'England have the best squad, but not the best team'

So close, and yet truthful acold for England - again.

Gareth Southgate's broadside reached nan last for a 2nd successive European Championship, only to autumn short of ending nan men's team's hold of much than half a period for a awesome trophy.

Their travel to Berlin, wherever they were beaten 2-1 by Spain connected Sunday, was acold from smooth. At times location was disapproval of England's style of play and nan nonaccomplishment to champion utilise a squad packed pinch young, attacking talent.

The last followed a akin shape to their different knockout games - concede nan first extremity and past equine a comeback - but it was Spain who recovered a precocious victor connected this occasion.

Were England "brave enough"? Did they "roll nan dice" erstwhile required successful Germany? Should this disappointment beryllium nan cue for a tactical reset?

In nan final, England had 35% possession, 9 attempts astatine extremity compared to Spain's 16, and 16 touches successful nan opposition's punishment area compared to 30 for Spain.

Ex-England striker Gary Lineker said connected BBC One that it was a "heartbreaking conclusion for England, but successful immoderate ways a triumph for attacking football".

Rio Ferdinand and Chris Sutton were among those of nan sentiment that England had not been sufficiently "brave" during their clip successful Germany.

"Whenever these players successful this England squad person won things pinch their clubs, they've sewage nan quality, but they're each brave successful nan large moments," said erstwhile England centre-back Ferdinand connected BBC One.

"They're courageous, they return risks, they return chances. They don't hold to spell behind, they return chances erstwhile nan game's successful nan equilibrium and erstwhile it's astir difficult.

"When you triumph stuff, you person to person that courageousness and conscionable laic it retired there, rotation nan dice astatine times and you can't ever play from a blimpish position."

Former Premier League victor Sutton, speaking connected BBC Radio 5 Live, added: "England were not brave capable connected nan evening to make nan adjacent step.

"It is simply a bully point for shot that Spain won nan tourney pinch nan marque they person played. Spain played nan beautiful crippled and England didn't - nan beauty of Gareth's squad has been getting complete nan line.

"Spain are a team. England are bits and pieces."

Former England defender Micah Richards believes this is nan clip for a tactical rethink.

He said connected BBC One: "I've said from nan commencement that I deliberation England person nan champion squad but I don't deliberation we're nan champion team, successful position of each nan combinations we expect to see."

Asked why he had that opinion, Richards said: "Because we person a head who has been successful being defensive, getting into a semi-final of a World Cup and 2 Euros [finals], and we've not been capable to push this squad guardant successful nan measurement it deserves.

"That's nary flimsy connected Gareth Southgate, that's conscionable his tactics.

"Now we person to move guardant successful nan correct guidance and play nan shot these players play astatine nine level."

On ITV, ex-defender Gary Neville said England "didn't support nan shot good capable and each England head has said that - it's nan aforesaid pattern", while his erstwhile Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane said England "lacked quality" and their "fight and desire disconnected nan bench" helped to get them to nan final.

With Southgate's broadside having grounded to assistance nan trophy, Ferdinand said questions astir England's much "conservative" attack would person to follow.

"We said aft nan group shape that if you're going to play connected nan blimpish broadside of things, pinch nan magnitude of talent we person successful this squad, you person to win," Ferdinand said, "otherwise it will beryllium dissected and beryllium looked astatine arsenic rather a antagonistic approach.

"That falls connected nan manager's toes because he sets his squad retired successful a peculiar measurement to play and that's his style of football.

"But you person to triumph playing for illustration that, because these players play excessively good for their teams successful nine shot to past travel present and look a protector of themselves a batch of nan time."

Southgate said aft nan lucifer that it was excessively soon for him to beryllium considering his early arsenic England manager.

Since taking complaint a fewer months aft a humiliating Euro 2016 exit astatine nan hands of Iceland and pursuing Sam Allardyce's one-match reign arsenic manager, Southgate has led his state to 2 European Championship finals, arsenic good arsenic a World Cup semi-final successful 2018 and a quarter-final successful 2022.

"When Gareth started off, England were successful large trouble," said ex-England skipper Alan Shearer connected BBC One.

"He has dragged america from nan very bottommost and taken america to astir a squad that tin beryllium successful. But we've had that 3 years ago, we've sewage a amended squad and squad now, truthful erstwhile that happens, expectations are higher and you've sewage to header pinch that.

"Getting to finals erstwhile you person sewage nan value of players for illustration England have, and not winning it, is not going to beryllium bully enough.

"They person sewage a togetherness, they person sewage a alloy astir them, but I deliberation they are amended than what they person shown us."

Richards added: "In nan early portion of his tenure, he astir apt overachieved. Now nan expectancy level has gone up pinch these players, it was ever going to beryllium difficult.

"He sewage america to a last and we've had a awesome day, but I conscionable deliberation we needed a small spot much urgency and spark."