ACCORDING to Gareth Southgate late on Sunday night, he was about to replace Jude Bellingham with Conor Gallagher when substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scored Spain's winner.
It would have been 10 minutes too late. Bellingham did set up Cole Palmer's 73rd-minute strike but, from that moment on, he was a passenger.
Southgate did have the stomach to take off Harry Kane just after the hour mark but, again, that decision was at least 10 minutes too late.
Okay, England were holding the tournament's best team at half-timebut a bold coach would have replaced Kane at the interval. Apart from the yellow card he collected, the England captain had been a completely incidental figure in the first half.
He was not going to suddenly sprout wings in the second.
There is a balance between having trust in your leaders and being in thrall to big names... and whoever is in charge of England at the next tournament - World Cup 2026 - needs to find it, if the wait for a trophy is to end.
Denne historien er fra July 16, 2024-utgaven av Daily Mirror UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 16, 2024-utgaven av Daily Mirror UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
ELL OF A TALENT...ELL OF am A REGRET
Howe annoyed at having to sell Anderson as he tips the former Toon star to have a big future with England
I fear misfiring Gunners will lose out again
BOTH Manchester City and Arsenal have hit bumps in the road lately, but I would rather be in Pep Guardiola's shoes than Mikel Arteta's right now.
JUST LET HER PLAY
Humphries' support for transgender star Noa-Lynn Van Leuven.
'Good nutrition fuels the brain'
Pupils get vital lessons on healthy eating
'Crocodile Beefy': I was nearly catch of the day
Botham falls in river infested with killers
Poison plot GP's wife: I'll wait for him.. I trust him
Jailed doc tried to kill mum's lover for inheritance
My gentle father
Lucan son speaks up amid claims missing lord has been traced
Everything told me I was going to die
THE police marksman who shot Jean Charles de Menezes says he feared he was about to die as he pulled the trigger.
A hairstyling hero
Celeb stylist Sorbie, who used his skills to aid cancer patients facing hair loss, dies at 75
Kate's back to honour sacrifice
Princess at weekend services