New problems for Southgate, familiar ones for United

The Independent’s football newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( June 17, 2022 [The Independent]( Miguel Delaney's Reading the Game Written by Miguel Delaney   New problems for Southgate, familiar ones for United   Hungary defeat seen as a mere bump by the FA Despite the rage in the stands, England’s miserable international break has not seen the Football Association’s stance on [Gareth Southgate]( change. They of course see him as the right man for the 2022 [World Cup](, and no one within the federation would dream of replacing him in the build-up. There is clearly an awareness of the various factors complicating this break - most of the players didn’t want to be there, and four games was seen as ridiculous - as well as a deeply held view that Southgate obviously deserves the chance to try and win 2022, after everything he did in 2018 and 2021. A more cynical view from some around the England set-up is that there isn’t anyone within the FA with the conviction or strength to even consider a change. More realistically, though, the [2022 World Cup](was seen as the primary target from a long-term project, that Southgate has been involved with for a decade. A relatively unimportant Nations League campaign, beset by other issues, was never going to change that. A new era at Old Trafford, but an old issue Although Erik ten Hag’s arrival naturally brought a lift at Old Trafford, it hasn’t taken too long for old frustrations to surface. They go beyond the failure to sign players like Darwin Nunez so far, since it is still only 17 June. It is more how, for all the talk of a total overhaul of the way they do everything, the primary issue remains the same. That is that everything still has to go through Florida, and past Joel Glazer, including big football decisions. While there was quickly an acceptance that Nunez wanted to go to Liverpool, some believe United had a genuine chance of getting him if they acted more quickly. They had been talking to Benfica for a month before the Anfield hierarchy properly sped things up. An issue was that United were never going to go above £60m, though, since most of the budget is being saved for Frenkie de Jong. It means that, unless there are significant sales, the other purchases are likely to be for more up-and-coming players, such as Antony of Ajax. They do face competition from Tottenham Hotspur there, who are willing to offer the Dutch club Steven Bergwijn as a replacement. Both clubs have been linked to Christian Eriksen, too. [United are currently playing down that interest](, but there has been contact Arteta would like things sped up There have been similar sentiments at Arsenal, if not quite to the same degree. Mikel Arteta naturally wants progress on more of his targets, but the Kroenke family - like the Glazers - want all major decisions going through them. There is still a belief Gabriel Jesus will go to Arsenal from [Manchester City](, along with Porto's Fabio Vieira, which should go through today. Any interest in Richarlson, which is shared by Spurs, is currently expected to be trumped by Chelsea. A great day out... not always the best football To the surprise of few, some of the professionals who played at Soccer Aid at the weekend were less than impressed with the standard of their celebrities. “Two or three”, of course, had real talent. “But the rest…” in the words of one. It is admittedly all part of what makes a good cause fun. A vision of the future? Information leaked this week about a new four-team Champions League launch event to be staged every August, as a potential replacement for the Super Cup. The idea is to “spread the brand” around the world, but especially - of course - to the US market. As was reported in the Independent last week, Uefa now see it as the next major growth market tournament, and it was why a final to be staged in New York repeatedly came in negotiations and presentations for the first post-2024 broadcasting contract. This August tournament is being spoken about as a compromise but many sources believe it will instead be a gateway, that also smooths the path to the final being held outside Europe.   Top stories [How a shortage of elite strikers is shaping the summer transfer market]( [What Frenkie de Jong would and wouldn’t bring to Manchester United](   Miguel's Dispatches That’s my season over, having ended at Molineux with England’s last game of this elongated international break, against Hungary. It almost ended in farce, too, as myself and a colleague spent so long writing our inquests for the following morning that we were almost locked into the stadium. We had to go through an executive bar to the one door left open. It maybe would have summed things up. On that note, one thing that has struck me about the reaction to England’s defeat is how less critical the press seem of Southgate than a good portion of the support, something that represents an inversion of most of the history of the team. Many put it down to the FA and the manager actively courting the press. For me, it’s actually more simple. It really is just down to results. There have been plenty of managers we have liked in other jobs, but all words and press conferences are ultimately dependent on is what happens on the pitch. Southgate got England to a semi-final and final in successive tournaments that captivated the nation. That is really all that matters, and what should obviously afford him the chance at the World Cup, even allowing for more intricate arguments about his management. On that, I’m on holidays for the next two editions of the newsletter, meaning it’ll be left in the capable hands of Karl Matchett and Lawrence Ostlere. It is possibly the only time of the year when there aren’t actually big English or European fixtures, summing up how the last season has been one of the most intense that we in the media have ever experienced. Really, football feels like it has been going non-stop since June 2020. Even allowing for Covid and the 2022 World Cup, though, it is remarkable how crunched the calendar has become. I’ll be back at the start of the July for the women’s Euros, and then the countdown. Let’s see what it has in store for Southgate!   Quote of the day "It’s totally down to me." Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal talks about his old boss at Manchester United, and the club’s new manager, in his own inimitable way.   Reading the game quiz There have been 12 players who have played in the Premier League and scored the classic top scorers’ number of six or more goals at the World Cup. It doesn’t have to have been at just one tournament. Name them. ([You can find out the answers here](. The answer page will be updated weekly and contains answers from previous newsletters, too)   INDYBEST / [BEST SPORTS BUY](   12 best running sunglasses: Protection and performance to see you through There’s nothing more satisfying than a run on a sunny day, but your regular [sunglasses]( might not keep you seeing straight while out running. Find out which we have rated the best. [Click here for the reviews](     Essential reading [Jon Dahl Tomasson leans on elite pedigree to end Blackburn’s Premier League exile](   [The Pogmentary: Paul Pogba documentary evades Manchester United struggles to celebrate the brand](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's football newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's football newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Football_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.