The Writing Was on the Wall for Southgate and England 

Gareth Southgate looking sad
Gareth Southgate (Credit: Belish / bigstock)

The vast majority of people in England were hoping for the best on Sunday night, many very optimistic of an England win.

As Euro 2024 unfolded, Spain entered the final as favourites against a lacklustre England. So, why all the confidence beforehand and was it badly misplaced?

Well, yes and no. England have played at just about the same level throughout Gareth Southgate’s tenure. On that score, no more should have been expected. But they do possess the best pool of individual talent in the world and it’s fair to have expected more.

The writing was indeed on the wall for the England fans and now major questions are being asked as to whether Southgate really did everything he could with this squad of players.

Were the Right Players Picked Each Time?

After England lost yet another tight game against Spain in Berlin, Southgate finally admitted to some issues regarding Harry Kane’s fitness.

Southgate spoke about the fact we “can’t hide” Kane’s fitness problems – so why play him? The decision to continuously do so is right in line with the sort of footballing cognitive dissonance Southgate has shown time and time again.

One of the soundbites to have continued to come back to bite Gareth Southgate is his previous insistence that he would play players in form. There was to be no closed shop, no old boys club. The best players of their time would get into the England team. That patently hasn’t happened.

Square Pegs, Round Holes

Square peg round holeBoth at this tournament and at previous World Cups, Kyle Walker has been moved into a back three. The guy who spends every game attacking down the right for a dominant Man City team now needs to play in a back three.

Saka started on the wing before being asked to be a wing-back. This is NOT a position he plays in for Arsenal.

Kieron Tripper is a competent left-back but no more. He stars for Newcastle as their captain week in and week out as, yes, an attacking right-back. This is not where he plays for England.

Foden has done all of his best work in the middle for Man City recently, having previously been a right-winger who comes inside onto his left foot. Where did he start the tournament for England? Out on the left.

These players and others are picked on their merits. They are excellent for their clubs every week in their position, but then are either not chosen for England or are asked to play out of position. It simply doesn’t work. Some of the in-form talent has in fact been criminally underused.

Top Talent Not Used

Southgate once promised England fans that he would pick players on merit. The best current English players should be getting into the squad. Football can be very simple, can’t it?

We can see however that it hasn’t been happening, case in point Anthony Gordon.

During an injury-hit Champions League campaign and one in which Newcastle United still finished seventh in the Premier League, Anthony Gordon was their star man. He was player of the season in a team that contains Alex Isak and Bruno Guimaraes. He is outstanding.

Gordon was picked in the England squad ahead of Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford before being given a matter of a handful of minutes during the group stages. That is an unthinkable decision from the manager.

Spain’s right back, Carvajal, did an awful lot of attacking in the Euro 2024 final. That is something he couldn’t do with Gordon to worry about, a winger who runs with the ball and attracts numerous defenders towards him leaving space in the middle. That was desperately needed and it was available to England.

Changes Were Possible

As well as Gordon, Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins have been brilliant for their clubs, so why not play them? It’s been discussed already at length that England’s midfield cannot control big games and maintain possession. OK, so play to our own strengths instead.

England have the best attacking players in the world at a time when 5 substitutions are allowed. If Saka isn’t creating chances, bring on Palmer. If Foden can’t do it, bring on Gordon. Kane isn’t fit? Watkins is there. Even then, England would still have had the back-up of Bowen, Eze, Toney and the likes.

Why were so many attacking players taken to the Euros if they weren’t going to be used?

Southgate Was Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Gareth Southgate - rock and a hard place
Credit: canno73 / bigstock

It seems clear that Gareth Southgate just cannot allow himself to let his teams go for the jugular and attack.

When a solid, defensive set-up hasn’t won you trophies before, why not change and just go for it? Such a move would have also brought such brilliant support from those in the stands looking to be entertained as well as win.

If Southgate wants a defensive line-up, fine. Why not bring more full-backs as back-up? Why not bring Branthwaite and the likes and keep the hard-worked defence fresh instead of a bunch of attacking players he clearly had no intention of using?

No Congratulations for Final Appearance

We are seeing the usual divide here when it comes to pros and fans. Managers have pals in the media – pundits and the like. The fans’ frustrations are routinely stomped on with the negative manager in question continuously defended.

However, it is time now to finally stop congratulating Southgate for reaching semi-finals and finals. We’ve seen this all before.

Back in 1996, England had home advantage in the Euros with players like Shearer and Gascoigne to call on and frankly, all things being equal, should have won that tournament. Similar applies now.

England and Gareth Southgate had at their disposal the best group of attacking players at Euro 2024. Even more they couldn’t bring would still get into other top sides, including the Spanish one.

When you have that many top players to choose from, most of the hard work is done for you. England and Gareth Southgate didn’t just fail to win the Euros, but they were also utterly boring to watch which is quite an achievement given the pool they have to pick from.

The thing is, it was in the form book and we should have seen it coming a mile off.