- Author, Phil McNulty
- Role, Chief football writer in Berlin
England manager Gareth Southgate stood motionless and alone with his thoughts as a familiar scene unfolded in front of him and his players at Berlin’s historic Olympiastadion.
The credits were rolling on another tale of gallant England defeat, with Spain celebrating a fully deserved 2-1 win as Euro 2024 got the winners it deserved in the shape of Luis de la Fuente’s outstanding team.
For Southgate, who then moved to console his devastated players, it was a fourth successive major tournament when England went close but not close enough – the rinse-and-repeat theme of his eight years as manager.
It may seem harsh to describe Southgate and England as a nearly manager and a nearly team, but the consistent inability to get over the line when opportunities such as this present themselves, as they have in each of those tournaments, leave them open to those charges.
‘Southgate left to face brutal reality – Spain were too good’
Standing in close attendance to Southgate was crestfallen England captain Harry Kane at the end of a contrary Euro 2024 campaign. Though he shared the Golden Boot, Kane performed in such laboured fashion it was difficult to avoid the conclusion that time was catching up with the team’s all-time record goalscorer.
Kane – a fitness doubt coming into the tournament – scored three goals at Euro 2024 but was so far off the standards he has set himself in a stellar career that it was no surprise when he was replaced by Ollie Watkins after 61 minutes. England’s fans, for their part, had loudly demanded the Aston Villa striker’s introduction from early in the second half.
While Southgate has had those four attempts at ending a sequence without success for the men’s team that will now stand at 60 years by the time the 2026 World Cup comes around, another chance for Kane to win the first trophy of his career has passed painfully by.
They will both have much to ponder as England fly home at the end of a tournament in which they have rarely hit the heights. Having flown by the seat of their pants as they came within 86 seconds of defeat against Slovakia in the last 16, they came from behind to beat Switzerland on penalties in the last eight, then dragged back another deficit to overcome the Netherlands to reach this final.
Southgate said he believed in dreams the night before the final but was left to face only brutal reality as Spain simply proved too good for England. There is no shame in that – but there was a gulf between the teams when measured in class and creativity that was stark and chastening.
England could not perform their escape act against this impressive Spain side. There was to be no late comeback despite substitute Cole Palmer cancelling out Nico Williams’ opener before Mikel Oyarzabal’s winner four minutes from time.
It was a chance for history and immortality for Southgate and England – a tilt at redemption following the Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy on penalties at Wembley. Instead, it was the same old story.
England’s latest disappointment can be added to that loss as well as the World Cup semi-final defeat by Croatia in 2018 and the last-eight reverse to France at the 2022 World Cup.
He deserves credit and respect for the manner in which he has restored England to the later rounds of major tournaments while repairing a badly damaged reputation, but it is also hard to escape the sense it may now be time for fresh voices to revitalise a squad that is rich in promise but has come up short too often.
Euro 2024 has not been easy for Southgate, despite reaching the final.
As someone who has always had a keen antennae for the dangers of becoming a divisive force and a negative influence on England, Southgate was clearly wounded by the personal abuse he received, including having three plastic beer cups thrown in his direction after the draw with Slovenia.
The fractures with England’s supporters were healed by passage into the final, but this will all come into his decision-making process over the coming days.
‘The mainstay, leader and inspiration – now there are questions over Kane’
In a development no-one saw coming at the start of Euro 2024, there must also be questions over Kane – the mainstay, leader and inspiration of the Southgate era.
Was Euro 2024 simply an ill-timed tournament for a world-class player struggling at the end of a long season with Bayern Munich and carrying an injury – or was it the first significant sign that his best years are behind him?
Kane’s performances in Germany actually made a case for his exclusion against Spain after Watkins’ stunning contribution in the semi-final, but dropping your captain with a proven track record as a match-winner for a European Championship final is easy to talk about but very difficult to do.
And given Kane’s history, he was still the player Southgate would want the big chance to fall to. The problem was Kane’s lack of mobility and leg-weary body language meant he never got into any serious scoring positions.
The striker who has scored 66 times for England only touched the ball 13 times in Berlin, leaving Southgate to make the choice many would have regarded as unthinkable before Euro 2024 by hauling him off with the game still finely balanced.
Kane’s lack of stamina can be summed by the damning statistic that this was the fifth time he was substituted here in Germany. He looks like a player in need of a long rest to rediscover his lost spark.
England have been largely indifferent in Germany, so it is a tribute to the resilience Southgate has instilled and the individual brilliance of Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Watkins that they fought their way through to a final. They were nowhere near their best but this was still a creditable achievement.
Southgate spoke about the physical issues that undermined England’s squad but the manager got his midfield wrong for the first three games – including the failed “experiment” of using Trent Alexander-Arnold in an unaccustomed role, then replacing Conor Gallagher at half-time against Slovenia.
The switch to a three-man defensive system, then reverting to a back four against Spain, worked up to a point but hinted at muddled thinking.
Irrespective of whether Southgate stays or goes, England’s squad may need further adjusting with Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier, now 34 and 33 respectively, surely nearing the end of their international careers.
There is rich promise and great hope in the younger brigade such as Bellingham, Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Adam Wharton, while defender John Stones and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford were near flawless in Germany.
Whether Southgate is around to continue England’s building process must be in serious doubt, while Kane’s fitness and contribution will be under close scrutiny after such a poor tournament.
Southgate admitted on the eve of the Euro 2024 final that he wanted to win “so badly it hurts” – but both he and England were once again left to feel the same old pain of defeat.