- England out of World Cup
- Lost to France in quarter-finals
- Southgate too late with subs
WHAT HAPPENED? England's Qatar World Cup campaign came to an end on Sunday after a 2-1 defeat to defending champions France in the last eight. Former Three Lions defender Ferdinand has shared his thoughts on the heartbreaking loss and says he was disappointed that Southgate did not make attacking changes earlier in the game.
WHAT THEY SAID: "Our substitutions is where I think Gareth Southgate let us down. I think he’s been pitch-perfect, touch-perfect in almost every decision he’s made up to this point, but you get into a game like yesterday where this is really where it matters now, and I think Gareth Southgate came up short in the tactical element in terms of substitutions," he told his Vibe with FiveYouTube channel. "That’s part of tactics, making substitutions, and in-game management and deciding games with substitutions at the business end of a tournament, I think he would hold his hands up maybe in retrospect. Gareth, in the moment, wasn’t proactive with his substitutions, he was reactive."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Southgate did bring on Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish during the match, but the duo only arrived late on in the game and with little time to make an impact. The FA have backed Southgate in the wake of England's exit, while the manager has said he needs time to reflect and decide whether he wants to continue at the helm.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND? The Three Lions return to action in March against European champions Italy in qualifying for Euro 2024.