'England have the best squad, but not the best team'

So close, and yet so far for England - again. Gareth Southgate's side reached the final for a second successive European Championship, only to fall short of ending the men's team's wait of more than half a century for a major trophy. Their journey to Berlin, where they were beaten 2-1 by Spain on Sunday, was far from smooth.

At times there was criticism of England's style of play and the failure to best utilise a squad packed with young, attacking talent. The final followed a similar pattern to their other knockout games - concede the first goal and then mount a comeback - but it was Spain who found a late winner on this occasion. Were England "brave enough"? Did they "roll the dice" when required in Germany? Should this disappointment be the cue for a tactical reset? In the final, England had 35% possession, nine attempts at goal compared to Spain's 16, and 16 touches in the opposition's penalty area compared to 30 for Spain.

Ex-England striker Gary Lineker said on BBC One that it was a "heartbreaking defeat for England, but in some ways a victory for attacking football". Rio Ferdinand and Chris Sutton were among those of the opinion that England had not been sufficiently "brave" during their time in Germany. "Whenever these players in this England team have won things with their clubs, they've got the quality, but they're all brave in the big moments," said former England centre-back Ferdinand on BBC One.

"They're courageous, they take risks, they take chances. They don't w.