Late on Sunday evening at the end of this latest major summer tournament, history will judge which camp Gareth Southgate, inset, finds himself in. Will Southgate’s England be ‘ugly’ competition victors like Santos’ Portugal and Rehhagel’s Greece in the Euro finals of 2016 and 2004 respectively or be in good - or should that be bad - company alongside several losing finalists who failed to win hearts and minds, let alone silverware.
Prosaic Portugal were an ‘ugly ducking’ as Santos admitted. The most durable teams often are the last ones standing. If Sunday’s final is no classic, don’t expect England to be bothered. It may precede good news. Aside from the 2012 Euro final when Spain thumped Italy 4-0, just five goals have been scored in four finals, post 2000. Some losing finalists can be revered, think the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup, for example. The opposite to 2010 in fact.