A familiar figure stood by the side of the pitch in Blankenhain, watching the humiliation unfold. An impromptu 11-a-side match between an outclassed English media team and backroom staff from the Football Association was progressing in predictably grisly fashion earlier this week – full context: they had an extremely fit and motivated Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink up front – when I trundled up the right flank and realised that the man on the touchline was Kyle Walker, England’s vice-captain and one of the greatest right-backs of his generation.
“You know,” I said. “This is actually pretty intimidating.”
Walker got the message. Smiling, he offered some advice. “Just enjoy it,” he said.
Four days on, those words could easily be thrown back at England’s players when they step out for their quarter-final against Switzerland in Düsseldorf. Away from the pitch, there has been plenty of talk of high spirits in the camp. It has been a festival of padel tournaments, bike rides in the German countryside and Phil Foden beating everyone at darts.
When it comes to the football, though, it has been hard to detect any joy about England. Gareth Southgate, who reaches a century of matches in charge on Saturday evening, has seemed weary at times, as if this is a tournament too far. He has endured supporters throwing plastic beer cups at him after the 0-0 draw with Slovenia and watched his team struggle physically, tactically and mentally during each of their four games.
Enjoyment has not been the theme. The football has been constipated and it was alarming to see senior players arguing with each other during that desperate first half against Slovakia last Sunday.
It has all been at odds with so much of Southgate’s reign. One of his greatest triumphs, beyond taking England to four successive quarter-finals, has been making the experience fun again. The cliques of old are gone and the players have a connection with the supporters.
As Southgate explained on Friday, the first challenge after taking over in 2016 was to rebuild confidence. “We wanted the nation to fall back in love with the team,” he said. “There were a lot of steps to take to earn credibility again.”
In Germany, though, the love was close to drying up before Jude Bellingham’s equaliser against Slovakia. Since then, the messaging has been about a turning point. John Stones has talked about England needing to rediscover their fluidity. They have struggled with their buildup and their pressing from the front.
Is the shirt weighing heavily again? Foden, an outrageously gifted attacker, admits he is frustrated with his performances. He has not been on the same wavelength as Bellingham, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka.
England, who have scored four goals in four games, have been predictable. They are not creating enough clearcut chances – Kane suggested that poor playing surfaces have contributed to a low-scoring tournament – and are statistically the slowest team at the Euros. They need more players to be as carefree and expressive in possession as the 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.
Southgate has had almost a full week to prepare for Switzerland. Are England underdogs? Southgate admitted that Murat Yakin’s talented side were full of positive energy after beating Italy 2-0 in the last 16.
There cannot be more of the same from England. It is not a surprise that a switch from 4-2-3-1 to a back three is on the cards. It is partly a response to Marc Guéhi’s suspension – Ezri Konsa, who has only five caps, is expected to replace him in central defence – and also an attempt to fix England’s lack of balance on the left.
The good news is that Luke Shaw is available after almost five months out with a hamstring injury, although it could be Saka who steps over from the right to start at left wing-back. Southgate has to be careful. He needs Shaw for more than one game. “We haven’t come here to be in a quarter-final,” he said. “There is obviously a missing piece we’d love to deliver.”
There have been some stirring victories and outstanding performances across those 99 games, but also disappointments in big knockout matches and the Euro 2020 final against Italy. Southgate, who has faced questions over his in-game management, has lost public support and the end was nigh against Slovakia. As disappointing as England have been, though, they are still standing.
“You always want to be managing a team that are never beaten,” Southgate said. “They have actually shown tremendous bravery. To keep trying to create good-quality chances when you are behind in a knockout game is very difficult. There is a lot of anxiety in the stadium, a lot of desire for the ball to be moved forward more quickly and there are times when we could move the ball quicker.
“But the patience shown to keep trying to create the best possible chances is a really important trait. That has not always been the case over the years. Ultimately, we could have run out of time the other night and the end would have been different. But we are in here fighting.”
The desire remains intact and Kane said the best way for the players to mark Southgate’s 100th game was by giving him a win. To beat Switzerland, though, England will need to remember how to enjoy themselves. As Walker pointed out, playing football isn’t meant to be a chore.
