When Gareth Southgate spoke to the England players, some sensing a slight crack in his voice, the manager mostly praised how “brave” they’d been and how it was only a matter of time. He told them they’d “shown balls” in going toe to toe with the defending world champions, and proven themselves the superior side. There could be few regrets about what had happened on the pitch because they’d left everything on it. Unlike Croatia 2018 or Italy in Euro 2020, England hadn’t been tactically or technically undone. They had actually got it right against France, and had the better of the wider game, if not – crucially – the fine details.
And yet it was precisely because they played better that England actually felt worse. There was a numbness in the dressing room. This was no longer about a journey, after all. It is about finishing one and finally getting there.
