Gareth Southgate finally getting his well-deserved flowers
With the score tied at 1-1 at the 81st-minute mark, England and the Netherlands seemed destined to play an additional 30 minutes of extra time in their Euro 2024 semifinal. That was when Gareth Southgate subbed out Harry Kane and Phil Foden for Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer, respectively.
It was a gutsy move from Southgate, as Kane and Foden — arguably his two best close-range strikers — would have been disqualified from participating in a penalty shootout if it had gotten to that point.
Southgate rolled the dice anyway, trusting his instincts.
Around 10 minutes later, Palmer made a spectacular run behind the Dutch defense and slotted a clover pass to Watkins, who put England ahead. It was the first-ever instance of two substitutes combining for a goal for the Three Lions in a major tournament's knockout stages.
After Southgate's decisions paid off, he deservedly basked in the praise. Manchester United legends Roy Keane and Gary Neville couldn't stop raving about his tactical decisions after the victory.
"He's done a brilliant job from day one when you think about it," said Keane, via EuroSport. "He's created an environment for the players to go out and express themselves. He's made some big decisions before this tournament, people like [Jack] Grealish and [Marcus] Rashford, it raised an eyebrow when he made those decisions. But he's got to try and finish now. If he can get that trophy at the end of it, then it would be amazing for him."
Neville felt Southgate was unfairly maligned for some of his decisions in the early stages of Euro 2024, specifically his attacking formation that utilized Kane, Foden and Jude Bellingham.
"It couldn't happen to a better man," Neville said. "Anyone who played with Gareth, worked with him, he's a brilliant person. He deserves it. Sometimes you don't get the reward you deserve for the way you carry yourself, but he's always been exemplary."
Besides former players, the English media harshly criticized Southgate's strategic calls throughout the group stages. Ultimately, Southgate's men showed championship mettle in the quarterfinals and semifinals, becoming the first-ever team to win back-to-back Euro knockout games from behind.
It's inarguable that England is in the middle of its golden era, with Southgate leading the charge.
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