' often pitiful play at the Euros, where only two of their victories have come inside 90 minutes.
© Reuters
FA 'want Southgate to stay' as England manager
The former Middlesbrough boss sees his FA contract expire at the end of the calendar year, and he said before the tournament that he would likely leave his post if the Three Lions under-performed in Germany.
However, The Times reports that the governing body want to continue working with Southgate and will do their utmost to extend his contract up to and including the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The report claims that the FA will launch a "charm offensive" in a bid to tie Southgate down for at least another two years, regardless of whether England can win their first-ever senior men's Euros crown on Sunday.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham is expected to sit down with Southgate and discuss his situation once Euro 2024 has concluded, but they are making contingency plans in case the 53-year-old does decide to leave.
Southgate originally signed on as interim manager on a four-match basis following Sam Allardyce's ungracious departure, but he has now taken charge of 101 games for his country, winning 64 of them.
Should Southgate continue as England boss?
© Reuters
In spite of the constant criticism of Southgate's squad selections and tactics - some understandable, some unjustifiable - the 53-year-old is clearly a man whom his players all have staunch loyalty towards.
Southgate has mastered the art of building personal relationships with his England troupe and will no doubt go down as one of the best coaches the nation has ever had; two Euros finals and a World Cup semi-final do not lie.
However, Euro 2024 has felt like an end of an era for the 53-year-old, whose side cut disjointed and fatigued figures earlier in the tournament; even Kane worryingly admitted that they were not sure how to press after their dull Denmark draw.
If England were to sink the Spaniards and join the women's and Under-21s sides as European champions, that would surely mark a fitting end to Southgate's historic tenure. Should the Three Lions lose, he may have taken his country as far as he can.
The FA are not short of candidates to succeed Southgate - Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Eddie Howe and Lee Carsley are all thought to be under contention - so while the time may be right for Southgate to leave, he should leave with the utmost respect of the whole nation.
Ben Knapton
