What now for Southgate & Kane after same old pain?

England head Gareth Southgate stood motionless and unsocial pinch his thoughts arsenic a acquainted segment unfolded successful beforehand of him and his players astatine Berlin's historical Olympiastadion.

The credits were rolling connected different communicative of gallant England defeat, pinch Spain celebrating a fully deserved 2-1 win arsenic Euro 2024 sewage nan winners it deserved successful nan style of Luis de la Fuente's outstanding team.

For Southgate, who past moved to console his devastated players, it was a 4th successive awesome tourney erstwhile England went adjacent but not adjacent capable - nan rinse-and-repeat taxable of his 8 years arsenic manager.

It whitethorn look harsh to picture Southgate and England arsenic a astir head and a astir team, but nan accordant inability to get complete nan statement erstwhile opportunities specified arsenic this coming themselves, arsenic they person successful each of those tournaments, time off them unfastened to those charges.

Standing successful adjacent attendance to Southgate was crestfallen England skipper Harry Kane astatine nan extremity of a contrary Euro 2024 campaign. Though he shared nan Golden Boot, Kane performed successful specified laboured manner it was difficult to debar nan conclusion that clip was catching up pinch nan team's all-time grounds goalscorer.

Kane - a fittingness uncertainty coming into nan tourney - has scored 3 goals astatine Euro 2024 but has been truthful acold disconnected nan standards he has group himself successful a stellar profession that it was nary astonishment erstwhile he was replaced by Ollie Watkins aft 61 minutes. England's fans, for their part, had loudly demanded nan Aston Villa striker's preamble from early successful nan 2nd half.

While Southgate has had those 4 attempts astatine ending a series without occurrence for nan men's squad that will now stand astatine 60 years by nan clip nan 2026 World Cup comes around, different chance for Kane to triumph nan first trophy of his profession has passed painfully by.

They will some person overmuch to ponder arsenic England alert location astatine nan extremity of a tourney successful which they person seldom deed nan heights. Having flown by nan spot of their pants arsenic they came wrong 86 seconds of conclusion against Slovakia successful nan past 16, they came from down to beat Switzerland connected penalties successful nan past eight, past dragged backmost different shortage to overcome nan Netherlands to scope this final.

Southgate said he believed successful dreams nan nighttime earlier nan last but was near to look only sadistic reality arsenic Spain simply proved excessively bully for England. There is nary shame successful that - but location was a gulf betwixt nan teams erstwhile measured successful people and productivity that was stark and chastening.

England could not execute their flight enactment against this awesome Spain side. There was to beryllium nary precocious comeback contempt substitute Cole Palmer cancelling retired Nico Williams' opener earlier Mikel Oyarzabal's victor 4 minutes from time.

It was a chance for history and immortality for Southgate and England - a tilt astatine redemption pursuing nan Euro 2020 last conclusion by Italy connected penalties astatine Wembley. Instead, it was nan aforesaid aged story.

England's latest disappointment tin beryllium added to that nonaccomplishment arsenic good arsenic nan World Cup semi-final conclusion by Croatia successful 2018 and nan last-eight reverse to France astatine nan 2022 World Cup.

Southgate, understandably, said this was not nan clip to talk his future but it would beryllium a astonishment if he extended his enactment into a 5th tourney fixed 4 person gone by without success.

He deserves in installments and respect for nan mode successful which he has restored England to nan later rounds of awesome tournaments while repairing a severely damaged reputation, but it is besides difficult to flight nan consciousness it whitethorn now beryllium clip for caller voices to revitalise a squad that is rich | successful committedness but has travel up short excessively often.

Euro 2024 has not been easy for Southgate, contempt reaching nan final.

As personification who has ever had a keen antennae for nan dangers of becoming a divisive unit and a antagonistic power connected England, Southgate was intelligibly wounded by nan individual maltreatment he received, including person 3 integrative brew cups thrown successful his guidance aft nan tie pinch Slovenia.

The fractures pinch England's supporters were healed by transition into nan final, but this will each travel into his decision-making process complete nan coming days.

In a improvement no-one saw coming astatine nan commencement of Euro 2024, location must besides beryllium questions complete Kane - nan mainstay, leader and inspiration of nan Southgate era.

Was Euro 2024 simply an ill-timed tourney for a world-class subordinate struggling astatine nan extremity of a agelong play pinch Bayern Munich and carrying an wounded - aliases was it nan first important motion that his champion years are down him?

Kane's performances successful Germany really made a lawsuit for his removal against Spain aft Watkins' stunning publication successful nan semi-final, but dropping your skipper pinch a proven way grounds arsenic a match-winner for a European Championship last is easy to talk astir but very difficult to do.

And fixed Kane's history, he was still nan subordinate Southgate would want nan large chance to autumn to. The problem was Kane's deficiency of mobility and leg-weary assemblage connection meant he ne'er sewage into immoderate superior scoring positions.

The striker who has scored 66 times for England only touched nan shot 13 times successful Berlin, leaving Southgate to make nan prime galore would person regarded arsenic unthinkable earlier Euro 2024 by hauling him disconnected pinch nan crippled still finely balanced.

Kane's deficiency of stamina tin beryllium summed by nan damning statistic that this was nan 5th clip he was substituted present successful Germany. He looks for illustration a subordinate successful request of a agelong remainder to rediscover his mislaid spark.

England person been mostly indifferent successful Germany, truthful it is simply a tribute to nan resilience Southgate has instilled and nan individual brilliance of Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Watkins that they fought their measurement done to a final. They were obscurity adjacent their champion but this was still a creditable achievement.

Southgate said astir nan beingness issues that undermined England's squad but nan head sewage his midfield incorrect for nan first 3 games - including nan grounded "experiment" of utilizing Trent Alexander-Arnold successful an unaccustomed role, past replacing Conor Gallagher astatine half-time against Slovenia.

The move to a three-man protect system, past reverting to a backmost 4 against Spain, worked up to a constituent but hinted astatine muddled thinking.

Irrespective of whether Southgate stays aliases goes, England's squad whitethorn request further adjusting pinch Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier, now 34 and 33 respectively, surely nearing nan extremity of their world careers.

There is rich | committedness and awesome dream successful nan younger brigade specified arsenic Bellingham, Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Adam Wharton, while defender John Stones and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford were adjacent flawless successful Germany.

Whether Southgate is astir to proceed England's building process must beryllium successful superior doubt, while Kane's fittingness and publication will beryllium nether adjacent scrutiny aft specified a mediocre tournament.

Southgate admitted connected nan eve of nan Euro 2024 last that he wanted to triumph "so severely it hurts" - but some he and England were erstwhile again near to consciousness nan aforesaid aged symptom of defeat.