Neville Highlights England's Ongoing Struggle With Possession In Euro 2024 Loss

England faced another familiar setback in the Euro 2024 final, with Gary Neville expressing frustration over recurring issues in possession. Gareth Southgate admitted his team struggled to maintain control against Spain, who secured a 2-1 victory in Berlin thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal's late goal on Sunday.

England managed only 34.9% possession in the final, losing the ball 98 times and completing just 66.5% of passes in Spain's half. Former England full-back Neville, serving as an ITV pundit, criticised the team's repeated difficulties. "We can focus on a lot of things, but Southgate's answer on how we did not keep the ball well enough should be the title of the England book," Neville said.

Nico Williams had opened the scoring for Spain right after halftime before Cole Palmer equalised with 17 minutes left. Palmer impressed off the bench, where Ollie Watkins was also introduced following Harry Kane's continued struggles. Kane had only one touch in the opposition box across both Euro 2020 and 2024 finals, one fewer than Jack Grealish, who played just 21 minutes against Italy and did not make this tournament's squad.

Southgate became the first manager to lose two European Championship finals, casting doubt over his future with his contract expiring in December. "It's a big question; something doesn't sit right inside me talking about Gareth's future right now after what he's done in the last seven or eight years," Neville added. "I would think he'll take a long, hard look in the next week and decide whether it's the right time."

The sentiment during this tournament has been challenging for Southgate at times; he described it as an unusual environment earlier in the competition.

Recurring Issues Highlighted

Neville highlighted England's ongoing problem of failing to control crucial matches. "England got back into it, but we could have been 2-0 down before that," he said. "To not control the biggest games has been a problem for England teams in many tournaments." He added that playing from behind and moving up from their own box to the opponent’s end is very difficult.

"You can win the odd game doing that; you can win two or three games," Neville continued. "But eventually you play a team with too much quality, and that is what we found tonight."

Despite their efforts to equalise through Palmer and Watkins' introduction, England couldn't overcome Spain's dominance. The Three Lions' inability to maintain possession remains a critical issue that needs addressing if they are to succeed in future tournaments.

The conclusion of Euro 2024 leaves England reflecting on familiar failings while contemplating potential changes ahead of upcoming competitions.