It's less than 24 hours removed from England's defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 Final.
Manager Gareth Southgate, who received plenty of praise throughout the tournament, has come under fire for his tactics and penalty taker choices after the match.
In a press-conference this morning, the England boss has answered questions about last night's disappointments.
"You have to get more right than wrong", the 50-year-old said. "So I take responsibility and take the criticism that comes with that. I have to take that."
🗣 "The penalty takers are my call."
Gareth Southgate takes full responsibility for the decisions on who took the penalties for England pic.twitter.com/GMdgxdj3v0— Football Daily (@footballdaily) July 12, 2021
Many came out against England's 'park the bus' tactical setup after scoring an early goal. Southgate explained his choice to play a 5 back and two defensive midfielders.
"We picked a team because of the tactical problem Italy posed. I think for the first 45 minutes, people would agree, that worked", he said.
"Italy are always going to have possession but we were actually controlling the ball for long periods. We couldn't keep the ball as well in the second half. They went for a false nine for a period of time, which was difficult."
Southgate was asked how the players reacted to the loss after the game. "There was a long period in the dressing room last night and the players then went to meet their families across the road. I'm told they had a nice evening together."
The Euro 2020 defeat comes three years after a semi-final exit for England in the World Cup in 2018. "I've now managed some of the biggest games in world football", Southgate said. "They take you across an incredible rollercoaster. You never get them all right."
BREAKING: #ENG manager Gareth Southgate says he wants to remain in charge for the 2022 World Cup
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 12, 2021
What does the future hold for this England team? With a lot of tournament debutants, Southgate's confidence is high going into the World Cup in Qatar. "All this team can go again - there is no doubt about that", he said.
No commitments have been made by the English F.A. to extend Southgate's contract, but he hopes to be a part of their World Cup campaign.
"To lead your country in these tournaments takes its toll. I don't want to commit to anything longer than I should. It's not a financial thing. As I sit here today. I would be wanting to take the team to Qatar."
