Gareth is undoubtedly devastated after the events in Berlin, but I sense that once the Euro 2024 final concludes, he may come to the decision that he’s ready to step away.
Ultimately, whether to stay or depart should be his choice – and I believe it will be. However, it’s an exhausting role, and he has held it for quite a while.
Should he decide to depart, he can do so with pride, knowing that England has undergone a remarkable transformation since he assumed the role in 2016.
England hit rock bottom after the humiliating loss to Iceland, becoming a laughingstock that summer. This was followed by the embarrassment of Sam Allardyce’s swift departure after his brief tenure in charge.
Gareth arrived and lifted everyone’s spirits, uniting the squad and guiding us to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and then the European Championship final in 2021, achieving these milestones with a squad that was less formidable than the current one.
He significantly boosted the team’s mental fortitude, fostering a spirit that propelled us back to the final once more.
He deserves immense respect and gratitude for his achievements, but it’s unfortunate that despite his excellent efforts, Gareth couldn’t quite maximize this team’s potential in Germany. That slight gap made the difference between reaching another final and securing victory.
In my estimation, though it’s speculative, he might now feel it’s someone else’s turn to take on the challenge of leading England to victory.
Should he step down, he leaves the team in a prime position Thapcam TV for someone else to lead them forward and achieve the next milestone of winning a major tournament.
A collection of memorable moments, rather than a cohesive, consistently great team
Spain clearly outclassed us, but there was an expectation for England to deliver more in Berlin.
To begin with, Spain controlled possession, a departure from their recent matches. Their style has evolved from their past successes, yet we seemed to sit back and let them dictate the tempo.
Against a team boasting such a wealth of quality players, you simply can’t afford to do that, as England learned firsthand.
We managed to escape for a period in the second half, thanks to a crucial save from Jordan Pickford while they were leading 1-0. Additionally, they missed a couple of clear opportunities that could have sealed the game.
Then Gareth made some substitutions, and one of the players he brought on scored the equalizer. Suddenly, you start to think, “Wait a minute, here we go again. Another comeback… perhaps, just perhaps, another victory.”
Having trailed in each knockout round on our journey to the final, we relied on moments of brilliance rather than consistent greatness to reach this stage.
However, it wasn’t sufficient to derail Spain. They had deservedly won all six of their prior games in this tournament, and they deserved to win this one as well.
They cut through our defense effortlessly to score the winning goal, showcasing the dominance they’ve consistently displayed throughout the competition.
While we nearly grabbed a second goal from a set-piece in the dying moments, let’s face it: Spain played the game with the aggressive approach many hoped England would adopt.
We need to have confidence in our capabilities
No one can doubt the attitude or commitment of this England side—they’ve demonstrated ample togetherness in that regard. However, their style of football has often been lacking throughout this tournament.
There have been fleeting glimpses of it, such as in the first 30 minutes of our opening game against Serbia, or a similar stretch in the first half of the semi-final against the Netherlands. Yet, across all seven games in Germany, we haven’t consistently shown enough of it.
Our most potent attacking moments have often arisen in response to adversity—across all four knockout games, we’ve conceded first, highlighting a recurring theme Bongdalu.
Then, suddenly, we showed slight improvement at a point where ideally, we wouldn’t have had to wait.
Being able to find a path to victory is a commendable quality for any team, but it wasn’t sufficient to bring us the trophy, and naturally, that is disappointing.
With a stronger squad compared to three years ago, Gareth’s success has heightened expectations for this England team—we now anticipate victories as a result.
To achieve that, we’ll need to trust in our abilities, much like Spain did against us when the match was on the line.
Gareth made some bold decisions again, and they paid off, but this time Spain also made decisive changes that proved crucial.
In a final, it’s crucial to cross the finish line, and they managed to do just that. Regrettably, we fell short of achieving the outcome we all desired this time.
Alan Shearer gave an interview to Chris Bevan of BBC Sport in Berlin.
