Gareth Southgate Must Change Now to Win Euro 2024

At the end it was all rather reminiscent of the last time England won a last-16 tie at a Euros.

As Gareth Southgate emerged from a deep embrace with his No 2 Steve Holland, his players lined up before the travelling supporters to hear the strains of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline booming from the stadium tannoy.

That last occasion came three years ago at Wembley. England had just beaten Germany and it was a victory that set their championship alight. In some ways that win propelled England into games won well against Ukraine and Denmark and into the final.

England had been unconvincing at that tournament up until that point but they were not from then on. Southgate and his players need to find a little of that over the coming days. It is their greatest hope of shaking off the difficulties of the last fortnight in Germany and coming alive.

Southgate joined his players in front of the England supporters on Sunday night. This time there were no plastic beer cups landing at his feet, but the England manager will know how close he came. He was 90 seconds from the end of his reign and ending his tenure on 99 games.

Gareth Southgate had to rely on a late show to turn around what had been a dismal display

Instead, thanks to one magical swish of the right foot of a player he refused to give up on, Southgate has another chance. Jude Bellingham saved him this time, but by the time England head to Dusseldorf on Saturday to face Switzerland he will have to have found a way to motivate and drive his players to something above and beyond what they served up here.

This was thrilling and dramatic and in the end it was an evening full of joy. It was a night to marvel at how quickly sport can turn, how one moment of spellbinding brilliance can turn a contest and maybe even a whole summer on its head. The fact that one England goal became two so quickly says everything for the way football can swing. England have spent a fortnight looking like a sick animal waiting to be put out of its misery. Slovakia — ranked 45th in the world — seemed equipped for the task.

But big moments and big goals can inject belief, purpose and energy into tired footballers, as was the case when David Platt’s late volley won a game against Belgium at the same stage of Italia 90.

Jude Bellingham produced a moment of magic to ensure Southgate kept his job as manager

After unconvincing at the tournament so far, England must use this win to find another level

In short, England and their manager must feed off this now. Strangely, they will feel better on Monday morning than at any time since Bellingham scored against Serbia two weeks ago. Since that goal went in, everything England had done until he scored again here had taken them on a steady journey towards indignity.

This may have been one of Southgate’s most memorable nights in his eight years in the job but it’s hard to say much of what happened reflected well on him.

This was, for the main part, a night that saw England represent and reflect their manager in all the wrong ways. They were hesitant, cautious, uninspired and stuck in the bad habits that have set in during this tournament.

Southgate, as predicted, picked a safe team and what he got by way of return was another predictable performance. At times, as his team passed their way sideways and backwards, it seemed as though their manager was stuck fast, tied up in knots by his own safety-first ideology.

England were wretched during the first half and by the time they reached the dressing room they were drowning. Southgate did nothing, though. He did not make any changes or tactical tweaks. Not until Kieran Tripper succumbed to an injury in the second half did Cole Palmer get his opportunity. Not until three minutes from the end of the 96 minutes of play did Ivan Toney come on. The Brentford striker’s performance went on to become quite profound.

England were hesitant, cautious, uninspired and stuck in bad habits for most of the clash

Yet despite this, Southgate failed to make a change until Kieran Trippier picked up an injury

The longer it all went on, the more it looked as if Southgate was going to perish having provided his many critics with all the ammunition they required. Naysayers could have presented an anti-Southgate checklist with all the boxes checked.

So the question now is not whether England’s players learn from this dramatic volte face, but can their manager also?

It seems inconceivable that Southgate can field the same XI against the bright and inventive Swiss in Dusseldorf.

He has shown admirable loyalty towards Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, for example, but both faltered here again. If Chelsea’s young dynamo Palmer doesn’t start against the Swiss, he may wonder when he ever will.

From the depths of a performance that threatened to be every bit as dismal as against Iceland at this stage of the 2016 Euros, England have somehow managed to swim to the surface and now they will breath the rich clean air of opportunity ahead of their next challenge.

Southgate must switch things up for the quarter-final vs Switzerland if England are to succeed

Southgate has shown admirable loyalty towards Phil Foden (above) and Bukayo Saka, for example, but both faltered here again. Cole Palmer must start, and he has to be more ruthless

Southgate is not blind. He will be fully aware of what he saw here. Even Bellingham — as magnificent as his equaliser was — had been wretched for most of the night.

If his team really are to change, then Southgate must change too. He must lead and he must set an example and the right tone. It’s what good managers do at this level when their players really need them.

If everything has felt a little cosy and comfortable with England out here, then it’s time for Southgate to change it up.

As strange as it sounds after so much of what we have seen in Germany, England find themselves in a great position in Euro 2024 now. It would be criminal to waste it.

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