Why England failed at Euro ‘96

Euro 1996 – when football finally ‘came home’. Baddiel and Skinner, the Lightning Seeds, packed crowds, the ‘Dentist Chair’ and so much more.

A tournament looked back on fondly as a brave and gallant England came oh so close to deserved glory. Well, sorry to be the one to break it to you, but the reality of it all is actually rather different.

This was a tournament crying out to be won, a tournament where all the other major teams were, in one way or another, there for the taking. This tournament shouldn’t be remembered for England as a glorious failure, but a disastrous failure, plain and simple. But before we examine what went wrong for the hosts and why they failed, we must look at the pre-tournament favourites Germany, Holland, Italy and France to understand why football really should have ‘come home’.

Italy

The Azzurri were a couple of penalty kicks away from coming into the tournament as World Champions. Coach Arrigo Sacchi had a wealth of talent at his disposal. Even without “The Divine Ponytail”, Roberto Baggio, the hero of 1994 who fell out with Sacchi, they could still call upon the cornerstones of the wonderful Juventus Champions League winning side. Players such as Angelo Peruzzi, Moreno Torricelli, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Angelo Di Livio and a young Alessandro Del Piero. Add to the mix the likes of Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, Gianfranco Zola, Demetrio Albertini, Dino Baggio and Pierluigi Casiraghi and this was a seriously dangerous team.

A 2-1 win over Russia was headlined by some delightful interplay between Casiraghi (who scored twice) and Zola. Inexplicably, for the next game against the Czech Republic, Saachi dropped them both, along with Del Piero and Di Livio. The dismissal of Luigi Apolloni for two yellow cards gave the Czechs a chance, which they duly capitalised on by winning the match 2-1. It was however Saachi’s team selection in the first place that created the problem. The same Italy side that played so well against the Russians would surely have beaten the Czech side. Saachi, the wise owl, forgot a golden rule: secure qualification and THEN rest your players, not before you qualify. Still, Italy only needed to win their last game to go through. The problem was, their last game was against Germany. An early missed penalty by Zola set the tone for the entire game, and even when playing 10 men after Germany’s Thomas Strunz was dismissed, Italy could not make the breakthrough they needed.

Even then, it seemed as if the Italians might still sneak through. A Russia win against the Czech Republic at Anfield would see them qualify. At 3-2 to Russia with five minutes to go, the dream was still alive until up popped Vladimir Smicer to break Italian hearts and send them packing from the tournament. The story of Italy at Euro ’96 is all about what could have been. The win over Russia promised so much, and makes Saachi’s tinkering in the following game seem both presumptuous and arrogant in thinking that an easy win against the Czechs would follow. Italy’s exit was to England’s advantage, as one of the clear favourites was out.

Holland

Where to begin with Holland at Euro ’96? A tournament that has become almost mythical for the breakdown within the Dutch camp. A tournament held up as a shining example of how a lack of team spirit can break even the best squad of players. Yet to the outsider at the time, it really didn’t appear that way. The squad consisted of eight members of the all-conquering Ajax team of that era (just denied back to back ECL titles by Juventus on penalties) – Edwin Van der Sar, Michael Reiziger, Danny Blind, Winston Bogarde, Ronald de Boer, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert and Peter Hoekstra. Add to the mix former Ajax stars Dennis Bergkamp, Clarence Seedorf and Aron Winter and the Dutch were set to build on their quarter final showing in the World Cup and make the next step to greatness.

Sadly, this did not prove to be the case. Rumours of a split within the camp along racial grounds have long been mooted as the reason for Holland’s non-performance. Other talk relates to the Ajax players unfavourably comparing Bergkamp with Jari Litmanen, his replacement at the time for Ajax. What we can point to is manager Guus Hiddink sending home Davids for his infamous comment which seemed to be in reference to Danny Blind:

“Hiddink should stop putting his head in some players’ asses”

This was after a 2-0 win over Switzerland and by then the cracks were not only showing, but widening and widening at a fearsome rate. The opening game was in fact a goalless draw played out with perceived group whipping boys Scotland at Villa Park.

The win against the Swiss almost assured qualification leading into the game against England at Wembley. A game that was an embarrassment and almost became a humiliation. I’m sure no England fan needs reminding of the outcome! Shockingly, were it not for Patrick Kluivert’s consolation goal at 4-0 down, the Scots would have progressed at the expense of the Dutch.

Still, the Dutch had managed to scrape through and give themselves a second chance. A chance that they failed to take, losing to the French on penalties after a forgettable 0-0 draw. So what went wrong for the Dutch? In hindsight, we know that the team spirit was sadly lacking within the squad. Factor in some strange selections from Hiddink – Jordi Cruyff starting every game, usually at the expense of Kluivert, benching Davids and Seedorf at various times and we can see that this campaign was an accident waiting to happen and it also meant another significant rival out of England’s path.

France

The failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in America hit France hard. It cost Gerard Houllier his job. It eventually cost David Ginola and Eric Cantona their places in the squad for differing reasons. It was Ginola who was blamed for giving the ball away in injury time against Bulgaria in their final qualifier, and that led to Emil Kostadinov’s last minute winner in Paris which prevented France from qualifying in’94. Cantona, who arguably would have shone in the States, lost his place after his eight month ban in Jan ’95 and never got it back.

The decision of coach Aime Jacquet not to pick the two England-based players was not well received amongst the fans of the home nation. As the banner said at St.James’ Park – “No Ginola, No Cantona – No support”. Instead, Jacquet put his faith behind two domestic based play-makers, Youri Djorkaeff and Zinedine Zidane. This decision of Jacquet was without question the right one for the future of French football. However, the question needs to be asked as to what impact Cantona could have had upon a French squad lacking in striking options.

Cantona obviously excelled playing off the front striker – a position taken by Djorkaeff. Would Cantona have excelled any more playing behind Christophe Dugarry or Patrice Loko than Djorkaeff did? We know for sure that Eric would certainly not have taken to a squad role, so a position as an impact sub was not an option. Could he have conjured a moment of magic in either the quarter or semi finals when France couldn’t find the net? Of course he could, coming off the back of the “Double, Double” season at Old Trafford where he inspired a young side and was voted Footballer of the Year. Cantona was at his peak. I can understand Jacquet’s decision for not picking Cantona, but I don’t agree with it. Cantona was such a strong figure at this time in a huge position of strength – the best player in England, playing in a tournament in England. To drop him, not pick him or even substitute him would create massive headlines and headaches for Jacquet and undoubtedly impact the morale of the team as we have seen already with the Dutch. However, I would argue that the job of the coach is to manage such maverick characters, to get the best out of them…something Sir Alex Ferguson managed again and again. Jacquet’s failure to do so and take an ‘easier’ option eventually cost his country in this tournament.

Although winners of their group and losing in the semi-final on penalties to the Czech Republic, France only scored five goals in the whole tournament. A solid defence based around the soon to be legendary Lillian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Laurent Blanc and Bixente Lizarazu weas equally miserly, conceding only twice . Goals made the decisive difference for the French…a severe lack of them. Something that a man known in Manchester simply as “Dieu” would surely have changed. As it was, it left another serious rival for England out of the way.

Germany

Let us be in no doubt that this was a German side on the wane. The powerhouse that had dominated in 1990 and come so close in 1992 in Sweden was no longer there. This was a transitional time, as proven by the shock defeat to Bulgaria in USA 1994.

Spearheaded by Jurgen Klinsmann, who was undoubtedly past his prime, the Germans appeared to lack the cutting edge that they had in previous years. Yet, typically, Berti Vogts’ team were able to grind out results where others couldn’t (see the arguably more talented Italy as a good example).

Able to draw on the strong Dortmund and Bayern Munich teams of that era, it was defensively that they were at their strongest. Matthias Sammer was outstanding and arguably the player of the tournament. The likes of Christian Ziege, Andy Moller and the tidy Dieter Eilts were impressive without ever striking the same fear as a Voller or Matthaus did in previous competitions. Lest we forget as well that Klinsmann was suspended for the fateful semi-final at Wembley and the line was lead by the hard working but limited Stefan Kuntz.

Yet, Germany managed to do what they became famous for, grinding out results without ever really playing outstanding football (see the 2002 World Cup as another great example). However, this German team were nothing special. Hard working? Check. Determined? Check. Full of character and application? Check. Full of talent? No.

This was a run of the mill team compared to previous German sides and certainly not one to be feared, and yet they ended up as winners due to the inadequacies of the hosts.

So finally, we come to England.

And now dear reader, I have to ask for your help.

Forget the hot summer of 1996, forget Three Lions on a shirt, even forget a one off destruction of a Holland side in disarray and look at the whole picture.

Terry Venables picked a relatively youthful squad, but with enough experience to justify being a serious threat. The likes of Stuart Pearce, Paul Gascoigne, Tony Adams, David Platt were veterans of tournament football, but the younger element of the squad such as Gary Neville, Steve McManaman, Darren Anderton and Robbie Fowler promised so much in the future. Such was the strength in depth in attacking positions that the likes of Stan Collymore, Andy Cole, Matt Le Tissier and Ian Wright were overlooked from the 22-man squad. The young Manchester United duo of David Beckham and Paul Scholes were another season away from the international arena, but be in no doubt that this was a strong England unit. Despite a poor run of form for England coming into the tournament, much was expected from Blackburn striker Alan Shearer and he didn’t disappoint. In conclusion, the hosts had strength in depth with a blend of experienced players combined with exciting youngsters…surely the perfect mix for a glorious triumph on home soil?

The beginning of their tournament was certainly inauspicious. A 1-1 draw with Switzerland was as uninspired as they come and I speak as someone who was in the ground that afternoon. Using a traditional 4-4-2, England were made to toil and look ordinary against Roy Hodgson’s Swiss team. Indeed, towards the end of the game, the Swiss seemed the more likely winners as England had simply run out of ideas.

The first half of the game against Scotland continued in a similar vein. Credit must go to Venables for changing the shape of the team to 3-5-2 with the introduction of Jamie Redknapp, yet the game could very easily have finished 1-1 had Gary McAllister scored Scotland’s penalty.

The Holland game was undoubtedly the high point of the tournament. We have seen already the state that the Dutch were in, yet you can only beat what is in front of you and England managed this in style. The blossoming Shearer-Sheringham partnership combined with the flair and creativity of Gascoigne, Anderton and McManaman promised so much for the knock-out stages, which only amplifies the disappointment of those performances.

Please don’t forget that for all the drama of the semi-final, England simply shouldn’t have been there in the first place. In the first half of the quarter-final against Spain, Julio Salinas had a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside and England laboured against an unspectacular Spanish team. This is the time when you would have expected England to shine, particularly on the back of the stunning result against Holland. However, whether it was the pressure of the occasion or peaking too soon, England struggled. A victory on penalties was surprising given the previous disappointment of 1990, but it merely served to paper over the cracks of a mediocre performance.

The Germany game was of course so very memorable. Who can forget Gascoigne’s near miss? Anderton hitting the post? Southgate’s penalty? But in the cold light of day, this was a game England simply should have won. The Germans, as we have seen, were functional but unspectacular and missing the suspended Klinsmann. An England side on home territory, particularly after such a great start through Shearer’s header, should undoubtedly have gone on to win. Again, was it the pressure? Was too much demand placed on the same players, with Venables not switching or rotating his line up throughout the tournament? Should Venables have made substitutions during extra time? Berti Vogts brought on Thomas Strunz especially for penalties and he scored. Could Venables not have brought on Robbie Fowler to do the same or even earlier to snatch a goal against a tiring defence? Whatever the reason, the cold hard truth is that we blew it.

What still amazes me is how Euro ’96 is thought of as some kind of majestic triumph for the English team. A record of only two wins in five games suggests otherwise. I cannot envisage a situation again when England will ever have a more opportune moment to win a major competition. All of the traditional rivals were either in transition, disarray or made bad tactical decisions during the tournament. England themselves were strong, with an experienced backbone combined with exciting youngsters and an adept coach. This was their time. This was their moment…and they failed. And that is what England were at Euro 96.

A failure, plain and simple.