Gareth Southgate changes England XI at last-minute as he makes bold tweak just hours before Euro 2024 final

THEY’VE been booed by their own fans, the manager has been pelted with pints and were so dull even Gary “Mr Nice” Lineker branded one of their group games as s**t.

Yet if England upset the odds in Berlin this evening, there’s a good case to argue the Euros will never have had a more fitting winner.

Let’s face it, for all the nation has suddenly gone football-daft and started belting out Sweet Caroline again — thanks for that — this has been a tournament of trash.

The big guns didn’t turn up, the big names may as well not have and, barring the first round of group fixtures, big thrills were harder to find than a sober Scotland fan.

It has been a month of yawning, not fawning. Of exasperation, not animation. Four weeks of booze and boos.

History will look back on it as the sub-standard Euros . . . and when it comes to sub-standard, we are in a league of our own.

Initially thanks to the dross Harry Kane and Co served up in stuttering from the group of bored-to-death.

Yet the three knockout ties weren’t so much about sub standards as the standard of subs. The reason England reached the final — and why they can now win it!

Yes, Spain have been head and shoulders the best team in Germany, and young wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal the stand-out stars.

But for everyone from Yamal, 17 yesterday, to old head Dani Carvajal, 32, the Euros is a gruelling four weeks after a demanding season. Which obviously applies to England as well.

That is why the strength of the bench has been and will be so vital, maybe even more than the strength of the starting XI.

An area where Spain don’t come close to matching the Three Lions. See what I mean about sub standards . . . about where England have a clear and crucial edge?

About why Southgate may well be Sir Gareth before long?

If they stick it up the Senors tonight, the cries for an honour will be even louder than they were for his head. After all, it was Southgate who made the key calls against Slovakia, Switzerland and then Holland. All subs who raised the standard.

Ivan Toney’s dramatic role in the last-16 great escape. Eberechi Eze and Luke Shaw saving the day against the Swiss. Cole Palmer and matchwinner Ollie Watkins’ semi-final heroics.

Southgate has had the golden touch with his replacements and it’s hard to give him a dig in the ribs over that . . . in fact it’s hard to say he didn’t get them spot on.

But I’m going to anyway.

For although England would be on their way home now without their subs — or finishers as they are now, apparently — don’t hail it as the work of a tactical genius.

There has been as much luck as judgment. There has been too much dithering. They have been made too late in the day. They have been reactive, not proactive.

Toney was chucked on in the final minute against Slovakia. What was he supposed to do in that time? Even the player himself asked as much in the post-match conference.

Eze, Shaw and Palmer changed the tone and the tempo in fighting back against the Swiss. But again, only after England had gone behind late in the day.

And although Watkins hit the last-gasp winner to beat the Dutch, from Palmer’s pass, once more Southgate waited too long in turning to his bench.

Time and again he leaves Kane on when he is out on his feet. Time and again he has left Palmer kicking his heels, despite impacting things whenever he appears.

Southgate has got away with it so far but it won’t always be the case. As manager, he has to have the bottle to make changes earlier.

Playing to your strengths isn’t rocket science and for England that is the bench — but only if you know how to exploit it.

So come on Gareth, show us that you do!

Who knows, we might even get to relax for the final few minutes . . . although I won’t be holding my breath.

Read more articles by Phil Thomas