Premier League strugglers Southampton could be a potential destination for Gareth Southgate should the England boss opt to walk away from the Three Lions following their World Cup exit, Jason Cundy tells talkSPORT (14 December, 10.30pm).
Now, the former Chelsea defender is casting no aspirations on Nathan Jones.
Cundy is not suggesting that the former Stoke City boss, hired as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s successor in November, has any reason to fear for his future at St Mary’s just five weeks after arriving on the banks of the Solent.
But, when quizzed about the stature of club Southgate could hope to take over if he plans to return to the domestic game, Cundy highlights a mid-to-lower Premier League outfit as one of the more feasible destinations.
Would Southampton consider England boss Gareth Southgate?
“You could see him at Southampton,” Cundy explains. “That wouldn’t surprise you, would it?
“I’m not saying he’s going to walk into Anfield or Old Trafford (and take over Liverpool or Manchester United). (But) there will be a job out there for him.”
Southgate admitted to feeling ‘torn’ about his future after England lost to France in the quarter-finals of the Qatar World Cup on Saturday; Olivier Giroud’s winner and Harry Kane’s skied penalty forcing Skinner and Baddeil to once again alter their lyrics to account for a few more years of hurt.
Southgate’s current contract runs until December 2024, after the European Championships in Germany.
But, as Cundy points out, international management and domestic management are two very different beasts. And Southgate hasn’t taken charge of a club side since being sacked by Middlesbrough all the way back in October 2009.
“International management is so different to club management,” says Cundy; highlighting the disparity between Joachim Low’s sensational record in charge of Germany and the rest of his CV.
“Look at Joachim Low. He wasn’t a big manager (before taking over Germany). It’s a different sort of management.”
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