Southgate’s EURO Final Decisions

For the second European Championship final in a row, England is left badly hurting. The Three Lions came up short against Spain in Berlin’s showcase on Sunday evening, failing to live up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites against a side that has been the best team of the summer. Here are three key issues that led to England’s downfall in the final.

Formation Change: A Tactical Misstep?

Luke Shaw’s return was undoubtedly the right call – the Manchester United left-back thoroughly impressed against Lamine Yamal. However, Gareth Southgate’s decision to shift away from the 3-4-2-1 formation that had brought success earlier in the knockout stages was a bold one.

Reverting to the 4-2-3-1 formation raised questions about the best way to fit England’s star players together. Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham all failed to showcase their best form in the final, leaving fans yearning for the positivity shown in the quarter-final and semi-final.

Defensive Mindset: Playing It Safe

England took the game to the Netherlands in the semi-final, impressing to such a point that many fans were confident heading into the final against Spain. However, from the first whistle, it was clear that the Three Lions were going to sit back and defend rather than attack.

They fought through the first half but immediately fell behind following the restart. As has been the case too often this summer, England only came to life when they went behind. Cole Palmer’s equaliser was deserved but not enough. What could have been if England had taken a more aggressive approach from the start?

Starting Harry Kane: A Missed Opportunity?

Harry Kane was never going to be dropped for this game, despite falling short of expectations this summer. Kane spent the first 60 minutes of the game failing to ask any questions of Robin Le Normand or Aymeric Laporte in Spain’s back line. When he was unsurprisingly hooked on the hour mark, England came to life.

Ollie Watkins’ desire to run beyond the defence actually caused problems for Spain. Had Southgate started Watkins, one of the best strikers in the EPL and whose heroics against the Netherlands would have earned him a start in nearly any other national team, perhaps England could have been celebrating on Sunday evening.

Conclusion

England’s tactical decisions and mindset in the final against Spain led to their downfall. While the team has shown great promise, these critical errors highlight areas for improvement as they look to future tournaments. The hope remains that the lessons learned from this defeat will pave the way for success in the next European Championship.