England Must Clinch Euro 2024 Title To Secure Football World's Respect, Affirms Southgate
Gareth Southgate asserts that England must secure victory in Euro 2024 to gain global football respect. The Three Lions face Spain in the final at Berlin's Olympiastadion, aiming for their second major trophy, 58 years after their World Cup win.
England's journey in Germany began unremarkably, topping Group C despite winning only one of three matches and scoring just two goals. Jude Bellingham's late goal and Harry Kane's extra-time header saved them against Slovakia in the last-16. A penalty shootout was needed to beat Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
Southgate shifted from a 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-4-3 during the quarter-finals and maintained this setup in the semi-finals. This change led to England's best performance of the tournament, defeating the Netherlands with Ollie Watkins' last-minute goal.
"We've had to find a different way of playing as the tournament progressed," Southgate explained. "We’ve been trying to find the right blend and balance for our attacking players because we’ve got super talent, but a lot who like to operate in similar areas."
Southgate has led England to their first major tournament final on foreign soil, also guiding them to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and 2022 quarter-finals. He acknowledges that consistent performances have raised expectations.
"We tried to change the mindset from the start," Southgate said during his pre-match press conference. "We tried to be more honest about where we were as a football nation."
England is only the fourth nation to appear in successive European Championship finals, joining Spain, Germany, and the Soviet Union. Despite high expectations, Southgate believes that winning a trophy is essential for earning respect.
"A lot of records we have broken, but we know we have to do this one," he added. "To get this trophy to really feel the respect of the footballing world."
Finding Balance and Scoring Goals
Southgate feels confident about England’s attacking capabilities heading into the final. "We feel we’ve started to find that balance," he noted. "We’ve looked dangerous, like we could score goals again."
The Three Lions head coach emphasised that being in the latter stages of tournaments is crucial for learning how to win big games. "In the end, you have to be in the latter stages of tournaments to learn how to win the big games," he stated.
Checking out the #EURO2024 final venue: Olympiastadion Berlin!
Checking out the #EURO2024 final venue: Olympiastadion Berlin! pic.twitter.com/sfcUU9Ugz3
— England (@England) July 13, 2024
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