Take the Croatia semi and the Italy final. Both against teams that were good but not really great. In both games he was given a winning lottery ticket with an early goal from an unlikely source. Both oppenents were rocking and shell shocked after conceding. Instead of unleashing the cavalry and getting the goal(s) that would have probably won those matches the team dropped deeper and deeper and barely laid a glove on the opposition after scoring.
I think in both cases the inability of English midfielders to keep the ball was the biggest issue, one which may well arise in the QF against France. Bellingham is a wonderful player but not sure we can expect a teenager to run the game against France.
I can understand where criticism of Southgate comes from at times but let’s be right, his teams are by some distance the most successful of my 40-something summers. Even Bobby Robson only managed it in one tournament, just shows how tough international tournaments are at the back end.
