England and their manager Gareth Southgate fell short once more, losing 2-1 to Spain in the Euro 24 final. Spain gave England a lesson in attacking football, dominating possession and controlling the match for long periods. The Spanish are the deserving champions of Europe for a record fourth time. And England? They hardly turned up, only coming to life after they went behind early in the second half to a goal from Spain’s man of the match, Nico Williams. Even when England equalised, thanks to a brilliant goal from the substitute Cole Palmer, Spain didn’t miss a beat. The match-winner, scored by Mikel Oyarzabal in the 86th minute, had a certain inevitability about it.
Southgate has still not managed to impose any distinct style of play
So, the interminable wait goes on for England to win a major international tournament: 58 years and counting. This defeat must surely signal the end of Southgate’s reign as England manager.
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