09:40
Preamble
Well here we are, England are in the semi-final of a major tournament for the second time in a row, they have not conceded a goal and even Jordan Henderson has scored. It is remarkable, but Gareth Southgate has only just achieved his pre-Euro 2020 goal of getting to the final four.
England’s head coach may have also finally banished the naysayers, those who treat every selection as a crime against football that they seek revenge for. Perhaps it is time to accept that Southgate knows a lot more about his players and what they need to do to win a football match than any pundit, armchair or otherwise.
While Southgate might not have been getting the respect he deserves, his England team have been able to follow up on the success of 2018 and bring the fans with them. This is a likeable group of players and even with England fans limited in their number at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, there was still very audible support.
Now the hard yards really start and Denmark will be no pushovers in the semi-final. Lost in the shuffle of England’s glory was the Danes’ quietly picking apart the Czech Republic, keeping Patrik Schick and company largely at bay. Denmark pose a threat in the opposition final third and are well organised at the back, not to mention they took four points off England with their impressive displays in the Nations League.
Do reach out if you have a point you would like to make, my contact details are in the bullet points above. I will also be feeding in any relevant news, reaction pieces from the Guardian’s writers and other bits throughout the day.
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