by Therefore, it is clear that Gareth Southgate can make a strong substitution. It only takes him 94 minutes, when he is within seconds of facing the most serious indictment of his eight-year tenure, to do so. Of all the aspects of this almost unbelievable comeback from England, few stand out as much as Ivan Toney’s late cameo. In five minutes either side of normal time, this extremely confused side produced two goals with the Brentford striker driving the attack – the same number as they had managed in the previous six hours without him. .
Was this a miracle by design, or a miracle due to just treacherous good fortune? Was it the day that Jude Bellingham’s athletic development deserved, or the hour and a half of fetid swallowing that preceded it? The England fans who have gathered here in Gelsenkirchen in giddy “Hey Jude” celebrations could hardly care less. They were still happy to be along for the ride, even when it involved the lurching types. Sometimes it takes one moment of friends to end the tightest gloom.
It would be a stretch to say that confidence would be immediately restored in Southgate. Although Toney was the force England needed in their brightest moments, it was believed that it took almost the last kick of the 90 minutes for the manager to introduce him. It was as if he felt that Toney was too left an option to consider until the humiliation was imminent. Somehow, this long overdue roll of the dice reaped its rewards, with the squad’s forgotten man taking the plunge to change the game and possibly throw this entire campaign off course.
The Toney effect had an impact on both England goals. Preparing for Bellingham’s unforgettable bicycle kick, he blocked Slovakian center back Norbert Gyomber, creating space for No. 10 his coup de théâtre. With the opposition’s deficit finally fading, he provided the perfect assist, with a looping header into the box that prompted Harry Kane to burst forward into the box and claim the winner.
If nothing else, it was a powerful demonstration of how this side, even with a murderous post-mortem awaiting them, could find a way to pull themselves off the canvas.
But hold fire, perhaps, on any suggestions of tactical genius. The brutal reality was that Southgate’s substitution strategy was as doubly biased as a resignation letter until Toney’s inexplicably late arrival. After the first 45 minutes of non-stop absence, a half-time reset was not as necessary as was mandated. As Kane drifted away from the unknown, Toney’s early predecessors, Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer, gave reassurance that England were certainly about to reshuffle the pack.
How easy it was to be fooled. I don’t mind pulling a rabbit out of a hat, Southgate decided not to even bother with any magic. Even with overwhelming evidence that England were returning to the restless, torpid mode that defined them all, he left everything as it was, not content with the discontent in the stands at the constant sideline movement. In particular, Slovakian manager Francesco Calzona, with the luxury of being in the lead, replaced three of his own before Southgate made one.
In the end, and the fans’ fears could not be ignored, Southgate turned to Palmer to find a spark. It came in bursts, with the Chelsea winger bustling and furious as ever on the right, but it wasn’t enough. Granite Granite? It was a revelation when he came on, but he couldn’t solve the code. It was up to Toney, already writing careful manager professional biographies, to provide the missing link. But if you thought he was about to offer his manager some pay for keeping faith with him, you were wrong.
Southgate, Toney, admitted he was “embarrassed” at being brought on with just a minute to go, the look of disdain on his face saying it all. What difference was it going to make in a few seconds? What magic was he expected to do when many people in this stadium were already looking forward to their flights and ferries home? In the end, he responded almost in spite of the manager rather than because of him, throwing himself into the fray with such relentless energy that it generated soccer’s strike force into existence.
Ultimately, Toney is not alone in doubting Southgate’s decisions. The days of “In Gareth We Trust”, the mantra of the true believers, are long forgotten and replaced by directionless displays at this tournament so far. Take Bukayo Saka, for example. Just a day before, he was insisting that he is not England’s solution at left-back. So where did Southgate decide to deploy when Kieran Trippier made way for Cole Palmer? Why, on the left rear, of course.
With a more determined team, this may be an encouraging sign that the manager is firm on his mind. But the impression is that Southgate is almost willfully contrarian, ignoring the vocal criticism around him and doubling down on his conservative instincts. This strange streak in his nature could soon be acutely exposed. So far, however, England’s players can luxuriate with the rarest of emotions, feeling that they can flip the story of a tournament on its head even when it seems that the man at the top is hell-bent on changing anything.
