Whilst in north London the new manager made some withering comments about the old one, on the South Bank there was a reminder that Gareth Southgate is a thoroughly decent man who left his successor a fine body of work on which to build.
As Thomas Tuchel says to ‘Sir Gareth’ towards the close of James Graham’s funny and inspiring Dear England remake at the National Theatre, ‘You made the Impossible Job, possible’.
The German, an addition to the 2023 premiere, is far kinder to his predecessor on stage than the real-life version was on the stage of his press conference last weekend.
One of Tuchel’s criticisms then was that Southgate’s team lacked ‘identity’. Dear England, however, is an exploration of Southgate’s eight-year quest to rediscover our national identity. He was successful, as this play poignantly suggests and the real-world evidence confirms – two major finals and the reconnection of players to the populace.
That the production climaxed with the audience on its feet singing Sweet Caroline with Southgate and his team, felt like vindication for the rewrite. After all, it’s not an easy sell – a new-ish play about an old manager who didn’t win anything. I have seen both versions, and I’d happily take friends and family to a third when it tours the UK.
‘I’m Gareth and I’m from Crawley,’ says Southgate, brilliantly portrayed by Gwilym Lee. ‘I know that makes me sound like a travel agent.’
Dear England is an exploration of Gareth Southgate’s quest to rediscover our national identity
It’s about Southgate and his England team and they journey they went on during his reign
The audience are taken on the same journey for the like of Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson
It is a line from the first half and, whilst winning a laugh, it is part of the scene in which Southgate attempts to win the hearts and minds of his players. In turn, the audience are taken on the same journey for the likes of Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson.
‘Do you have to be called Jordan to be from Sunderland?’ says Dele Alli, during an earlier scene that shines a light on the divided dressing-room inherited by Southgate.
And so, the travel agent from Crawley, with his eyebrows on trampolines and blinking lids so cannily captured, sets about unlocking the potential of his squad, the potential of an entire nation.
‘What is England?’ he asks them. ‘It’s not a trick question, it has to come from you.’
Graham, whose play is being adapted on screen by the BBC, tells Mail Sport: ‘Something remarkable happened under Gareth Southgate. He transformed our fortunes from 2016 to 2024 through quiet progression. We are on the path to winning now. He made everyone feel better about being an England fan. Even though we didn’t get the ending of a trophy, that didn’t matter. This story was, and is, important.
‘If Thomas Tuchel wins the World Cup, the work of Gareth will be the foundation. As Tuchel says on stage, ‘Ten years ago, no truly world-class manager wanted this job’.’
The players, meanwhile, are drawn with no little humour, especially Kane. The England captain may not enjoy elements of his depiction – it plays on his East London monotone – but, like Southgate, it shows him to be the decent human-being that he is. In fact, Ryan Whittle steals the show in the role of Kane.
What’s it like being England captain, Harry?
Kane is asked what it’s like to be England captain, replying that ‘it’s like being the Queen’
It starts in 2018 and at the World Cup, going through to Euro 2024 and hiring of Thomas Tuchel
Also featuring is Euro 2020 and the trauma of the racism that followed final defeat on penalties
Jude Bellingham, naturally, features prominently as one of the breakout stars of the Southgate time in charge
Dear England, overall, allows us to enjoy the strides made by Southgate through to his exit
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‘England captain… it’s like being the Queen,’ he states, deadpan.
Graham says: ‘When you come to the theatre you want to laugh – and laugh kindly at the actors nailing the impressions. We paint Harry Kane going on his journey towards leadership. We start with him struggling to capture his words, but then he grows and articulates himself. He stands up for his team-mates. Come the end, he is the leader we see today.’
Through 2018 and a first World Cup penalty shootout victory, Euro 2020 and the trauma of the racism that followed defeat in the final on penalties, to World Cup 2022 and Kane’s despair, we arrive at Euro 2024, and then Tuchel.
Art imitates real life when the new head coach, having praised the work of Southgate when they meet, adds: ‘I will say none of this in the press, of course, and will join in with the boos.’
At Wembley, though, Tuchel probably should have worn a waistcoat, given his victories over Albania and Latvia looked much like those under Southgate. Taking that next step will be harder than he perhaps thinks.
In the meantime, Dear England allows us to enjoy the giant strides made by Southgate.
