REALITY BITES
The World Cup party is over for Southgate as England lose three in a row, giving him an idea of how far his side are behind the world elite
THE homecoming party was quickly forgotten and replaced with a painful reality check.
Now we know where England really are after the heady days of summer and the World Cup semifinal left us all dreaming.
Spain offered the yardstick of where England need to be and there is a big gap between Gareth Southgate’s team and Europe’s elite, let alone anything else in the world.
The Three Lions boss admitted afterwards he always felt the “next three months would be an exceptional challenge” as the Nations League offers some muchneeded context.
Traditionally, England would still be basking in the glow of the World Cup, thrashing some no-hopers in the Euro 2020 qualifiers and building up expectations.
But instead the mini league with Spain and their World Cup conquerers Croatia is exactly what Southgate wanted and needed because his management style is always to be something of a killjoy.
Southgate appreciates England are a long way from being able to compete, the FA see Euro 2020 (with much of the tournament played at Wembley) as a big chance of success, while the manager is more realistic.
And Southgate is right to be because England still have familiar failings – vulnerability in defence, weakness in midfield and the World Cup Golden Boot winner, Harry Kane, looking absolutely knackered.
Plus a manager who is still learning because he failed to change his system and tactics to stem the tide in the second half against Croatia and was rather guilty of the same against Spain.
“I knew this three-month period would be an exceptional challenge and will tell us a lot about exactly where we stand, but I think that’s good for us,” said Southgate. “If we were just playing qualifiers now, against a lower standard of opposition on the back of the summer, we might have a perception of where we are which is false. I think, after the next few months, we will be very clear.
“But I don’t think we were under any illusions as a coaching team. We know there’s a distance to go until the very top teams. At moments, we compete and look like being able to create chances. We have created some good chances against Spain.
“But there’s a level for us to go to and that’s a really good challenge for us over the next couple of years. The only way to improve is to face those sort of problems.”
England’s path to the World Cup semi-final was met with derision by the knockers who said it was an easy passage, almost a bye into the last four. But while Southgate’s incredible summer united a nation and ensured Wembley was jumping with an 80,000-plus sell-out crowd, it made us think we are better than we are.
Joe Gomez was a brave choice ahead of Kyle Walker in the back three, Luke Shaw was good until his sickening injury, and Marcus Rashford scored, but could have had a hat-trick on his return to the starting line-up.
If England had held onto their lead for more than two minutes after Rashford scored, then maybe they would have had a chance. But Saul and then Rodrigo turned it round pretty quickly. Rashford missed chances and Danny Welbeck was denied a good goal but England were second best.
It was small steps of progression for Southgate, who knows the World Cup squad will form the nucleus of the squad for Euro 2020, which has long been held up by the FA as when all the hard work at St George’s Park and development teams will come of age.
Spain’s midfield of Sergio Busquets, Saul and Thiago Alcantara were the difference, three players better than anything England have and, for all the hope for the future, it is difficult to think of a single player who can run a game like that.
Sadly for Southgate, he has become his own worst enemy. The World Cup only served to raise expectations and the reality is that England will need to get lucky as a cup team to do well in future tournaments.
They are still looking for the enduring quality within their ranks to establish themselves among the best in the world. And only time will tell whether that dream has any chance of becoming a reality.