So it turns out that contrary to pundits’ bleating about England selections during Euro 2024, just chucking all your best players onto the pitch in unfamiliar roles is actually not as effective as having a system that makes sense.
A lot of the criticisms aimed at Gareth Southgate as England crawled through the early stages of the tournament on their hands and knees were valid – but the notion that he should find a way to squeeze every single attacking talent at their disposal into an ill-fitting shape was always absurd on its face.
