There is a sense, in the aftermath of this year's Copa America, a sense that all was not well with the venerable festival of South American football, hosted by the USA for a second time following on from the Copa America Centenario in 2016 (a special edition in marking the tournament's centenary as well as that of CONMEBOL itself- as well as the first one played on non-native soil thanks to an agreement with CONCACAF).
The dust won't settle for a while and the disappointment will be raw for some time, but this is the right moment to reflect on the unusual journey that England took at the 2024 European Championships in Germany. By the historical standards of the Three Lions, these past four weeks have represented their third best ever performance in a major tournament, obviously only bettered by 1966 and the last Euros (when England really should have finished the job against Italy). And yet, there's a clear split between those fans that think Gareth Southgate should continue for the next World Cup, and those that believe this is the right time for a new direction.
It's tempting to suggest that a little of Pep Guardiola's reflective magic stardust may just have landed in Munich with the arrival of Vincent Kompany, to take up his former master's mantle at Bayern after a season which saw his previous employers relegated to the Championship. The question is, is there more to the decision for him to step in and replace Thomas Tuchel?
As a parent of children playing football- the youngest a current Chelsea in the Community player, the eldest having passed through their ranks up to Year Three- the FA's proposal to eventually phase out heading in youth football speaks equally loudly to both fatherhood and the fan in me…
There are certain subjects worthy of debate which must, practically by law, pop up every time the very word “football” is spoken in any pub the length and breadth of the country, if not the world. One of them must be the “greatest upset of all time”...