Manchester United legend Gary Neville admitted that his “heart and head are wrestling with each other” over one team’s chance to win Euro 2024 this summer.
The quarter-finals of this summer’s Euros begin on Friday, as host nation Germany will face Spain for a place in the semi-finals of Euro 2024.
Portugal and France clash in the quarter-finals of the tournament and the winner will face either Germany or Spain in the semi-finals.
The Netherlands will take on Turkey in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while England will clash with Switzerland on the same day.
The semi-finals for the Euros will be held on 9th and 10th July ahead of the Euro 2024 final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on 14th July.
Neville reacts to England’s last-16 match
England managed to squeeze their way into the quarter-finals with a late comeback win against Slovakia in the round of 16.
The Three Lions were widely tipped as one of the tournament favourites ahead of Euro 2024, despite underwhelming at times under Gareth Southgate.
England were on the verge of crashing out against Slovakia before Jude Bellingham scored an injury-time overhead kick to force the tie into extra time.
Three Lions captain Harry Kane then fired England into the lead in the first half of extra time, with Gareth Southgate’s men sealing a 2-1 comeback win in the last 16.
Speaking in The Overlap’s newsletter, Gary Neville admitted that his heart “says something is happening” after England reached the quarter-finals.
“I cannot make sense of England,” he said.
“My head says they’re heading home on Saturday, certainly if they perform like they have in the first four games.
“And yet my heart says something is happening… A last-minute wonder goal changes the dynamic even if that makes no sense.
“If you’ve played badly for four games, the chances are you will do so again. If you hardly created any goalscoring chances, the likelihood is you will fail again in the next match.
“So why should Jude Bellingham’s overhead goal make all the difference? Rationally it won’t. England played their worst football of the Gareth Southgate era on Sunday night. Yet emotionally it changes everything.”
Neville’s prediction for England at Euro 2024
Neville made his position clear that England will be “well and truly beaten” if they don’t step up their performance against Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
The Manchester United legend refused to play down the threat that Switzerland offer in attack, having previously knocked out Euro 2020 champions Italy in the last 16.
However, Neville added that England remain “within touching distance of history” and the Three Lions can “still” win this summer’s Euros.
“Let’s be clear, England perform like they did against Slovakia when they play Switzerland on Saturday and they will be well and truly beaten,” he said.
“Switzerland are a much better side than anyone they have faced, with Serie A, Premier League and Bundesliga winners at the heart of their line-up. Crucially they have something England clearly lack, which is a clear system everyone buys into.
“So, at the moment my heart and head are wrestling with each other. My head tells me performance matters, that eventually you run out of road in a tournament when you’re not creating chances.
“England aren’t gelling, we’re not seeing any coached patterns of play, they’re passive on the pitch and passive off it, in the lack of substitutions and interventions Gareth Southgate is making.
“But something happened. Results matter. Whatever you say about Southgate’s subs – and no-one could understand it – Bellingham and Harry Kane were on the pitch to deliver. Is this the near-miss event that jolts them to their senses?
“At the end of a fortnight, they still have one of the best squads here and a game to make the semi-finals. They remain within touching distance of history. Of destiny. My heart is overriding my head. This can still happen.”