England’s failures to keep the ball and control the game again came back to haunt them in their 2-1 loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, according to Gary Neville.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s last-gasp strike gave Spain a deserved victory at the Olympiastadion as Gareth Southgate’s side became the first nation to lose back-to-back European championship finals.
However, it was England’s age-old problem of struggling to live with more accomplished passing teams like Spain – the Three Lions had just 35 per cent possession in Berlin – that ultimately cost the team, says Neville.
“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 told ITV Sport.
“Every single England manager has said the same thing, every single England player has felt the same thing because we have lived it out there on the pitch and our legs have gone and we end up dying on our feet in the latter part of games where the other team have got stronger.
“And it is repeat, rinse and repeat. These lads have done incredibly well to get to a final, they have done more than we ever did, but some of the same patterns have occurred.
We got back into it, but we could have been 2-0 down before that and to not control the biggest games has been a problem for England teams in many, many tournaments.
“Spain had a lot of chances, they could have won the game before we equalised. We got back into it, but we could have been 2-0 down before that and to not control the biggest games has been a problem for England teams in many, many tournaments.
“And to have to play from behind the ball and move your whole team up the pitch from the edge of your box to the other end of the pitch is very difficult.
“You can win the odd game doing that, you can win two or three games, but eventually you play a team with too much quality and that is what we found tonight.”
Neville, however, fears the painful late defeat could be one too many for Southgate and his players, with the former England right back concerned how they will now recover after two such heart-breaking final losses as the country’s wait for a major tournament victory stretches to 58 years and counting.
“We talk about Spain, they have lost their best player [Rodri] at half-time and they have come out and performed like that in the second half without him,” he added. “And they also lost Pedri earlier in the tournament, the two best midfield players in the tournament.
“Our players are absolutely devastated and I remember four tournaments ago when they played Croatia in the World Cup semi-final I said, ‘I wonder if you will be here again lads’ and they have been here again and again and I have no words for them as they must be absolutely devastated.
“The fans here behind the goal are absolutely devastated, this feels like one time too many for us, it just feels like, how long can this go on for?”
As for the manager’s own future, Neville believes Southgate will now take some time before deciding whether he wants to continue in a role he has been in for eight years.
Gareth Southgate instructs his players during the final
“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,” he said.
“I would think he’ll take a long, hard look in the next week and decide whether it’s the right time.
“The sentiment in this tournament has been tough for him at times, he’s called it an unusual environment earlier in the competition.”