Jamie Carragher has refused to blame Gareth Southgate for England's Euro 2024 final defeat, saying the Three Lions' star players froze when it mattered most.
England were deservedly beaten 2-1 by Spain in Sunday's Berlin showpiece, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring the winner after Cole Palmer cancelled out Nico Williams' opener.
The Three Lions struggled for control throughout the game, enjoying just 34.9% of the possession as Spain accumulated 1.77 expected goals (xG) to their 0.55.
It was a familiar sinking feeling for Southgate, who was also criticised for England's failure to maintain control when leading against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
England lost possession 98 times in total and completed only 66.5% of passes in Spain's half, with only Luke Shaw and Bukayo Saka completing over 90% of their passes among the Three Lions' starters.
Despite Southgate facing criticism once more, former defender Carragher refused to lay blame at the manager's door, saying England's best players failed to show up.
Carragher wrote on X: "Sven [Goran Eriksson] played 4-4-2, Fabio [Capello] was too strict, Gareth is too defensive! Funny how it's always on the manager isn't it?
"The fact is our big players didn't turn up in this tournament. And at other tournaments going back years.
"I have no relationship at all with Southgate. I feel he has been cautious from the bench throughout his time, but in this tournament the substitutes have been great.
"There is this idea though that he is holding back an amazing team. Is it any better than 1996, 1998 or 2004?
"International football is not littered with top managers, it's about the players. Ours froze in that first half, allowing the keeper to go long [and] not demanding the ball [and] showing for it."
While Jude Bellingham teed up Palmer's equaliser, he only completed 67.7% of his passes, with only Jordan Pickford (55.6%) faring worse among all 22 starters.
Captain Harry Kane was another to struggle, failing to record a single touch in the Spain area before he was withdrawn for Ollie Watkins midway through the second half.
Across the Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 finals, Kane had just one touch in the opposition's area, one fewer than Jack Grealish had. Grealish played 21 minutes in the 2020 final and did not make the 2024 squad.
'Legend' Southgate chose right time to call time on England, says former Three Lions team-mate
Gareth Southgate chose the right time to end his England tenure, though he will go down as a Three Lions "legend".
That is according to Southgate's former international team-mate Darren Anderton.
The Football Association (FA) confirmed on Tuesday that Southgate had decided to walk away from his role following the 2-1 Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain.
Southgate, who took charge in 2016, guided his national side to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, as well as back-to-back Euros finals – becoming the first manager to lose two European Championship showpiece matches.
Anderton, a team-mate of Southgate with England at Euro 1996, believes the time was right.
"I think he's been getting a lot of stick. He's been involved since 2011 with the FA and now eight years as the manager," Anderton told Stats Perform.
"I feel like he's more negative within the job, the pressure of it, I think is what causes that. From where he took over, we're in an incredible place with fantastic players."
Southgate appeared to grow tired of the repeated negativity surrounding his side at Euro 2024.
Anderton understands some of the frustration, but thinks Southgate will go down as one of England's great managers.
"There's been a lot of negativity and I think rightly so, the standard and the style of football hasn't been what we would hope or what it was when Gareth first took over," Anderton added.
"I feel that he's done a great job and as he said, time for a change. People always say it's the hardest job in the world and he's had a right go at it and been very close to creating history, but he has great history.
"I mean, two finals and that's what he'll be remembered for. I mean at the moment I think everyone's very negative about it but I think you know as time goes on he'll be remembered as a legend."
England are also the first side to ever lose back-to-back Euros, though Anderton does not believe that unwanted feat will tarnish Southgate's legacy.
"I think it'll be a success," Anderton said when asked how Southgate will be remembered.
"At the moment we see it as a failure because I believe that we had the players and the capabilities to win the tournaments.
"The fact that we haven't done because you know possibly the manner of football that we've played is obviously really disappointing.
"When you watch that Spanish team play and win seven games on the bounce and play with that freedom, I think if we had played in the same way, I think that we would have seen better performances and probably had more chance of winning the tournament.
"That criticism is fair but also the expectation has obviously gone up because of what Gareth's teams have achieved. When that happens, you know, you go into the tournaments, you're favourites, that wasn't the case before he came.
"We were in a really awful position. Eight years ago, if we go into a tournament, and we think we're going to get to a final or a semi-final World Cup, no one cares how we play.
"I think now the expectation has changed based on what he has achieved, and people want more. And that's just the nature of the beast."
Southgate won 61 of his 102 matches in charge of the national team, with 14 of those victories coming at major tournaments.
Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino are said to be the early targets for the FA, though England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley could also be in the frame.
Wiegman hails England colleague Southgate after Three Lions exit
Sarina Wiegman lauded the "incredible" impact Gareth Southgate has had on English football after the Three Lions' manager confirmed his exit on Tuesday.
Southgate walked away from his role with England after their 2-1 defeat against Spain in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday.
Having fallen at the same hurdle against Italy, Southgate is the first manager in history to lose two European Championship finals, while England are the first team to suffer defeat at the stage in back-to-back Euros.
England Women's head coach Wiegman knows all too well about the same challenges, though went one further when guiding the Lionesses to Euro 2022 glory on home soil, beating Germany in the final.
The pair will likely no longer see one another around England's headquarters, though the Dutchwoman holds Southgate high in her thoughts.
"To be honest, yes, because he's such a nice person and a great coach," Wiegman told ITV after the Lionesses' goalless draw with Sweden in Gothenburg.
"We wouldn't see each other all the time, but when we would, it was very nice. What he has done for English football is just really incredible.
"Of course, they made the final again, they made the final at the last Euros too.
"I think he can be very, very proud of himself. I think England is very proud of him and me as a Dutchie, I'm very proud of him too."
Wiegman's side secured qualification for next year's Women's European Championships with their draw in Sweden.
The Lionesses will now head to Euro 2025 aiming to defend their title in Switzerland.
'Newcastle will fight to keep Howe', Magpies CEO insists amid England links
Newcastle United CEO Darren Eales says the club will "fight to keep" Eddie Howe, amid speculation linking the Magpies boss with the England head coach vacancy.
Howe is among the frontrunners to replace Gareth Southgate, who announced on Tuesday he would step down as the Three Lions' boss after their Euro 2024 final heartbreak against Spain.
The 47-year-old, who guided Bournemouth into the Premier League in 2015 and oversaw a five-year stay in the top flight, has also made great strides with Newcastle since replacing Steve Bruce in October 2021.
The Magpies were bottom of the Premier League when Howe took over the reins, but he guided them into the Champions League in his first full season, while they finished a respectable seventh last term.
Howe, who previously said he was not ready for international management, signed a lucrative long-term contract extension with Newcastle last year, and Eales dismissed speculation of him leaving St James' Park for St George's Park.
"The first thing to say is that in any organisation, if you are performing well, there will be speculation from other clubs," the Magpies CEO said from the club's pre-season base in Germany. "But Eddie is under a long-term contract with the club.
"You see him, he loves the day to day of club football, and we have an exciting project here in terms of the commitment from the ownership and the journey we want to go on.
"For sure, we'd fight to keep him at the club. For us, he is exactly the right man for the project we are on at Newcastle United, and that is why we are committed to a long-term deal with him. We love him.
"It is speculation on Eddie. He has been an amazing manager at the club, and he is committed to Newcastle through the work that he has done.
"We are obviously committed to him and had a multi-year extension last summer signed. We are on an exciting journey and, as far as we are concerned, Eddie is the man to lead us on that journey. From our perspective, there is nothing to add."
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