Why has the FA taken so long to appoint Southgate?

Gareth Southgate looks set to be appointed as England boss on a full-time basis

According to reports from Sky Sports, the FA board are set to meet at St Georges Park to confirm interim England boss Gareth Southgate as the full-time England boss on Wednesday.

This appointment was inevitable, so why on earth has it taken them so long to announce Southgate as the permanent boss?

He is the only contender

Once Sam Allardyce lost his job and Southgate was given the role on an interim basis it looked obvious that Southgate was regarded as the man for the job by the English FA.

He may not be perfect. However, it seems he is the winner of a one horse race. The FA are believed to have wanted to appoint an English boss and he seemed like the only candidate for the job. There was talk of Eddie Howe and Roberto Mancini.

However, it just turned out to be paper talk and rumours. Anyway, why would Eddie Howe want to leave a club where he has stability and is well-respected to be given the poison chalice that is the England manager’s job?

In fact, there were nearly no candidates, as at one stage it looked like Southgate himself did not want the job on a full-time basis. Even after his four-game spell, he seemed reluctant to take the job on a permanent basis.

However, who else was there? One person being talked about was Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew, whose Eagles team currently sit 17^th in the Premier League table, above the dreaded relegation zone by just a point.

Then there was Steve Bruce, who is currently attempting to resurrect sleeping giants Aston Villa in the Championship. Neither of the pair are great examples of managerial achievement.

Why have the FA dragged their feet?

The FA have dragged their feet on the permanent appointment of Gareth Southgate. I am just wondering why. Were they expecting some sort of English managerial genius to pop out of the woodwork, so they could appoint him instead?

The longish wait between the end of the Spain friendly and now tends to lead me to wonder if the FA actually believes that Southgate is the right man for the job. A lot of people have questioned his appointment.

However, we are at the stage where most people have accepted that Southgate will be the next permanent England boss. They just want his appointment confirmed and then he can get on with the job. This is just another case of the English FA looking like they struggle to make a decision.

What’s the worst that can happen?

Gareth Southgate does not come across as a leader of men, a guy who could lift your spirits while improving you as a player. However, it seems he is going to be the next permanent England boss, so Three Lions fans need to get behind him.

Really what is the worst that could happen? England are odds of 1/9 to win their World Cup qualification group. The Three Lions always win their group, they could do that with David Brent in charge.

Southgate should be given a chance. It’s not like the team have pulled up any trees at recent tournaments. In fact, at times they have been an embarrassment. Southgate may not revolutionise the Three Lions team, but he will bring a level of stability to it once again.

Predecessor Sam Allardyce was always a slightly dicey appointment. He was a big character and big characters are not always hits as England boss.

They usually produce decent teams. However, they are then hounded out of the job because of an off-the-field misdemeanour. This happened to the likes of Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle and of course Allardyce himself. Southgate is highly unlikely to be embroiled in any off-the-field controversy, so at least that is a plus.

The 47-year-old is about to be given the biggest job of his life. I just wish that the FA would stop messing about his permanent appointment, though.

Is Gareth Southgate the right man for England at the moment?