England manager Gareth Southgate lays out managerial style in FA grassroots handbook

Masterplan | Gareth Southgate lays out his management principles in a new grassroots handbook
Jack Rosser @JackRosser_28 November 2018

England manager Gareth Southgate has laid out his five principles of management in a new handbook for grassroots football managers.

The Three Lions boss, alongside The FA, has published a 'We only do positive' handbook, detailing how his style can work at every level of the football pyramid in England.

Southgate has offered a glimpse into the world he is creating at St George's Park, where England camps are now cherished, rather than avoided by a number of Premier League stars.

The 48-year-old, who has led his country to semi-finals of the World Cup and now the Nations League in 2018, details how creating a positive and, more importantly, enjoyable environment is vital to the success of any coach.

He encourages coaches to build on the positive elements of their teams performances, regardless of the result - something which will have been key in reflecting on a World Cup campaign which could well have gone past the semi-final but was nonetheless extraordinary.

Furthermore, Southgate talks of developing an understanding with players and how, especially when dealing with very young players, coaches can be one of the most important role models in a player's life.

It is clear that Southgate understands the impact a manager or coach can have on a player, and cites one of his predecessors as a prime example from his career, the last man to take England to a World Cup semi-final before him, Sir Bobby Robson.

“I have worked with some fantastic coaches and they all helped me develop in different ways," Southgate said. "All my coaches treated me as a person. The best among them were good at making you feel important and that they had a real interest in you developing and improving, not just in winning the game.

"I am a huge admirer of how Sir Bobby Robson was. I can remember a game I played in where I got injured just before half-time. When I was 20 yards away from the tunnel he came over, tapped me on the shoulder and made sure I was ok before he went to speak to his own team. When somebody does something like that, it has a huge impact on you.

"When I was having a difficult time as a young manager he came to me to offer advice and encouragement. I remember him for his personal qualities as well as the fact he had enormous success with the national team and with some huge clubs. He went through some really difficult times and, you respect him for that. In the end, he was judged, as we all want to be, as a human being rather than as a football coach.”

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