England once again secured their place in the next round of the European Championship with a last-minute goal, this time at the expense of the Netherlands. In the aftermath, The Guardian published a commentary suggesting that a series of comeback victories have fundamentally altered the team’s character, all thanks to the evolving prowess of manager Gareth Southgate.
The article highlights how Southgate, seemingly a technical coach, has transformed into a bold risk-taker, delivering a game whose course was perplexing but ended remarkably well. It specifically mentions England’s historical struggle of gaining an early lead in major matches only to fail to hold on to victory. This time, Southgate opted for a counter-punching strategy to steadily advance.
Hence, clean sheets are no longer paramount, and the technical dominance akin to France or Portugal is no longer the ultimate aspiration. Instead, stoppage-time goals and fateful victories propel the narrative forward. The world witnessed England eliminating Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands in almost identical fashion. For the Three Lions’ fans, this is sweet, as they’ve had enough of discussing Waddle’s missed penalty, Gazza’s tears, and Henderson’s futile runs. They now see their team reaching a major tournament final outside their home soil for the first time.
The match against the Netherlands was rife with paradoxes that defy conventional wisdom; ironically, England played fluidly from the outset. Their first half was arguably the best 45 minutes of the tournament. If Sims’ interception and subsequent world-class strike against Rice was an anomaly, England got virtually everything right in the first period. A telling statistic reflects the shift in momentum—Dutch right-back Dumfries had just four touches in England’s half in the first 45 minutes, which escalated to twelve in the second half.
Yet, the climax unfolded in a manner that defied convention yet was consistent with England’s tournament performance. Southgate made substitutions at the opportune moment. He brought on the right players: Palmer to Watkins, who sealed the win with a decisive shot. Despite lingering doubts, England reached their second consecutive Euro final. Southgate’s end-game tactics were baffling, but the spectacle was magnificent. Whether they can replicate such a display against Spain on Sunday is another question. Logically, it may not be feasible, but Southgate, at this moment, is beyond logic.