England made history at Euro 2024 by reaching a major tournament final on foreign soil for the first time. Surely, therefore, they can be happy with their campaign despite the disappointment of losing to Spain on Sunday? If only it were that simple.
Tournaments are all about binary outcomes, you are either still alive or knocked out, and England’s outcome was more than respectable. However, their seven matches analysed as a whole reveal a team who were distinctly unimpressive.
With the exception of a bright first 30 minutes in the opening game against Serbia and the first half of the semi-final against Netherlands, England were stodgy, unbalanced and disconnected.
Gareth Southgate’s mid-tournament tweak to a hybrid formation that combined a back four and five improved matters, and his substitutions against the Dutch were game-changing.
It always felt that England’s manager was trying to build the plane mid-flight as he grasped for tactical solutions, and his team were beaten by a Spain team with a clearer identity.
These are the numbers that tell the story of an underwhelming tournament for England.
Shot-shy attack
In Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane, England lined up with a front four which produced 104 club goals between them in all competitions last season. At Euro 2024 though, it was an uphill struggle for England to create just one high-quality chance.
England ranked 18th out of 24 teams at the tournament for shots on goal at 10.9 per 90 minutes, leaving them sandwiched between a shockingly limited Italy team and Hungary. By contrast, Germany, Spain and Portugal all averaged more than 17 shots per game.
This should not be pinned on England’s offensive players, necessarily. When four individuals of proven quality are all struggling to get a sight of goal, it suggests a systemic problem. England emphasised conservative ball retention as a means to control games and protect their defence, but this allowed opponents to drop back into a set defensive shape.