LONDON -- Gareth Southgate may be mindful of growing dissent within the England fanbase and wary of what he describes as an impending "war" with sections of the media, but on Monday his players made the most important judgement of all.
There was never a chance of the Football Association removing Southgate before the World Cup begins in Qatar, but he was on the brink of a new low in his six-year tenure at 2-0 down against Germany in Monday's UEFA Nations League clash at Wembley.
Questions have grown ever louder over the direction of his team since reaching last year's Euro 2020 final -- specifically whether the 52-year-old is too conservative to maximise the attacking potential of an exciting group of individuals.