Jamie Carragher criticised England’s players after their Euro 2024 final defeat (Picture: Getty)
Jamie Carragher accused England’s key players of going missing in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final against Spain as he reiterated calls for Gareth Southgate to stay in charge.
England set an unwanted record as they became the first team to lose in consecutive European Championship finals after they were beaten 2-1 by Spain in Berlin.
Cole Palmer scored a brilliant equaliser to cancel out Nico Williams’ opener shortly after halftime, but Mikel Oyarzabal’s goal in the 86th minute sealed a deserved victory for Spain.
It marks the latest near miss for Southgate who will now face intense speculation over his future as Three Lions boss with his contract set to expire in December.
However, Carragher sought to blame England’s players for Sunday’s final defeat, suggesting too many went into ‘hiding’ as a superior Spanish side overawed them on the night.
‘They didn’t play with enough courage,’ the former Liverpool defender said in his column for The Telegraph.
‘England’s stars froze and could never impose themselves on an excellent Spain team.
England failed to get over the line on Sunday in Berlin (Picture: Getty)
‘We did not have enough players ordering him to stop while demanding the ball. I’ve played in enough games where I could see players hiding and refusing to show themselves to take possession, hoping something will come from long, hopeful balls.
‘Southgate is not telling them to do that. In those situations you need the biggest players to show for it and say they will accept the ball in difficult areas.
‘For me, rather than the manager, this still comes down to a historic problem which is embedded in the national team’s psyche. We have a mentality issue when it comes to taking on superior teams in the biggest games.
‘We never shock the world. We never go toe-to-toe with favourites and win. We too willingly adopt the role of the underdog. This has been the way for the 30 years I have watched or played for England. Are you telling me that is a Southgate issue?
‘The fear of losing was more obvious than the courage to go and win. Spain were missing one of their best young players, Pedri, and Rodri went off at half-time, but they still played with the belief they would win. The contrast with England’s mentality was stark.’
Southgate, meanwhile, refused to be drawn into any commitments surrounding his future in the immediate aftermath of the final defeat.
‘I don’t think now is a good time to make a decision like that,’ Southgate told ITV. ‘I’ve got to talk to the right people. It’s just not for now.’
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