Southgate's England legacy burnished by knockout turnaround

BERLIN: Sunday's Euro 2024 final is likely to be Gareth Southgate's last match as England manager and he can walk away with his legacy "saved by the Bell", polished by penalties and enhanced by some semi-final excellence, regardless of what happens against Spain.

Everyone is again singing his praises as England prepare for a second successive European Championship final but such are the fine margins in elite sport that Southgate was a minute away from a horribly ignominious end to his eight-year tenure. After deadly dull but table-topping progress through the group stage, England were 1-0 down to Slovakia deep into stoppage time in the last 16 without having managed a shot on target.

Jude Bellingham's wonderful bicycle kick and Harry Kane's header in extra-time saved Southgate's blushes, though he was still widely pilloried for sending on substitute Ivan Toney with only one minute to go.

They were behind again in Southgate's 100th game in charge, against Switzerland, going through via a supremely confident and professional display in a shootout - something new for England for which he deserves huge credit for helping bring about.

Then, in the semi-final against the Netherlands, the England that everyone had expected to see emerged. They went behind for the third game in a row but brushed off that setback to produce their best 45 minutes not just of the tournament but probably of the last two years. It was still only 1-1 at halftime, and they needed Ollie Watkins' last-gasp strike to win it, but this was no fluky scrape over the line as England were the far superior side.

Southgate, famously stubborn previously, appeared to have listened to advice as he made earlier, telling substitutions in that game, including the removal of captain Harry Kane, something he would never have considered in past tournaments.

The win, and the nature of the performance, has changed the whole mood around the team and the nation. Southgate said before the game that he felt his players had been weighed down by expectation in the early rounds, but they played with freedom and confidence against by far the best opposition they had faced.