Gareth Southgate faces the biggest football decision of his life on Saturday: whether to let Harry Kane go.
If he gets it right, it’s a decision that will make Gareth a national hero. On the current evidence, I’d say leave Harry out of it.
I have been one of Harry’s biggest supporters. He is a fantastic goalscorer who has shown great quality at Tottenham, Bayern Munich and for England, but this tournament it was like he was pulling a caravan around the football pitch.
The introduction of Ollie Watkins against the Netherlands breathed life into the team. Park the fact that he scored a magnificent goal, his contribution transformed England as an attacking threat.
Gareth is extremely loyal to Harry, and rightly so, as he has often won him games. And as I have said before, I do not want to second-guess what the England manager will do next, but he must seriously consider this change.
Gareth Southgate (left) faces the difficult dilemma of whether to drop Harry Kane (right) for the Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday
Ollie Watkins (left) scored the winning goal for England in the 90th minute to send them through to the final
Ollie Watkins’ introduction against the Netherlands sparked a revival in England, with the Aston Villa striker having a huge impact on the game – and not just because of his late goal
Watkins brought much more energy to England when they were out of possession.
Your press starts with how the man closest to the ball reacts. Watkins sprinted after the ball. I know he was only in for 15 minutes but he plays like that every week for Aston Villa. I’m not just basing this on the winning goal against Holland, I’m taking Harry’s all-round performances in the last six games into context.
Would it give the opposition a boost if his name wasn’t on the team sheet? I’m not so sure. Harry is a goal-scoring professional, but England need more than he’s offered against Spain of late.
What defenders worry about most is real speed. A defender hates it when you have to constantly turn them and bring them back to their own goal. They love having a striker right in front of them all the time and that’s what Harry has become in these six games – far too easy to play against.
In defence, Harry will feel he is not getting the ball quickly enough and there is too much sideways and backwards passing from his team mates. He has been the talisman so many times and you have to wonder if he has an injury that we don’t know about.
But ultimately he hasn’t brought his early Bayern Munich form; he hasn’t been creative enough and he hasn’t trickled in goals from open play. Watkins’ willingness to run at the back was a reminder of what can be achieved with good forward movement, because England have players like Cole Palmer who can hit the striker with the kind of slider pass of unerring accuracy that he produced for Wednesday’s winning goal.
Should Southgate (left) choose to drop Kane, it could be a boost for the opposition if his name is not on the team sheet.
Kane is a craftsman with a nose for goals, but England will need more than he currently offers if they are to beat Spain
And despite being England’s top scorer, Kane hasn’t brought his early form from Bayern Munich
Watkins’ (first left) willingness to run at the back was a reminder of what can be achieved with good forward movement
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that England must seize.
If they win this match, they will not show the grandkids the highlights of the first five matches in the years to come, they will only watch the semi-final and the final, because the rest was not worth watching.
Before the Euros started I said that England were my favourites and that this was their best chance to win a tournament since 1966. But given the way they played, you would never have expected them to reach the final.
Up until the semi-final the performances were miserable, lacking any excitement, but they did show that great British quality of tenacity. And when push comes to shove and we feel like the world is against us, we come together and we like to prove people wrong.
England were better against the Netherlands because they were not facing a team that wanted to sit down. The Dutch wanted to attack because they saw their chances, but England dug in and fair play to them got the result. That in itself is a sign that big players have the right mentality. But you can bet that if the Netherlands saw their chances, Spain will do so even more.
Spain are a very good team but will try to take the lead for the full 90 minutes, which suits England well.
They are a very, very good team but Spain will be looking to lead for the full 90 minutes, which could suit England perfectly as we mustn’t forget they still have some excellent attackers. It’s worth remembering that Spain lost 2-0 to Scotland at Hampden just over a year ago, so they are not invincible.
What I hope is that both teams let themselves go and that we see a real spectacle.
The European Championship has not been an attractive football festival so far, so it would be nice if the final were a top tournament.
Spain are the favourites, but they are certainly not unbeatable. England, with their players, do not have to be afraid, they have to adopt that mentality to finally win this tournament for the first time.
It’s worth remembering that just over a year ago Spain lost 2-0 to Scotland at Hampden
England should have no fear with their players, they need to adopt that mentality to ultimately win this tournament.
Luke Shaw to start against Spain
I almost have no words for Lamine Yamal. No one should be that good at 16. I can only describe him as a ‘unicorn’, an almost fictional character that should not exist.
It’s one thing to have dribbling skills and to be able to run around, but it’s the maturity that he shows in his choice of passing, in his decision-making. I can’t remember seeing someone like him at that age.
It will certainly be an exciting match when he takes on Luke Shaw.
There have been questions about his selection given what he has been able to contribute to the tournament, but Shaw should start against Spain. A hamstring injury can be the most unpredictable injury for a footballer, but without being too brutal, he should play against Yamal and if he steps up, it won’t be Gareth Southgate’s problem.
That should be the argument of Manchester United and that thought should not enter the mind of the English manager. Necessity must and England must field their best left back.
I almost have no words for Lamine Yamal (in the picture). No one should be that good at 16 years old.
It will be an exciting match to see the 16-year-old Spanish star take on Luke Shaw (pictured)
Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy and I have not always seen eye to eye, but I wish him nothing but the very best as he becomes the new Wales manager.
The reason we clashed was because Craig was often so desperate to succeed, but I believed his actions were sometimes misguided. Regardless, I wish him the best as he takes on a big challenge.
It’s also good to see another former player, Scott Parker, getting the chance to revive his career in England with Burnley.
Scott is a man you always want to have in the trenches and I hope he can bring new success to Turf Moor.
‘Everything I know about myself’
I am pleased to announce that the Ny Breaking is launching a podcast series on August 1st. I believe this series will tell the real and unvarnished story of my life, leaving nothing out and avoiding no questions.
In some ways, I found going back in time for the series to be therapeutic! The series will shed new light on some of the events and experiences that have shaped my life and career.
The series consists of five podcasts and is called ‘Everything I Know About Me’.