England boss Gareth Southgate looks to Euro 96 and Italia 90 for inspiration… but not for the reason you’d expect
MISTY-EYED fans still reminisce about Italia ’90 and Euro ’96 when England went all the way to both semi-finals before losing to Germany on penalties.
Yet in each tournament, it is conveniently forgotten that, for the most part, the Three Lions were bloody awful before getting to within touching distance of the final.
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England boss Gareth Southgate is acutely aware that his team have not exactly set Euro 2024 alight.
They are unbelievably fortunate not to be back home after scraping a 2-1 win over Slovakia on Sunday.
There are obvious parallels between Euro 2024 and the World Cup 34 years ago when David Platt struck a career-defining volleyed winner in the last minute of extra-time for a 1-0 win over Belgium in the Last 16.
That magical moment in Bologna not only helped prevent the game going to penalties but it followed a really poor group stage under then boss Sir Bobby Robson.
Another iconic moment was Paul Gascoigne’s individual goal which sealed a 2-0 win over Scotland in the group stages of Euro ’96, after the Scots had missed a penalty.
Even so, under Terry Venables, England still failed to impress for much of the Euros on home soil.
So now, Southgate hopes Jude Bellingham’s blockbuster overhead kick – which could also prove to be an iconic goal like Platt’s — can help change the narrative of what has been a poor tournament so far for the bookies’ favourites. Currently, they do not look like potential champions.
Hoping for a massive improvement against Switzerland in the last eight on Saturday, Southgate said: “Everybody now, 30-odd years on, looks back at ’96 — that I played in — in a different way to how it was at the time.
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“We were bang average against Switzerland, we were the same against Scotland.
“And Scotland missed a penalty at 1-0. Spain should have beaten us in a 0-0 draw.
“Also, 1990 was similar, so you do go through these moments in tournaments.
“We know we should be better than we’ve been but I’m saying that we’ve ended up with a lot of young players in important positions and are trying to solve problems, right the way through the four weeks of the camp.
“But the stand-out thing is the way the players are dealing with it. Their togetherness, their spirit.
“You could see that with the boys that went on but also the boys that came off and the way that they were up and supporting the group. So that is giving us a chance.
“I know that we’ve got to be better and we’ve got a very tough team to prepare for. So I’m already on to that. But I am so proud of the players.
“I have to say they’re all impressing me — that group that hasn’t played yet, Joe Gomez, Lewis Dunk, Ezri Konsa before the Slovakia game, also Ivan Toney. They’re all playing a part in preparing the team and it’s so important.
Team unity
“If you’ve got any sort of fracture in the camp at a tournament, you’re in trouble.
“And those guys, they’re training well, they’re with the group and they’re socially good. I can’t speak highly enough about all of them. What can’t be questioned is the togetherness of the group, the way they’re fighting for each other.
“And in knockout football that can be as important as everything else.”
Back in 1990, Robson faced the type of fierce criticism back home that Southgate is suffering now.
Equally, Southgate is still paying the price for his poor squad selection before the tournament.
England have a major issue at the back as Marc Guehi is suspended.
Wrong team selections
It looks as though Southgate will start Ezri Konsa, who has played just five times for the senior team with only two starts.
Although Harry Maguire failed to make the squad due to injury, he would easily have been fit by now — while Eric Dier would also have been a perfect replacement.
The decision to include Brighton defender Dunk after an average season, was just plain weird.
And in the second period of extra-time, when England seemed to be doing their best to give Slovakia a way back, the experience of Jordan Henderson — regardless of the way his season ended with Ajax — would have been vital.
Instead, Southgate will once again start with 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo who has certainly done better in central midfield than either Trent Alexander-Arnold or Conor Gallagher.
But against a more experienced team like Switzerland, this will be a real test for him off the ball.
Palmer should start
Yet England’s best performer against Slovakia was substitute Cole Palmer, 22, and he simply HAS to start in Dusseldorf.
Southgate said: “There’s that uninhibited style that he brings.
“He can throw people off balance. He can open things up. Of course when you come on, as the opposition are tiring, there’s a different picture.
“So the job that the guys are doing at the start is also important.”
Remarkably, considering England’s positivity going into the tournament, the Swiss will be many people’s favourites as they look a far better, balanced team.
And Southgate said: “I think they’re excellent.
“I’ve thought that for a few years, really. They have had some consistency in what they do for a long time.
“Their system is difficult to press. They’ve got good rotation.
“Once they’ve been ahead they have been really difficult to break down.
“So they are a very good side as they showed against Germany and as they showed against Italy.”
England ratings: Bellingham rescues woeful Three Lions as big names, and manager, have a shocker
JUDE BELLINGHAM’S majestic overhead kick deep into stoppage time saved England from a humiliating Euros exit.
Gareth Southgate’s side had been utterly woeful and looked to be heading home thanks to Ivan Schranz’s clever finish.
But Bellingham came to the rescue in the 96th minute, brilliantly firing into the corner after Marc Guehi had flicked on Kyle Walker’s long throw.
Remarkably, it was England’s first shot on target, summing how poor they had been.
But another one came soon after, as 53 seconds into extra-time, Harry Kane headed home from close range to set up a quarter-final with Switzerland.
It was as close a shave as it comes, and if they play like this against the Swiss, then they will be toast.
Here’s how Tom Barclay rated England’s stars… and manager Southgate.
Jordan Pickford: 5
Appeared to hurt his left hand when taking a big whack in the warm-up, but still played. Fired a lot of long balls and was lucky not to be lobbed by David Strelec’s 45-yard strike.
Kyle Walker: 4
England’s second-most experienced player had a shocker. He looked uncharacteristically slow, his touch was heavy and his crossing was nowhere near good enough. But it was his long throw that led to Bellingham’s magic.
John Stones: 4
Said it was time for the senior pros to step up in the build-up to the game, but there was little sign of that until Bellingham did his thing, and he is only 21. Stones fired aimless long balls, gave it away and it was his mistake that almost led to Strelec’s trying his luck from range.
Marc Guehi: 5
Booked early after Kieran Trippier’s underhit pass meant he had to take out the excellent David Strelec, meaning he is out of the quarter-final. Ivan Schranz bamboozled him for Slovakia’s opener but his flick-on to Bellingham brought the leveller.
Kieran Trippier: 4
When Jude Bellingham’s good ball found Trippier on the edge of the box early doors, on his favoured right foot, you thought, ‘Here we go’. He smashed it into Row Z.
Declan Rice: 5
An old-school reducer on Juraj Kucka was a fair tackle, even if it left the 37-year-old hobbling. His curling effort with ten minutes to go cracked against the post.
Kobbie Mainoo: 6
FIRST start at a major tournament and our only decent performer in an horrendous first half from England. Blasted a volley over but was also booked for a late tackle.
Bukayo Saka: 5
We all know what a fantastic player Saka is for Arsenal, and for England in games gone by, but he rarely threatened here. Did go the distance though, and in a number of positions.
Jude Bellingham: 7 and STAR MAN
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. He had underwhelmed again until the 96th minute, but who cares when you step up like that.
Phil Foden: 4
Thought he had levelled early in the second half but his tap-in was ruled out by VAR after he was caught being, inexplicably, offside. Just off it all night, in danger of being dropped.
Harry Kane: 6
Still way off his best – he was nowhere to be seen in the first half and missed a free header after the break – but got it right when it counted in extra time.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Cole Palmer (on for Kieran Trippier, 66): 7
FANS were on their feet applauding when Southgate finally made a change and brought him on. So lively and with a lovely delivery, must be in with a chance of starting against the Swiss.
Eberechi Eze (on for Kobbie Mainoo, 84): 6
Did enough to put off Slovak full-back Peter Pekarik from turning home at close range in extra-time. Looked like he had been hit by a train when Denis Vavro walloped into him.
Ivan Toney (on for Phil Foden, 90): 7
GRABBED the assist for Kane’s winner by flicking on after a free-kick – which he had won with his strength – had been cleared.
Conor Gallagher (on for Harry Kane, 105): 6
Southgate rolled the dice in extra-time by trying to shut the game out, taking his captain off for the Chelsea midfielder.
Ezri Konsa (on for Jude Bellingham, 105): 6
Ditto to Gallagher as Konsa got his first minutes of the tournament in place of the hero Bellingham, which felt a risky strategy.
MANAGER
Gareth Southgate: 3.
A lucky, lucky man. Tactically, his team were all long ball, lacked any movement, and did not conjure up a shot on target until Bellingham’s wonder strike – and that came from Walker chucking it in the mixer. Subs took ages in the 90 and then felt risky as he sought to see the game out in extra-time.