完胜苏格兰锁定帅位——索斯盖特的重任刚上肩头

Only a 10-0 defeat to Spain on Tusdaty or some screaming indiscretion could stop Gareth Southgate becoming the full-time England manager.In this resounding victory over Scotland he proved he can prepare a senior side for a game laden with external pressure，howevever local.

现在看来也许只有周二面对西班牙输个0比10或者爆出什么惊天丑闻才能阻止索斯盖特由三狮代理主帅转正了，他用这场对苏格兰的大胜证明他有能力调教出一支成熟的队伍，来面对这样一场充满外部压力的比赛，尽管事实上这是一场内战。

Scotland are hardly a giant shark in a tournament knock-out match，but they helped Southgate prove a point.His players responded well to an energetic early onslaught by Gordon Stranchan's team that failed to improve their manager's chances of holding on to power.Strachan is down-and maybe out-but Southgate has earned the call he will receive to take full-time responsibility for Europe's most persistently under-achieving nation.

虽然在大赛的淘汰赛阶段中很少出现苏格兰的身影，但他们还是帮助索斯盖特证明了自己。三狮众将在顶住对手开场阶段活力十足的猛攻之后给出了积极的回应，无功而返的苏格兰也让主帅斯特拉坎的帅位更加岌岌可危。斯特拉坎很失望，而且或许已经面临下课——但索斯盖特已经挣得了担任这支全欧最持续低迷国家队的正式主帅的任命。

完胜苏格兰锁定帅位——索斯盖特的重任刚上肩头

"I've loved it，I've enjoyed the responsibility,"Southgate said after England's biggest win over the Scots for 41 years."It's been a brilliant experience."

“我爱这份工作，我也很享受这份责任，”索斯盖特在英格兰四十一年来面对苏格兰最大的一场胜利之后说道。“这是一次很棒的经历。”

Nobody gets to chance the circumtances of their final audition,but for Southgate there was plenty to be said for filing his application on the back of a win over the oldest enemy out there.

没有人能够选择最后一次试炼机会所处的背景环境，但对这场对阵梁子最深之死敌的胜利又可以让索斯盖特的职位申请表增添能大书特书的一笔了。

An enemy,mark you,reduced to wearing pink shirts by a risible Fifa edict,and by the Scottish FA's own bad fashion sense in the second-strip department.If Southgate was chasing the dubious privilege of following Sam Allardyce，Roy hodgson and the other toxic-tracksuit wearing leaders of England's long journey through the wilderness,Strachan was clinging to a job already in his possession.The 3-0 defeat in Slovakia prompted him to roll all the dice he could lay his hands on,with eight changes to his shamed starting XI from last time out.His intention,he said,was,"to be brave and meet England up the pitch."

不过你得注意了，这样一个死敌已经沦落到因荒唐的FIFA禁令和苏格兰足总老掉牙的时尚审美而不得不穿上粉红色的客场球衣。如果说索斯盖特是在渴求一份追随阿勒代斯、霍奇森和其他曾身着这似乎有魔咒的教练服的英格兰主帅踏上破荒之旅的荣幸的话，那么斯特拉坎就是在对手中的教鞭死抱不放了。在3-0负于斯洛伐克之后，他不得不孤注一掷地对上一场耻辱性的首发十一人做出多达八处人员调整。他的目的，用他自己的话来说就是：“勇敢地在场上与英格兰正面交锋。”

完胜苏格兰锁定帅位——索斯盖特的重任刚上肩头

Southgate's challenge was at the other end of spectrum.It was to calm things down,tweak selection here and there and show he is the right man to lead England out of the mortification of Euro 2016 and Allardyce's subsequent downfall.

而索斯盖特所面临的挑战则截然不同。他要做的是保持一切处于正轨，对阵容进行微调，以显示他就是带领英格兰走出2016年欧洲杯耻辱和阿勒代斯突然下课阴影的正确人选。

To that end,he needed to achieve something that has been beyond many England managers in many tournaments-to stop his player reacting to setbacks and pressure the way Corporal Jones used to respond to to reports of German invasions.Scotland's first half tactic to exploit that weakness was industrious running and hefty challenges,many in the direction of Raheem Sterling.England welcomed this invitation to raise the tempo from the usual sedentary pace of qualifiers,but it hardly improved the accuracy of their passing.

为达此目的，他需要做到一些其他英格兰主帅在大赛中都可望而不可及的事情—别让他的球员们在挫折和压力面前表现得像琼斯下士得知德军入侵的报告一样（出自英国经典喜剧老爹上战场）。针对这一弱点，苏格兰在上半场的战术就是不知疲倦的跑动和凶悍的逼抢，特别是针对斯特林的方向。而三狮军团则以将预选赛中一贯慢吞吞的比赛节奏提速来回应，但他们的传球成功率并没有提高。

完胜苏格兰锁定帅位——索斯盖特的重任刚上肩头

Psychological frailty probably explains why England's interim coach has encouraged his players to be honest about their feelings,in the hope of removing some kind of blockage.

心理上的脆弱解释了为何这位三狮代理主帅会鼓励他的小伙子们诚实直面自己的感受，以期消除一些他们的心理障碍。

The players may take some persuading,but,since pretty everything else has been tried down the years,from carpet bowls to race nights to the huge McDonalds order permitted by Sven-Goran Eriksson in Japan in 2002,England might as well give emotional intimacy a try.

球员们也许会听进去一些，但多年以来这类减压花样已经尝试了个编，从地毯保龄球到赛马夜再到2002年世界杯在日本被埃里克森批准的巨额麦当劳订单，这一次也许英格兰也会尝试一下亲密的情感联系。

Nobody disputes the need for resilience under pressure.And while the days are long gone when Scotland could inflict such stress by sending Denis Law out to float around the England centre-backs,or Graeme Sounes to push and pull their midfield around,this fixture retains its edge of mutual antipathy,best illustrated by the enthusiam brought to Wembley by 14,000 Scots.

没人会质疑面对压力的坚韧意志的必要性。但是苏格兰能够主动施加这种压力的时代已经远去：当年有丹尼斯·劳可以折磨对方的中卫，或者派上索内斯来压迫牵制他们的中场，这项交锋让双方一直处于互相敌视之中，看看温布利一万四千名狂热的苏格兰球迷就知道了。

完胜苏格兰锁定帅位——索斯盖特的重任刚上肩头

Quality-wise,this Scotland side is a ghost of the ones that used to striker fear into England,and who helped lay on dramas that were sustained by more than yellowed newspaper cuttings and fading memories.They were battles of spirit and ability.

从质量而言，现如今这支苏格兰根本没可能用一位超级射手给英格兰施加恐惧，而正是这些射手使那些残存于旧报纸和远去记忆中的往事充满戏剧性色彩。那些过往都曾是勇气与技艺的双重较量。

在鲁尼的那次回传失误后，如果格里菲斯能注意到前插的斯诺德格拉斯的话，对索斯盖特的球队来说这本可能是一次灾难性的打击，不过格里菲斯忽略了他直接来了一脚绵软的射门，苏格兰的上半场也从此开始急转直下。看到这一幕丹尼斯·劳和达格利什估计已经气得跺脚了。

By then England were already in front from a Kyle Walker cross that glanced off Daniel Sturridge's head and past Craig Gordon.The celebration by right-back and centre-forward confirmed that England's players were alive to the historical significance of this fixture,even though it plays virtually no role in their daily lives.The showreel of Auld Enemy clashes complied on Southgate's order gave the gave away.Most of these England players needed to be shown why this rivalry once mattered so much.

那时英格兰已经取得领先，斯图里奇接沃克越过克雷格·高登的传中头球轻轻一蹭完成破门。这两人的庆祝表明英格兰的球员们都清楚这项交锋的历史意义，即使它实际上对他们的生活并没有任何影响。大多数英格兰球员都需要展示出为何这场较量意义如此之巨。

完胜苏格兰锁定帅位——索斯盖特的重任刚上肩头

Scotland's eagerness forced England to play much faster than they had against Malta and Slovenia.This,too,was welcome,because one of the concerns about Southgate's rise from U-21 manager was that he might not abandon the comparatively slow passing game he deployed to educate England's younger generation.Scotland were not here to play tippy-tappy.Their plan was to strike at England's heart with swift but controlled attacks.

苏格兰对取胜的渴望迫使英格兰要比对阵马耳他和斯洛文尼亚时踢得更加快速高效。这一结果也是广受人们欢迎的，因为他们对索斯盖特最大的担忧就是他可能不会放弃在U-21执教时给幼狮们灌输的相对缓慢的短传渗透型打法。而苏格兰可不是来玩tippy-tappy（tiki-tika）打法的，他们的计划是以控制条件下的快速进攻直接打击英格兰的要害。

Southgate has worked his way through the FA system.He knows his bosses,the players and the culture they all inhabit.He also knows there is no real alternative to giving him a chance to do the job full-time,unless the FA wanted to do something cosmetic and hire a random overseas coach.

索斯盖特一路从英足总的体制中成长起来，他很了解他的上司，他的球员，以及他们所适应的文化。他也清楚除非足总想做点表面文章胡乱请一位外籍教练，正式主帅的职位别无他选。

However Southgate fares in Russia(for the thousandth time-tournament footballs is the only real test)he can already be proud of his glancing header record.Gary Cahill's on the hour mark brought England's third goal of that type.As the energy drained from Scotland's followers,Southgate prowled his coaching zone with increasing confidence that not even a footballing lesson from Spain can stop him inheriting England's shaky throne.

无论索斯盖特在2018年俄罗斯世界杯的表现如何（大赛才是检验真理的唯一标准——这话说了上千遍了），这场比赛精彩的头球纪录足以让他自豪一阵了，加里·卡希尔在比赛临近结束时的头槌使英格兰第三次以同样的方式破门。随着比赛的结束，索斯盖特继续在他的执教道路上谨慎前行。与此同时他的自信也在不断增长，因为即使与西班牙踢成一场难看的教学赛也不能阻止他继承英格兰那摇摇欲坠的帅位了。