Southgate was unable to get a squad packed with some of the world's top players to gel. They did reach the final of the Euro's but limped through every game underperforming. They needed spectacular second half injury time equaliser in an earlier round to survive. They were monumentally outplayed in the final by Spain who were a fluid team able to defend and attack well.
Southgate has never been able to coordinate effective attacking play. He can organise a defence as an ex defensive international. But my criticisms of him this time are restricted because it looked like many in the England squad had simply played too much football and needed resting at the end of the season. But Southgate kept picking star players where that was obviously the case and particularly Harry Kane. Harry Kane not being fit was an important component of why England couldn't retain possession up front. He was way off it.
So did Southgate cost England the Euro Championship. On balance no.
Fair enough. I didn’t want to get too much into performances in this piece. Nagelsmann pethaps a good example of a manager who got his team playing very good (and much improved) football but fell short in this tournament.
Southgate was unable to get a squad packed with some of the world's top players to gel. They did reach the final of the Euro's but limped through every game underperforming. They needed spectacular second half injury time equaliser in an earlier round to survive. They were monumentally outplayed in the final by Spain who were a fluid team able to defend and attack well.
Southgate has never been able to coordinate effective attacking play. He can organise a defence as an ex defensive international. But my criticisms of him this time are restricted because it looked like many in the England squad had simply played too much football and needed resting at the end of the season. But Southgate kept picking star players where that was obviously the case and particularly Harry Kane. Harry Kane not being fit was an important component of why England couldn't retain possession up front. He was way off it.
So did Southgate cost England the Euro Championship. On balance no.
Fair enough. I didn’t want to get too much into performances in this piece. Nagelsmann pethaps a good example of a manager who got his team playing very good (and much improved) football but fell short in this tournament.