Gareth Southgate still holds up Euro 96 as the great example of gloss being put on a tournament. That is now painted as the summer of love, heady days at Wembley and Southgate’s penalty shoot-out heartbreak after he missed in the semi final defeat to Germany. But, as Southgate recalls, England were “bang average” at times during the tournament but in football no-one remembers how you got there.
Just that you made it through. England were pretty woeful in Italia 90 with Gary Lineker and Co - they drew with Holland and Republic of Ireland before narrowly beating Egypt in the group - before reaching the semi final and they came home as heroes. That is the reality now for England in this Euros.
They have not played well for four games and yet somehow find themselves in a quarter final with Switzerland on Saturday. Jude Bellingham ’s incredible last gasp overhead kick can be the catalyst just as David Platt’s spectacular winner to beat Belgium in Italia 90. Or David Seaman’s heroics in the shoot-out to beat Spain in Euro 96.
You need moments to galvanise a squad. Bellingham might have provided it for England ahead of Switzerland. And if they can go all the way then everything that went before will quickly be forgotten.
Southgate said: “Everybody now, 30 years on, looks back at 96 that I played in in a different way to how it was at the time. “We were bang average against Switzerland, we were the same against Scotland . Scotland missed a penalty at 1-0.
Spain should.
