July 14th 2024.
As the final whistle blew and the confetti rained down, Gareth Southgate could do nothing but watch as his England team suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Spain. It was a tough pill to swallow for the manager, who had been hoping to lead his team to victory in the Euro 2024 final.
But as the dust settled and the post-match analysis began, former Liverpool and Germany midfielder Didi Hamann had some harsh words for England's performance under Southgate. He didn't hold back in his criticism, blasting the manager's decisions and even suggesting that star striker Harry Kane should be dropped from the team.
Despite the disappointment of the loss, it was clear that Spain deserved the victory. England had struggled to maintain possession and control the game for extended periods, particularly in the second half. And while reaching the final was certainly an achievement, it wasn't without its challenges. England had barely scraped by in the group stage and had to fight tooth and nail to make it through the knockout rounds.
As the game unfolded, it was clear that Hamann was not impressed with England's performance. He was baffled by Kane's lack of movement on the pitch and questioned why he was given so much playing time when he wasn't contributing much to the team. "The football was atrocious," the German remarked on RTE. "Out of the 10 worst games in the tournament, England was responsible for seven."
Hamann also couldn't understand why Southgate didn't make use of the talented players on the bench, such as Ollie Watkins, Eberechi Eze, and Anthony Gordon. He believed that if they had been given the chance to shine, England may have had a better chance of winning. But instead, Southgate stuck with the same underperforming players, even when they were struggling to keep up with their opponents.
In Hamann's opinion, England should not be content with just reaching two European Championship finals under Southgate. They should expect more from their team and their manager. "I don't want to be too harsh," he said, "but I don't think it's enough. They have the best squad, yet they still fell short. It's just not good enough."
And in one final attack on Kane, Hamann questioned whether England fans really wanted to see him leading the team again in the future. "If he stays in charge," he said, "I think when the teams meet again in three months, it will be Harry Kane. But the fans don't want to see that anymore." It was a strong statement, but one that reflected the disappointment and frustration of a nation that had hoped for more from their team.
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