It always comes back to control with England. In the very biggest matches, with the stakes high and the pressure rising, they have never quite been able to stay on top of things under Gareth Southgate. Indeed, as Declan Rice bounced over for a chat in the aftermath of England winning their semi-final against the Netherlands thanks to expert finishing from Ollie Watkins, what he remembered most was squandering the initiative after going up 1-0 against Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
Three years on, the memory of Roberto Mancini’s tactical adjustments, Marco Verratti and Jorginho outpassing England and the eventual defeat on penalties still hurt.
