Is it the last chance for Gareth Southgate?

"This is a football tournament, this is a good Danish team, we are in the lead of the group, so we try to make the most out of this match. We didn't lose, but we conceded a beautiful goal from outside the box. Sometimes you have to take your hat off to the goals scored by the opponents. I think we prepared very well, like the other day, but we were not able to finish the game. But we are in the lead of the group, so let's move on to the next match." These words spoken in the post-match by an exhausted Kyle Walker could perhaps be interpreted as a lucid evaluation of the performance of an English team with a particular preference for draws in the second match of the group stage during international tournaments; however, Walker's comments have been used, among other things, to put pressure on Gareth Southgate to adopt an acceptable semblance of "attacking" football.

How did England qualify

It is highly unlikely that Southgate will abandon his conservative pragmatism for attacking dynamism in one night, we all know that. However, what we also know to be true at the same time is that, in reality, the Technical Commissioner is under considerable pressure to achieve the football paradise of success in an international competition, something that the English National Team has been missing since 1966. This version of the English national team is one of the strongest ever thanks to the many extremely talented young players and experienced veterans. You could almost say it's a perfect mix. Overall, it would be difficult to find someone who would say that Southgate's overall influence on the renewal of the English national team has not been very positive. In fact, his understanding of the needs of a new generation of talents, combined with a generally well-served tactical conservatism, has allowed his team to get closer to a nation that desperately needs to lift a trophy.

England came within one step of winning at home in 2021 due to a stroke of bad luck and the poor choice of entrusting the fate of penalties to three then very inexperienced players; if that had happened, this article would probably never have been written. Alas, to the joy of the Italians, England fell at the final hurdle. This painful stumble has resulted in what we are experiencing now, which is that Southgate is now obliged to take England to the next level. If he fails, he will almost certainly step aside and England will look elsewhere for someone capable of leading the final climb. At the time of writing, England has closed the top of their group, Group C, but they have done so with only 5 points in three matches. After the turbulent opening match of 1-0 against Serbia and the 1-1 draw with Denmark - the match referred to in Kyle Walker's introduction to this article - yesterday Southgate's team collected their second consecutive draw, this time a dull 0-0 against surprise Slovenia. Three unconvincing performances that have immediately ignited the English public and press.

Why isn't Cole Palmer playing?

"How did England play?" I hear you ask, well: lethargic and uninspired. Personally, I don't see the benefits of playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield and, like many, I believe that the team should adopt the use of Phil Foden as the point of a three-man midfield with Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice further back. Additionally, Southgate could do well to trust players like Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, and Ollie Watkins. However, Southgate is a man who rarely likes to change on the fly, and one could be forgiven for resigning to the fact that we will probably see the same lineup once again, although the pressure of the European Championship could help improve performances. At this point it is worth noting that the players are not without their share of responsibility. In general, it is understood that players are certainly exhausted at the end of a long season, but they still have to meet the demands of the football cycle. The lack of courage and a quick and effective game has crept into the team. Yet, as proof that two things can be true at the same time, teams rarely win international tournaments by playing sumptuous attacking football.

An embarrassing paradox to consider for England fans. Southgate is therefore the figure tasked with balancing this duality and achieving success in tournaments, a position that is equally enviable and unenviable, in my humble opinion. The consequences of a possible failure are now openly touted by the media and conversation circles. Among the fans, there is also a feeling that they are waiting for the inevitable international disappointment and that they would prefer to let go and look ahead with a clean slate. Yet, in this volatile world of contrasts, every England fan would forgive the unenthusiastic style of play if England were to win the tournament, and they would do so without any consideration or hesitation, and rightly so. Celebrate victories with all your might, because they come so rarely. England will remain confident and committed to their plan, but is it too much to ask to be a little more entertained, given the talent on display?