But that's the thing - because we're all club over country, it is more important that international football is entertaining and interesting, because we don't have quite the same emotional attachment. It doesn't have to bore you senseless; it doesn't have to be dull watching.
We've got the leading scorer in the Bundesliga, the La Liga player of the season who was the 3rd top scorer in the league from midfield, 22 goal Cole Palmer, 19 goal Phil Foden and 16 goal Bukayo Saka. We could play super-entertaining, edge-of-your-seats, total football with this squad. But we don't, because Southgate.
International football doesn't have to be tedious - there's been half a dozen truly cracking matches this tournament alone (Croatia-Albania, Netherlands-Austria, Turkey-Austria, most of the games in Group F). Germany were mostly fun to watch, the Dutch have been mostly fun to watch, Spain have been mostly fun to watch, England have been an absolute chore to sit through.
So he has to win the tournament. If he does - fine, means to an end, he gets to be a hero.
But if we lose.....to anyone, anyhow.....then he's just the prat that ruined Euro 2024 for everyone by wasting potentially the most exciting attacking team we've had in decades.