England allowed their energy levels to “drop” during Euro 2024, a report by UEFA’s technical observers has claimed in a humbling assessment of Gareth Southgate’s team at the tournament. The Three Lions were defeated by Spain in the final earlier this month, with Southgate subsequently stepping down as manager after eight years in charge.
UEFA’s technical observer team includes former Manchester United head coaches David Moyes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, ex-England boss Fabio Capello, and the former Liverpool and Chelsea tactician Rafa Benitez. They provide a mixed overview of England’s performances in Germany.
One excerpt from the report concludes that England’s “energy levels” reduced during matches at the tournament. The Three Lions are accused of not using the ball well enough, which also impacted their ability to press Spain in the final.
Moyes said: “England couldn’t get on the ball as well as Spain and couldn’t find a way to build better.”
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The report continued: This inability to keep hold of the ball was another reason why their pressing became less effective as the second half progressed [versus Spain] - ultimately taking a physical toll too.”
It is noted that Southgate bemoaned England’s failure to press Spain in their 2-1 defeat, and it adds: “The pressing data supports this view, as in the first half, England made 31 pressures and forced Spain backwards 11 times – a high success rate.
“Though Spain kept hold of the ball, only five times did they manage to beat the press. By contrast, on the 30 occasions they were pressed by England in the second half, Spain played through them 11 times. Their threat grew accordingly, as after three chances before the break, they created 11 in the second period and, crucially, five of their six shots on goal.”
The technical observers picked out the performances of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and centre-back pairing Marc Guehi and John Stones as being particularly effective. “Compact defensively with impressive resilience,” was another positive observation.
Bukayo Saka’s influence in one-versus-one situations was also highlighted, while Phil Foden - who received criticism from some England fans for his displays - was deemed to have excelled between the lines during the semi-final victory over the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, the Football Association has advertised for the role of Southgate’s successor. The first bullet point in the job description specifies that the next manager needs to “win a major tournament”.
