Terry Venables always seemed to have a good grasp of the England squad, the respect and enjoyment of playing under him was clear as a blue sky. I have fond memories of racing home from junior school to watch Euro 1996, where he guided us to a respectable point. Falling short to the Germans on pens, which is probably where I got my hatred of watching them being taken.
I thought Kevin Keegan would do similar for England, as a kid I really liked him but since growing up, I feel much different having watched interviews with former players on how mardy Keegan could get. The fact that he stopped players from playing just due to personal disagreements seems extremely petty.
I wasn't Sven's biggest fan; I feel he never got the best out of the 'golden generation' and all the antics that followed him around. With the rumours his wife picked the squad always baffled me, as sometimes it did look as if someone else were pulling the strings with his selections. Steve McClaren was an awful point in time, possibly the right man at the wrong point. Being appointed, I think it impacted his career to a degree.
Fabio Capello I never liked or rated, he seemed very focused but with limited ideas on how to make England successful. The fact he started forcing players to eat pasta, cut out the social side of things and expected players in bed by 9pm just seems too strict. Also, how he treated Ben Foster, when his wife was pregnant and going into labour, is extremely disappointing. We could have easily allowed Foster to go without hiccup, he just seemed way too strict with a blend of modern and bygone style of management.
Roy Hodgson doesn't get the respect I think he deserves, although at the same time he never looked good enough to manage a squad like England. He's always seemed to make average players better, getting the most out of the smaller nations he managed, but I think at this point in time - he gave the England players a better platform to improve.
Big Sam, I actually felt would make a positive difference, but he messed up by focusing more on illegal backhanders and money making schemes than to take the job as seriously as it deserved. Had his focus been on the team, preparation and winning games, I think he could have done far better, but he really did screw himself over. You see a manager come in, someone who might have been overlooked previously when deserved, and you think he will sort this England team out. What he ends up doing is causing more issues, to do what he tried as the England manager it's just shocking.
Gareth Southgate deserves more respect, he has given us more hope and success than anyone else. All whilst the press are doing their part to ruin it, including our own fans. He's by far from perfect but the fact we have reached a semi-final and the final under him speaks volumes. Sometimes you need a manager who connects with the players, he might not be the best but is able to inspire his players. That is what Southgate does!
I also felt that Peter Taylor deserved a chance; I think he could have given us some stability leading into the golden generation.