England perfect the art of timing to arrive at Euro 2020 final against Italy in peak condition
As the man who emerged from football’s hinterlands to become England manager and a role model for leaders everywhere, Gareth Southgate knows the importance of timing.
Southgate didn’t want the job at first but had a change of heart when standing in following the abrupt departure of Sam Allardyce and, after some promising signs in his four-game spell, seized the opportunity in late 2016.
He hasn’t looked back, transforming England into a modern, progressive team both on and off the pitch who will meet Italy in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday at Wembley. And what has been remarkable is the way that – by accident or design – they have timed their run at this tournament to perfection.
Bathed in the glow of Wednesday night’s semi-final victory over Denmark, it is easy to forget how much England were criticised before and at the start of Euro 2020.
Southgate was panned for two dreary wins over Austria and Romania in the days before the tournament.
And while a 1-0 victory over Croatia in the opening game came with a large dose of euphoria for tangential reasons – Wembley witnessing crowds of more than 20,000 fans for the first time since pre-pandemic days, the long-awaited start of Euro 2020 and glorious sunshine – the cautious performance itself didn’t please everyone.
After England barely got out of first gear against Scotland they were booed off and the Wembley reception to their 1-0 win over the Czech Republic was lukewarm at best.
Was Southgate to blame for playing too safely? Were the players tired or inhibited? It was hard to deduce, but murmurings of discontent continued.
How England have improved as Euro 2020 has gone on
Something had to change if England were to navigate the knockout rounds, and how it has.
From the cathartic win over Germany and the four-goal riot against Ukraine in Rome to the comeback in the semi-final against Denmark, with each game England have got better.
Or if better is too simplistic: they have played with more intensity every time, both physically and emotionally.
They reached a new peak in extra-time against the Danes. It was striking how much energy Raheem Sterling, Kalvin Phillips and others still had as they swarmed tiring opponents in a frantic hunt for the winning goal. When it came, players, staff and fans alike shared in a crescendo of relief and joy.
But of course, not every game can be like that: players would quickly become exhausted.
We have seen it hinder England at previous tournaments, especially those in which they have run aground in a semi-final.
In 1990, England laboured to get out of their group, needed extra-time to beat Belgium and were given a scare by Cameroon; in 1996 they were already drained by the time they reached another fateful semi-final against Germany due to a penalty shoot-out with Spain in the previous round;and in 2018 it was a similar story, only with Colombia and Croatia.
This time around they have avoided that rollercoaster and emerged in the last four fresher than ever.
Revived Kane personifies England’s late blooming
No one has embodied England’s gradual awakening after the group stage more than Harry Kane.
The captain and chief goal threat was virtually anonymous in the first three games and was substituted in the first two.
But, like his team, he found a new gear late in the last-16 win over Germany, scoring a header to make the result safe, netted twice more in a much livelier display against Ukraine and struck the winner to cap a tireless performance in the semi-final.
So well-timed and effective has England and Kane’s improvement been, it is hard not to wonder whether it was all part of a masterplan.
From a fitness point of view, England are reaping the rewards of playing at a slow pace in the group fixtures.
They were able to sustain the intensity needed to overcome Denmark in extra-time. Final opponents Italy, meanwhile, may have started Euro 2020 like a train but had to cling on for penalties in their semi-final with Spain.
Rather than lose players to injury – as Italy unfortunately have with marauding left wing-back Leonardo Spinazzola – England have successfully nursed key figures Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson back to full fitness during a tournament.
England will return to Wembley on Sunday still on a high but without having depleted their reserves of angst, tension and nerve quite like in previous campaigns.
Whether Southgate told this exuberant, youthful team to take it slow and steady in earlier games for precisely that reason is unclear.
What is clear, though, is that – so far – his timing has again been flawless.