Watching England shouldn't be a chore – it's time for Gareth Southgate's side to entertain us

This all feels a bit familiar, doesn’t it?

A golden English crop of generational talents playing like listless strangers – more zombies than lions – staggering drunkenly towards another early exit at a major international tournament.

There was an irony in Gareth Southgate reportedly being Ineos’s favoured candidate to replace Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

At times England are the international version of the modern day Manchester United – a team less than the sum of its glittering parts, floating along without clear direction or identity.

England’s start to the Euros has been predictably stale and the sharks are circling as a tale more than half a century old threatens to play out once more.

But does it really need to be like this?

The European Championship is still young and there is time for Southgate to turn the ship around, before he goes solemnly down with it. England remain a general 9-2 second favourite to win the tournament behind France, despite impressive starts from Germany, Spain and Portugal.

Tuesday night’s final Group C clash with Slovenia is likely to see changes to the starting line-up, particularly in midfield where the doomed Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment is set to come to an end.

The introduction of Kobbie Mainoo would instantly transform the English midfield. The 19-year-old has the ability to receive the ball in tight spaces, turn and pass through the lines – something Conor Gallagher, likely to be picked ahead of him, does not.

Anthony Gordon looks set to start on the bench again, but his electric pace would also bring life to a side who are flat-lining when the heart needs to beat stronger than ever, while Cole Palmer – a Wayne Rooney-esque bolter - deserves his chance after a stunning breakthrough season at Chelsea.

Whichever changes Southgate makes, perhaps the most important thing he can do is try to re-inject some fun into proceedings. Because ultimately, isn’t that what this whole thing is about?

Look at Spain’s 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, or Germany’s Jamal Musiala. Young, fearless prodigies who look as if they are having the time of their lives on the grandest stage.

England have similarly precocious talents throughout the squad but they seem burdened, carrying the expectation of a nation around their necks like a millstone.

Perhaps the biggest success of the early Southgate era was banishing the ghosts of failures past and making England fun again. Fun to watch, and clearly fun to play for.

Remember the heady days of 2018? That epic summer of love where for a few golden weeks anything and everything seemed possible.

Granted, this side are meant to be a lot better than the class of 2018. This is meant to be the time where they become serious again – where a vibrant, young team who represent the best of modern England finally end the wait for an international trophy.

And that can still happen.

Arguably the best game of the tournament has been Turkey’s 3-1 win over Georgia in Dortmund last Tuesday – an unexpected, early-evening barnstormer in which two sides threw off the shackles and went at it for 90 uproarious minutes.

That isn’t to suggest Southgate should be quite as cavalier if England want to make it to the final on July 14 – but wouldn’t it be great if he let the handbrake off just a little?

Watching this England side shouldn’t be a chore. It should be fun.

So come on Gareth. Entertain us.

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