England fortunes changed in Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain after Kyle Walker throw-in | Football News

There are 15 minutes remaining of the Euro 2024 final for England to change the course of history and Kyle Walker has a throw-in deep inside the Spain half.

Two weeks earlier, from almost the same position with England on the brink of a humiliating defeat to Slovakia, Walker hurled the ball into the area, Marc Guehi flicked it on and Jude Bellingham did the rest.

Now, there is a wall of English noise around the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Spain are finally on the back foot two minutes after Cole Palmer’s edge-of-the-box equaliser.

Walker has the ball above his head, he’s ready. Palmer is offering short. Ollie Watkins is occupying a defender in the area with another close by.

Bukayo Saka darts into the box. Declan Rice follows him which opens up space on the edge. Marc Guehi, England’s left centre-back, inexplicably drifts into it undetected by Spain’s Nico Williams and substitute Mikel Oyarzabal. Without doubt, it is Walker’s best option to keep the pressure on.

But suddenly the experienced right-back, a six-time Premier League winner, shuffles to his left like a javelin thrower before hurling the ball back 40 yards to John Stones.

Stones receives it on his back foot. Oyarzabal is charging him down. Spain are stepping back up the pitch. England are out of shape. Luke Shaw is on the edge of the Spain box.

Bellingham points at Jordan Pickford and Stones passes back to the goalkeeper, whose first touch is midway inside the England half and his second sends the ball out for a goal kick. Watkins outstretches both arms above his head in disbelief.

England had enjoyed their most dominant period of the game between conceding and that throw-in.

Indeed, England had registered more possession, passes, third-third dominance and recoveries during those 25 minutes.

“We had a throw-in in their third of the pitch and we definitely had an opportunity to keep the ball in that area of the pitch but we played backwards,” said Gareth Southgate in his post-match press conference.

“And then there was a long period after that where we didn’t get the ball again. There was a turning point if you like within that.”

England’s momentum disappears after that moment.

Southgate’s side makes just 10 passes in the final third in the last 15 minutes. Spain seized control again and it had been coming by the time Oyarzabal poked home the 86th-minute winner.

A hallmark of Southgate’s reign has been England sitting back when the game is there to be taken. The same pattern occurred against Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia and Switzerland.

Walker’s throw-in can be identified as a turning point, but, in truth, it epitomises England’s defensive approach.

Change the mentality

Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:

England’s problems with possession are not solely technical. Let’s not forget Declan Rice, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham all excel in ball-dominant club sides. Kobbie Mainoo is a brilliant technician with all the qualities required to keep the ball under pressure.

This is hardly a limited midfield.

The real challenge is to change the side’s mentality in knockout ties against top opposition. Gareth Southgate bemoaned England’s struggles in keeping the ball against Spain but the reality is they did not look like a side that actually wanted it.

Instead, they retreated under the comfort blanket of sitting back and trying to soak up pressure right from the start of the game, only seeking to impose themselves when they had to, after falling behind to Nico Williams’ opener soon after half-time.

The change of emphasis paid off as Cole Palmer equalised. But once again they ceded the initiative, the instinct being to protect their position rather than strengthen it. Their passiveness ultimately allowed Spain to push forward and score the winner.

This pattern was apparent throughout the tournament, even against lesser opponents. If England are to take the next step and become team capable of dominating big games, they need to at least try to play like one. And it starts with mentality, not personnel.

Learn to embrace possession

Sky Sports’ Joe Shread:

There has been a familiar failing for Southgate’s England in major tournaments – losing the midfield battle in the biggest moments.

Croatia in 2018. Italy in 2021. France in 2022. And now Spain in 2024. England emerged from all four encounters with defeats, as well as questions over why they can’t control games against quality opponents.

Partly, it’s through choice. The desire to sit back and defend after scoring has been such a consistent theme of Southgate’s tenure that it’s impossible not to think it’s all been part of the plan.

But it’s also down to personnel. Declan Rice’s best football came as a No 8 last season but, pressed into action as a holding midfielder at Euro 2024, he had a poor tournament and was outclassed by the imperious Rodri in the first half of the final.

England also lack a midfielder like Fabian Ruiz, someone who excels both in and out of possession. Kobbie Mainoo is the obvious English alternative but he remains a work in progress, as his nervy display in Berlin showed.

Adam Wharton, a naturally gifted passer, must be given opportunities during the Nations League. But most of all, England need to embrace possession. History has shown that, in the biggest games, they cannot win without it.

We forgot to play

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville:

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Gary Neville said: “England have kept the ball at times in games against inferior opposition. But, when you play against top teams, and you’re playing at the end of a competition and you’re having to chase the ball around, we’ve all been there over the years in many tournaments.

“I think we will continue to fall short until we can master the ball and, technically, find solutions to work our way out from the back under pressure.

“You may get over the line – we nearly did this time. There’s no doubt you can win a game playing counter-attack – and that’s what we were set up to do, but with Kobbie Mainoo, Palmer, Saka, Kane and Bellingham, all on the pitch, I do believe we have players who can actually keep the ball and be better technically than we were.

“Every player that gave an interview said we could have kept the ball better. That should be the title of England’s book over the past 30 or 40 years and the one for the future.

“We’re going to America to play a World Cup in two years and it will be hot in many of the states we will play in. If you haven’t got the ball, it’s hard work – it wears you out over a tournament, with the travelling.

“There’s no reason, with the technical players we have, why we shouldn’t keep the ball better. People will say we had possession during stages at this tournament but I’m not counting that against some of the teams we played against. I’m talking about the very top teams, in the biggest moments – keeping possession is very important.

“Last night, it became critical to us to keep the ball because we were dead on our feet on that pitch. The lads couldn’t move around and they needed to hold onto the ball but they couldn’t get hold of it. Fabian Ruiz was sensational, Martín Zubimendi came on for Rodri and was excellent as well. They have a way to control the game.

“At Manchester United, we won the occasional game with counter-attacks, but we had to control football matches throughout a season. England play without the ball in too many big games, against too many big opponents.

“We just forgot to play last night. England were so nervous and tense in that first half an hour. It’s a European final but a lot of those players have played in that game before. You have to demonstrate authority in big matches.

“Sir Alex used to tell us we’d forgotten to play at half-time [when we played like that], and it wasn’t in such a nice tone as I’ve just said it. We had genuinely forgotten to play [when he said that]. You’ve got to play, you’ve got to get on the ball. You’ve got to show for each other. These lads know that – they play for clubs that play this way.

“We’ve been here so many times before. The Spanish looked so comfortable on the ball. We looked really, really shaky. It was bouncing off us. It was like it surprised us, like a hot potato. That is something we have to get over.

“The players have to take responsibility for their performances and understand where they could have been better. But, they’re a good group of lads who have demonstrated they love playing for England and there will be no one more disappointed than them this morning.

“But, they could have played better. They concentrated hard on stopping Spain but they had to control the game better and show Spain they could hurt them.”