[Football] So why has this team managed to do what no other England team has done in 55 years?

[Randy McNob]

For me it is because, most of the time, the clueless FA have picked the wrong manager.

They would usually pick whoever was flavour of the month at club level but not everyone was cut out for International football, especially Keegan for example, he seemed to be very likeable and a good motivator but never had the tactical nouse needed at this game. Then you had the 2 foreign managers who were both terrible and completely unsuitable for the role.

Maybe they got lucky with Southgate but he isn't big name nor did he excel at club level. He seems to have worked out how to get a successful team together where most of his predecessors failed

 

[Cheshire Cat]

No super-egos?

England v Italy Euro 2020 final: No egos allowed makes this England camp different - Rio Ferdinand - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57775923

 

[Swansman]

Bollocks.

Which current international side is replete with the personality you find so lacking in the England squad?

Back in the good old days, of course, it was different...

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Not too many but most got more than the English one. Not sure if it was to their advantage though.

Brolin had the personality of a wooden chair.

He was much too flair to play for England very often but this is a player I guarantee you’d have loved an evening out with

https://youtu.be/W0z_arXZ8nM

Bit too dead for me on a Friday but on a slow Wednesday, sure.

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

Bollocks.

Which current international side is replete with the personality you find so lacking in the England squad?

Back in the good old days, of course, it was different...

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To be fair, in the context of the original reply (ie media training discouraging players from expressing their personality in public) I think it's a fair comment.

Of course, some of the players manage to come across well anyway.

It's one of the great things about people that "personality" can mean so many different things. Personally (and sorry for having to slip in a cricket reference, but I can't think of a football equivalent) I'd rather spend a night in the pub with Mike Bearley than Ian Botham, but they're both big personalities.

I love Gazza in theory, but suspect within 5minutes I'd either have hit him or pissed off to be on my own.

 

[Juan Albion]

Surely the answer is that they got REALLY lucky with the draw. The only top notch team they've played so far is Germany and they have been in a slump for a while, even losing at home to North Macedonia. Somehow avoiding Spain, France, Portugal and Belgium in a run to the final is just so lucky. That and a really soft penalty decision that saved them from a penalty shootout against mighty Denmark.

 

[Shooting Star]

Maybe they got lucky with Southgate but he isn't big name nor did he excel at club level. He seems to have worked out how to get a successful team together where most of his predecessors failed

Clearly there are a multitude of reasons for why this England team has succeeded over the past two tournaments where others have failed, but I think there's a lot in this.

My own two penneth is that the England job, during my lifetime at least, has been the final destination/the afterthought for many a manager. Capello, Eriksson, even Vennables to an extent, had all had illustrious careers and England was the meant to be the swansong, the cherry on top. They'd passed their peak after decades of club management. That, coupled with a supposed "golden generation" of players, meant that every tournament was a must-win with the clock ticking. England's most successful managers, Sir Alf and Sir Bobby, both took the England job early on in their careers - England was meant to be the pinnacle. They were both under 50 when they accepted the job. Time was on their side.

For me, Southgate is in this mould. For him, England is THE pinnacle, THE apex of his career. As such, he goes about his business as a master craftsman, taking immense pride and care in his work and building a system to last a generation. It's not about just one tournament or any one set of players. You can see it in the entire England set-up and how even though there are many different players than 2018, the structure is essentially the same. You can see the clear evolution from 2018 (free-spirited football but without the squad depth and nouse to see it over the line) to 2021 (professional, disciplined and clinical). No wonder the FA was keen to extend his contract before the outcome of this tournament. He reminds me of Jogi Löw for the Germans.

Obviously it isn't a perfect a hypothesis. Maclaren took the job early on in his managerial career and look how that turned out. There are clearly many other ingredients. But I think this is a significant factor.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Perhaps it was getting the infrastructure right and we’re reaping the benefits of St George’s Park.