New Delhi: England came close to clinching a major international trophy after 58 years, but yet again they came short. Even though Gareth Southgate’s leadership helped the Three Lions reach two consecutive European Championship finals, they ultimately failed to get the job done. Cole Palmer’s exquisite strike brought back hopes for the English against Spain, but the late goal from Oyarzabal settled the match once and for all.
Harry Kane and Gareth Southgate end another international tournament without an international trophy to their name. England, led by Gareth Southgate, faced a critical moment in the Euro 2024 final against Spain. Star players like Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, and Phil Foden struggled to score consistently, which hindered England’s chances against the in-form Spanish side. Moreover, the inability to contain the opposition attacks and produce an impactful performance at the end resulted in their loss in the UEFA Euro 2024 final against Italy, and now against Spain in the UEFA Euro 2024 final.
This weakness was glaringly evident when they couldn’t equalize against Spain, despite showing flashes of their potential. England came into Euro 2024 as one of the favourites, but their reliance on established stars rather than exploring new strategies hurt their chances. Gareth Southgate stuck with familiar methods, which may have contributed to their loss at such a crucial stage, having to wait even more for a chance to clinch an international trophy. Now, England must reflect deeply on their future direction and consider adapting their approach to stay competitive on the global stage.
1) Gareth Southgate substituted Harry Kane in the 60th minute
BERLIN, GERMANY – JULY 14: Harry Kane of England passing dejected the European Championship Trophy during the EURO match between Spain v England at the Olympiastadium on July 14, 2024 in Berlin Germany (Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Gareth Southgate surprisingly subbed off the England National Football Team captain in the 60th minute. The 30-year-old striker is the top scorer for England and one of the top scorers of the UEFA Euro 2024, and his presence on the field are certain components that helped England reach the final. Even though Harry Kane failed to put the ball inside the net a couple of times, his positioning and ability to drag the defenders helped players like Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, and Bukayo find space to hurt their opponents on their road to the final.
The English manager chose to bring on Ollie Watkins in place of Kane in an absurd substitution. England were trailing, and rather than putting Watkins on the field with Kane, he took off their talisman. This decision might have cost England the chance to equalise in the latter stages of the match. Harry Kane scored against Slovakia in the first half of the extra-time, helping England from the crunches to qualify for the next round. With three goals to his name, he was indeed one of the key players for England on the field and yet he was brought off early in the second half by the English manager.
2) Another final, same old story
MAGALUF, MALLORCA, BALEARIC ISLA, SPAIN – JULY 15: Dozens of English fans watch the match on July 14, 2024 in Magaluf, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. Spain and England are competing at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin for the title of champions of Euro 2024, which kicked off on June 14. (Photo By Isaac Buj/Europa Press via Getty Images)
England’s wait will extend to 60 years, with FIFA World Cup 2026 providing the next chance for the Three Lions to win a major international trophy after decades of wait. Even though the team qualified for two consecutive European Championship finals (UEFA Euro 2020 & 2024), the failure to be courageous and seize the opportunity has hurt Gareth Southgate’s side yet again. Cole Palmer’s equaliser seemed to have turned the tide, but the English players got carried away and it resulted in Oyzarzabal’s 86th-minute goal, resulting in be winner for Spain.
The lack of motivation and “clutch” attitude within the club ranks have once again resulted in a failure for the England National Football Team. Stars like Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham failed to be the difference for Gareth Southgate. The reluctance to change and trust on swaud players halted a golden chance for the English fans finally see a trophy come “home”.
Rio Ferdinand shared his thoughts on the situation in the team. He told BBC: “Every fan would have been asking why have we waited until we go a goal down to let the shackles off and start going at them. It wasn’t really until Ollie Watkins came on and started pressing from the front, the two centre-backs I said at half-time had cigars out for most of that first half.”
He notably talked about Southgate’s approach of sitting back even when England were on the back foot. He said to BBC, “Cole Palmer comes on, slots one home. But we’ve had to wait for so long, why should we have to wait for that long to be able to be on the front foot and be aggressive when we’ve got such quality players all over the park?”
England fail to win an international accolade yet again. Gareth Southgate’s reluctance resulted in another heartbreaking night for the English fans. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
