Shots fired! Thomas Tuchel issues brutal verdict of Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 campaign and vows to bring excitement back to England

Despite reaching their second consecutive European Championship final, the Three Lions struggled for rhythm throughout the tournament and were eventually outplayed by Spain in the final, suffering a 2-1 defeat. Their path to the final was plagued by underwhelming displays, with the team barely scraping through the group stage. A narrow win over Serbia was followed by draws against Denmark and Slovenia.

The knockout rounds did little to ease these worries. England needed a stoppage-time equalizer from Jude Bellingham to force extra time against Slovakia before eventually securing victory. Against Switzerland, they relied on a penalty shootout to advance, and in the semi-final against the Netherlands, Ollie Watkins struck in the dying moments to snatch a dramatic win. However, the final against Spain exposed England’s shortcomings. After a promising start, they struggled in the second half, allowing Spain to dictate the game and ultimately falling short of glory.

Speaking to ITV Sport, Tuchel was asked whether the Three Lions had a distinct playing style at the Euros. His response was blunt: "Not last summer, no."

Expanding on his criticism of what was missing, Tuchel added: "The identity, the clarity, the rhythm, the repetition of patterns. The freedom of players, the expression of players, the hunger. They were more afraid to drop out of the tournament, in my observation, than having the excitement and hunger to win it."

As England prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Tuchel has outlined his vision for the team. His goal is to make The Three Lions a side that fans are excited to watch and opponents fear playing against.

When asked about his expectations for the team moving forward, Tuchel had one word: "Excitement."

He added: "That people feel that's the team to beat. That we arrive with a group to beat. That we know already, once we've qualified, once we arrive that this is the team to beat."

With a fresh start under Tuchel’s leadership, England will aim to move beyond their struggles at Euro 2024 and build a team that can dominate on the world stage. The German will have his first opportunity to implement his philosophy in England’s opening 2026 World Cup qualifiers when the Three Lions face Albania on Friday, followed by a clash against Latvia on Monday.