England have stayed alive at Euro 2024 and avoided recklessness that might lead to disaster but it has been joyless and filled with fear and trepidation

In Ben Lerner’s novel Leaving the Atocha Station, a character stands on the bank of a river, nervous and scared, as her boyfriend urges her to jump in. She wants nothing more than to walk away, to say no, to follow her instinct. But she succumbs to the pressure and jumps in, only to be swept away by the tide, flailing desperately. She is found soon after downstream, having drowned.

“This just is the world,” Lerner writes. “Things like this happen. One can be as cautious as one wants, can waste one’s life being cautious, but there is no avoiding the reality of death.”

Gareth Southgate might find himself pondering similar philosophical ideas. He is, metaphorically speaking, standing on the riverbank, unable to fully commit and jump in. That might mean death, or in this case elimination from Euro 2024, an outcome that must be avoided at all costs. 

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The metaphor may feel a little forced, but the principles apply. If the character in Lerner’s novel had refused to jump into the river, turned around and went home, she would have felt guilt, a cowardly sense of dissatisfaction. She would have been alive but inhibited and encumbered by anxiety and cautiousness.

That is how England, and indeed France and several other teams at Euro 2024, have likely felt this summer. They have stayed alive, avoided any recklessness that might lead to disaster, but it has been joyless, filled with fear and trepidation. It has been all about the destination, not the journey.

Plenty will argue that this is fine if England go on to win the tournament. Who will remember or even care how the team played if the trophy is lifted in Berlin later this week? It is about the glory, the success, the accolades. In part, of course, that is true.

But in reality, scraping through a tournament playing dour, unadventurous football will certainly be remembered. The fans at the games, the disillusioned supporters watching, increasingly listless, in front of the TV, will remember how drab it was. Some won’t mind. Some will insist that all that matters is the end result. But there is, for most people, more to life than winning.

There is an emerging discontent among football fans about the sport’s move towards cautiousness. Top teams, generally speaking, prioritise safe possession, patient probing, minimal risk. Individualism is discouraged, off-piste moments of skill or invention are increasingly rare. Surviving, making it to the end, is more important than anything else.

A significant percentage of managers, Southgate included, are now intent on establishing control. Being swept away by the tide of a match is undesirable. The result is that games are often cagey; long periods are spent retaining possession, waiting for an opening that can be exploited with minimal risk. That does not make for a great spectacle.

The counterargument is that winning is all that matters in sport. The game evolves and tactical trends emerge, but the end goal always remains the same. There is no obligation to entertain the crowd or the viewers paying extortionate prices to watch on TV. It is, ultimately, about competition.

But the question remains: what is the point of it all if it becomes joyless? When teams with incredibly gifted players are too afraid to take the handbrake off, when instead they choose to avoid any potential pitfalls and keep their opposition at arm’s length, watching can become a frustrating, dispiriting experience.

There are still exciting, positive teams, of course. Spain have often thrilled at Euro 2024, allowing Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams the freedom to drive at defenders. But they are the exception. In an age of automation and systems, talented individuals are often restricted and held back.

How much of that you can tolerate depends on your outlook. But there is no doubt that playing a more forward-thinking brand of football can reap rewards in many ways. Eventually, even the most cautious, self-preserving teams will come unstuck. And when they do, whether it is in a quarter-final or a final, how will that feel? 

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