AND so, the wait goes on. It is now 58 years since England won their one and only major trophy, and by the time the next World Cup takes place in North America, the wait will have stretched to six decades. Gareth Southgate has transformed so much of English football during his managerial tenure, but winning silverware is a hurdle that remains impossible to overcome.
For the second European Championships in a row, England were found wanting in the final. Three years ago, at Wembley, Italy needed penalties to beat Southgate’s side. Last night, in Berlin’s Olympiastadion, Spain got the job in normal time thanks to substitute Mikel Oyarzabal;s 86th-minute strike.
England, outplayed for long spells, spent most of the second half trailing after Nico Williams opened the scoring two minutes after the break, but levelled when Cole Palmer fired home a brilliant low finish within three minutes of leaving the bench. Once again, England were reliant on a super-sub. As a result, it is hard not to wonder what might have happened had Southgate given his replacements more of a chance from the start of games.
Watkins, whose semi-final winner took England to Berlin, and Palmer, whose superb finish in the final was in keeping with his domestic performances for Chelsea, surely deserved more minutes than they were afforded. Instead, Southgate kept faith with Harry Kane, who underperformed again last night, and Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, who shone sporadically without ever really threateni.
