James McDermott: How ‘lucky leader’ Southgate has made an impossible job seem almost possible

A string of England managers have been ridiculed into oblivion by British tabloids, but Gareth Southgate has had good fortune on his side, making use of a handy draw to bring his team to tonight’s Euro 2020 final

When Gareth Southgate took charge in 2016, England fans had little difficulty containing their excitement. Picture: Paul Ellis/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

In 1994, when Channel 4 made a documentary about managing the England team there was only one possible title. Nearly 30 years later, An Impossible Job remains the best programme ever made about football.

It follows the attempts by Graham Taylor to qualify England for the 1994 World Cup with his ever more desperate “Do I not like that” catchphrase. If anything, the title of the film understates the difficulty of managing England.

The media ...