Gareth Southgate waves to the England fans as they chant his name over an hour after the final whistle of England’s semi-final defeat to Croatia. Even in the rawest moments, with many of the players tearful, he wanted them to listen. First, though, he felt compelled to point out what they had to do better in the future. In the dressing room afterwards Southgate told the players everything you would expect about being proud of their achievements, thanking them individually and pointing out the warmth of the England supporters at the final whistle. But it was still the case that England badly lost their way and, in fairness to the manager, he was willing to accept that fact. Croatia wore them down with a superior mix of football knowhow, durability and the rare form of competitive courage that had Juraj Vrdoljak, a columnist for Telesport, likening the comeback to an “adrenaline-charged man lifting a truck to save his child”. “Now, I think, they have seen it can be enjoyable.”Īt the same time there is a risk here that the tidal wave of goodwill is threatening to submerge a difficult truth: that England were a goal ahead, 25 minutes from a World Cup final, before it all became too much for them. “People may have had a feeling that playing for England was always misery and regret and recrimination,” Southgate said. That is progress in anyone’s language when there are so many wearers of that shirt with entirely different experiences. England had scored more goals than the team of 1966 and shattered their reputation as tournament football’s Slapstick XI. This one made it to day 28 before the killer blow in extra time of the semi-final. England’s previous World Cup campaign was wrecked by two defeats in the first week. Over time, when the pain subsides a little, he will reflect that England have come a long way since Euro 2016 ended with chants informing the players they were not fit to wear the shirt.
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