The momentum of truth: Southgate mucked it up

MOMENTUM. One of the most undervalued aspects of sport.

Joe Root in a rich seam of form with the bat. Andy Murray hitting winners down the line for fun.

“Make the most of it,” the commentators all say, “because you never know when it’s going to turn.”

That time when the runs dry up. Or the tennis ball keeps dropping the wrong side of the line. And so it is with football. Confidence in performance breeds success.

That was the mantra when I was growing up – across all sports.

You play well. You’re more confident, and so you play better. An upwards trajectory. Momentum. And so to football – and Gareth Southgate’s eight changes against Belgium which put the skids under England’s charge in Group G.

For the second tournament in succession, we have built up some positive forward motion – and now it’s been squandered.

Back in France, England had a lastminute winner against Wales to celebrate.

Daniel Sturridge’s neat finish which

THE LAST WORD ... sparked his awful dance routine. Not that the hordes at home were doing much different in living rooms throughout the land.

The next match against Slovakia – the outcome of which mattered too by the way – Roy Hodgson took leave of his senses and made five changes.

Few of them were expected. Even fewer were necessary.

The Three Lions didn’t so much roar as huff and puff. The benefit of that Sturridge goal was wasted the minute the team-sheet was handed in.

And so to the events last Thursday night.

Boss Southgate has received plenty of praise for his approach, giving youth a chance etc.

This on the back of a dreadfully dull qualifying campaign that saw England beat Malta – a pub team – 2-0 in front of 80,000 people at Wembley and a thumping single-goal victory in Lithuania – another pub team. Let’s be honest here. The only reason England are any good is because we’ve got Harry Kane. Most people in the country could manage to write his name on a team-sheet. It’s not difficult spotting genius in someone who scores 40 goals a season. The rest of it? All so very ‘meh’ I’m afraid. For some reason Raheem Sterling can’t produce for England on a consistent basis. Marcus Rashford is missing chances that he normally misses for Manchester United, so no change there. Jordan Henderson is a class act and there are dependable defenders. But that’s about it. Jesse Lingard is reaping the benefit of being overlooked at United every other week. He looks fresh. Given that they are our success stories, then why were the three of them SCHADENFREUDE m means taking pleasure in someone else’s misery. It also happens to be a word from the German dictionary. Apt, this week, obviously. Now we just need a word to describe Australia. We have just seen Ireland win a rugby union series in the Aussies’ backyard for the first time in 39 years, their cricket team torn apart by England and the Socceroos finish bottom of their World Cup group. Oh, hang on a minute, I’ve got a word: Losers. pictured on the substitutes bench (above) looking like they’d been told dead skunk was on the menu for tea.

If Southgate had wanted to rest them, he could have hooked them all during half-time against Panama.

We were five goals up. He probably could have just withdrawn them without sending on any substitutes and still got away with a victory by that stage.

But there was no thinking on your feet. No pro-activity there.

And so we get what happened against Belgium. Limp dross. I know Roberto Martinez left out several too, but I’m not bothered about them.

The comedown? It has had the same effect as that Slovakia match. Then we went on to lose to Iceland – and I can’t help but think the two were related.

One week ago, the whole country was up. On the front foot. Everyone was smiling. What’s the state of the nation now? We’re nervously looking at Colombia instead of relishing the prospect.

So for all the heat maps, expected goals, analysts, red zones and tactics, we’ve lost that vital quality of momentum. Let’s hope we can get it back, pronto. I, for one, am not holding my breath.