Criticism of England boss Gareth Southgate is ‘very harsh’ says Manchester City’s Jack Grealish
- Planet Sport writer
- 21 September 2022
Jack Grealish believes successes at the World Cup and European Championships should earn England manager Gareth Southgate some reprieve from the recent wave of criticism.
While the nation is still searching for a first senior men's trophy since 1966, the Three Lions have never been closer to matching Sir Alf Ramsey's heroes than the last two major tournaments.
Southgate led England on a run to the World Cup semi-finals four years ago that was as surprising as it was unforgettable, before last summer bringing the country within a penalty shootout of Euro 2020 glory.
But the former defender has never strayed far from criticism and came under fire after a challenging four-game Nations League slog in June ended with a 4-0 Molineux mauling by unfancied Hungary.
"I think it was harsh," fan favourite Grealish said of the reaction to Southgate.
"We reached the final last year and then the Hungary game (we lost 1-0) at the start of the last camp, I think before that the last time we'd lost a game over 90 minutes was maybe Belgium in November 2020 or something.
"So, I think it is very harsh, especially (as you saw at) the World Cup and the Euros of how well the team done and the manager himself.
"I thought it was obviously harsh but sometimes that's what you get if you're English. I've certainly had my fair share!"
