A look back to the summer where football didn’t come home

England just lacked that seasoned experience, the synergy and identity Italy possess. It was a big task – but I really felt we had a chance to win regardless. The sustained momentum just wasn’t there. That extra layer of belief to really go for their jugular. Then we choked on the pens. Perhaps we choked on some of the tactical/subs before we got to the lottery kicks. Perhaps.

It’s been exhausting. Such an outpouring of emotions this summer. Redemption with the Germans. Belief. Hope. Wanting to experience success and being so close to doing just that. Then it all reverts back to the default. The norm. All a bit Spursy.

Winning something as an England fans is almost as traumatic as wishing we could win something as a Spurs fan, which you might think is impossible but Premier League Odds is worth a shout if you wish to dream that bit harder for the season ahead.

Italy were always a class above. The best side in it. The future for us remains bright. We have a great squad of players. Like EURO 96, this felt like our time. We should have known the universe gives zero fucks about sentiment.

Penalties will always be a mess whether it’s a kid taking them or a veteran. However, I’m perplexed by the selection. Not sure why we didn’t include more senior players. Management decision? Or did some not fancy it? Or perhaps the ones that took them are the very ones that wanted to – and there was simply faith from Southgate and company they would get it done. Gareth unable to see the same cursed energy that drained him on that fateful night when he stepped up and missed. It feels like we overcooked it.

Our coaching and tactical decision making was naïve in places. Too reserved. Thinking ahead instead of influencing the present. The gaffer not wanting to take more of a risk. ‘Risk’ in this instance is more attack minded football. Protect the momentum rather than defuse it.

Live. Learn. Try not to repeat. Improve. Dream. Believe. Repeat.

Southgate will have to be braver. This team needs to find an expansive style – a defined identity – stick with it and add some guile. Experience comes with growth. We could have killed the game. Lessons learnt at the elite level. We have to come back stronger because anything less isn’t enough.

This will haunt me for a while.

The nation was galvanised post-pandemic. Reconnected. We blew a fuse tho. Lights went out. Sparks fizzled into smoke. Need some rewiring done and we go again. How it ended doesn’t change how we felt throughout this journey. And how we felt at times – as a nation – was pretty f*cking beautiful.

This England team is more my team than any other side from the past couple of decades. Since the 90s.

Onwards then.

As for the empowerment racists believe they have post-defeat to voice their ignorance? This is why we have to persist with talking about racism and reminding everyone of the constant fight we have to eradicate it.

Bending the knee might look like an unnecessary gesture but if a kid sees that and asks why and is educated by it then maybe future generations won’t be so mentally devoid of compassion and decency.

Education. I really can’t emphasise this enough. Ignorance breeds ignorance. And deflecting away from the discussion by politicising it because it makes you uncomfortable is also part of the problem. In fact too many hide behind this to mask their hypocrisy.

This is unfortunately England. A cauldron of chaos.

Here’s hoping we find some calm at some point in the near future.