England are heading to Euro 2024 as favourites to win the competition, which is a testament to how far they've come since Gareth Southgate's appointment in 2016. He has created a sense of togetherness in the squad that had seemingly been lacking for decades, eliminating the cliques formed by club team-mates while making sure the players properly acknowledge the responsibility that comes with representing their country, giving supporters reason to believe again in the process.
At the last European Championship three years ago, Southgate came within millimetres of delivering England's first piece of silverware since 1966, and they will be motivated to take that final step this summer. But it's the hardest one for a reason, and one that only the very best managers in the game are able to take.
For all the good work he has done since stepping into the England hot seat, Southgate still does not fall into that bracket. He is blessed with a pool of talent greater than perhaps any of his predecessors, dating all the way back to Sir Alf Ramsey, but individual brilliance won't be enough to finally end almost 60 years of hurt.
Southgate has come up woefully short when it really matters, and his poor judgement and lack of bravery will probably lead to more heartbreak in Germany.
