Gareth Southgate
England manager Gareth Southgate stands on the brink of glorious vindication as a Euro 2024 campaign in which he has been pelted with beer cups and criticism offers up the prospect of a place in history.
The sight and sound of Southgate confronting naked hostility from fans after the dismal draw with Slovenia in the group game in Cologne seemed an age away amid the scenes of wild celebration that greeted Ollie Watkins’ last-minute winner, sinking the Netherlands and sending England to Sunday’s final against Spain in Berlin.
England rode their luck at times, but if fortune favours the brave then Southgate deserved it for the courage he showed when making the changes that raised eyebrows but ended up fashioning a dramatic victory on a humid, stormy night in Dortmund.
It means Southgate’s England are one game away from ending the long so-called “years of hurt” for the men’s team stretching back to the 1966 World Cup win under Sir Alf Ramsey.
This semi-final simmered all night. It was on the edge with nine minutes left and the score 1-1, extra time beckoning once more but the Netherlands looking more likely to score the winner.
Southgate has been criticised for his substitutions in Germany – those he has made and others he did not make – and some eyebrows were raised when he removed captain Harry Kane, always a move laced with risk, but, arguably more contentiously, Phil Foden, who had been one of England’s prime creative forces in his best performance of the tournament.
Watkins and Cole Palmer were introduced, then, with the clock ticking towards 90 minutes, they combined to justify Southgate’s substitutions in spectacular fashion.
Ivan Toney appeared a more obvious replacement for Kane, but Southgate’s decision to go for Watkins proved to be a masterstroke.
Palmer made inroads into Dutch territory before slipping a cute pass into the path of Watkins, who felt Netherlands defender Stefan de Vrij at his back before turning neatly to fire a precise finish across keeper Bart Verbruggen into the far corner.