Jawad Iqbal Jawad Iqbal

Can Gareth Southgate’s luck last?

Gareth Southgate (Photo: Getty)

Watching England play in Euro 24 in Germany really is some form of exquisite torture. There is nothing about this team or this manager that inspires confidence but they continue to defy the sceptics. They are now through to the quarter-finals of the tournament after beating Slovakia in the last-16 knockout tie in Gelsenkirchen. They may not deserve to be there, but frankly who cares? A win is a win. England played poorly all game and didn’t have a single shot on target in the match – until the very last minute of injury time when Jude Bellingham scored a spectacular overhead kick. A moment of brilliance from a player who has lacked consistency in the tournament so far. His goal forced the game into extra time, and within a minute of the restart, Harry Kane headed England into the lead. Two moments of magic that turned the match on its head. Football can be the cruellest of sports and Slovakia deserved more after their performance but out they go.

This England team is filled with outstanding talent but continues to play like a bunch of footballing no-hopers

It could all have turned out very differently though.

Written by
Jawad Iqbal

Jawad Iqbal is a broadcaster and ex-television news executive. Jawad is a former Visiting Senior Fellow in the Institute of Global Affairs at the LSE

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