England manager Gareth Southgate says he knows results at this year’s World Cup will dictate his future, despite his contract running until 2024.
England were relegated to the Nations League’s second tier with a 1-0 defeat by Italy in Milan on Friday.
They face Germany on Monday having gone five games without a victory for the first time since 2014.
“I am not foolish,” he said. “I know ultimately I will be judged on what happens at that World Cup.”
The 52-year-old added. “Contracts are irrelevant in football because managers can have three, four, five-year contracts and if results aren’t good enough then you accept that’s time to part ways.
“Why would I be any different? I’m not arrogant enough to think that having a contract should protect me in any way from results.”
Southgate led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and a first European Championship final in 2021.
However, they have failed to score from open play in more than eight hours, with Harry Kane’s penalty against Germany their only goal in the past five games.
Although Southgate has the Football Association’s support, he was booed by some England supporters during June’s 4-0 thrashing by Hungary at Molineux, and by away fans in the San Siro on Friday.
“Of course we understand how the mood changes with the results, and it has changed,” Southgate said.
“I am realistic about that. I’ll be judged on what’s delivered in Qatar and I am perfectly happy to be judged in that way.
“History is history. You’re judged on the next match and you’re judged on the next tournament.”
He added: “I’m not the first coach to go through a difficult time in terms of results and criticism.
“That is part of the territory. For me, it’s a great challenge to lead the team through a moment like this.
“You are not going to have six years as we’ve had without a spell where you are going to have some tough results, and you’ve got to show resilience to come through those moments.”
England’s game against Germany at Wembley is their last outing before the 2022 World Cup, which starts in Qatar in November.
Winger Raheem Sterling said: “It’s been a tough period but I don’t think any of the boys will be thinking that we don’t have a good chance in the winter – that’s the belief that we have as a group.
“The results don’t show that right now but I strongly believe, with the boys, that when we go over there in the winter that we’ll have a good one.
“There’s no need to panic. These results are bad but we’ve got good things to come.”
