GARETH SOUTHGATE admits he will face the BOOT if England suffer a disastrous World Cup.
But the under-fire boss urged the boo-boys to back his struggling Three Lions with “positive energy” in tonight’s final Nations League game against Germany at Wembley.
England have failed to win their last FIVE games and were jeered off in the last two matches.
Southgate’s contract runs until after Euro 2024 — but he accepts that will mean nothing if his team flop in Qatar and he could get the sack.
He said: “Ultimately, I will be judged on what happens at the World Cup.
“Contracts are irrelevant as managers can have three, four or five-year deals but you accept that if results are not good enough, it is time to go your separate ways.
“Why would I be any different? I am not arrogant enough to think my contract is going to protect me in any way.”
England’s winless run is their longest since 2014 and Friday’s dismal 1-0 loss in Italy saw them relegated from the Nations League’s top tier — just over a year after reaching the European Championship final.
There are just 56 days to go until England’s opener with Iran.
Southgate added: “We understand how the mood changes with results and it has changed.
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“I will be judged on what we do in Qatar and I am perfectly happy to be judged in that way.
“I am the manager and results haven’t been at the level we require. With the national team, that noise is going to be louder and more widespread.
“I am not hiding from that. We aren’t enjoying not winning but have to keep doing the right things every day to keep improving the small bits of our performances that make the difference.
“If we keep standards high, then eventually the results will turn.”
England face a German side with just one win in six.
But Southgate concedes the negativity surrounding his players is “not healthy”.
It’s not healthy for the team to be having this noise around them. I would urge the supporters to get behind the team
Gareth Southgate
And he wants fans to recreate the positive atmosphere at the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.
He added: “Part of the reason we’ve been successful has been the feeling of togetherness. We can’t succeed with fans against us.
“That’s been a huge strength over the last five years and it’s harder if we’re having to battle with the opposition AND with things on our own island.
“Only we can rectify that by performances and results.
“We’ll have 90,000 people, the stadium’s sold out — people want to come and see this team play.
“It’s not healthy for the team to be having this noise around them. I would urge the supporters to get behind the team.
“How they deal with me at the end is completely different.
“But this is the fans’ last chance to see the boys before they go to the World Cup. And we’re all in it together.
“We can only succeed if we’re all pushing in the same direction. And we’ve all got that positive energy towards doing well.
“We wanted to bring people together, we recognised that was a failing and part of the reason we hadn’t succeeded for so long.
“What happens to me is irrelevant, frankly. The most important thing is the success of the team.
“And we don’t want the team to be in that type of environment as it is much harder to succeed.”
