Well done England. But Euro 2024 has been an awful tournament.

I said last week I thought England had the look and smell of a team that was going to win Euro 2024. After another great escape since, it’s looking even more likely.

I’m taking nothing for granted and I’m certainly not cheer leading. On air, at beINSPORTS, I’ve been every bit as critical of their performances as anyone else - but they keep winning. And you have to respect that.

I haven’t enjoyed watching them. They’ve been lucky. Dead lucky. But they’ve capitalised on their good fortune and can almost touch the trophy now.

In truth, I can’t remember a team being as poor making this sort of progress. But they have. And that’s why I’m backing them.

The shoot out the other night laid all sorts of ghosts to rest. Every pen was clinical. Five out of five, with Kane and Foden - who are both expert from the spot as well - watching. If either of the two games left goes to pens - England win.

Perhaps England’s form is indicative of the tournament. It hasn’t been great has it? It’s lacked big moments. Big goals. Excitement. In fact, I think it’s been one of the poorest tournaments we’ve seen in a long time.

Far more knowledgable minds than mine will come up with the reasons for that, but I know for certain there are major concerns about the way the technology has killed some of the excitement.

Without giving too much away I can assure you there’s at least one major change to the way we interpret the offside law coming at the next annual IFAB meeting - and the game will be better for it.

Also ‘in the air’ is the possibility that shoot-outs will become much fairer. I’ve argued for a long time that it’s wrong for one team to be asked to take their pens in front of the massed ranks of opposition fans.

That walk from the half-way line is scary enough. To make it being bated by supporters doing everything they can to put a player off makes it a whole lot worse.

We’ve got enough officials at games now to allow us to use both ends. Why not? It’s something else being discussed by decision makers.

And, inevitably, that leads me to our hapless PL representatives at this tournament. There weren’t any at the Qatar WC - for good reasons. How UEFA must be wishing they’d left our boys at home this time.

They’ve got a whole lot of trouble to deal with following Antony Taylor’s performance in the Spain v Germany game. Of course he should’ve given a pen against Cucurella. Its handball. I’ve heard the argument that Cucurella’s arm was by his side when the ball struck - but it wasn’t. It was way outside his body. And what made it an even worse decision is that the ball was on target. Perhaps Taylor didn’t see it - or it all happened too quickly - so why didn’t Stuart Attwell suggest a review?

Attwell was quick enough to ask Michael Oliver to give a pen against Andersen and Denmark in their game v Germany. That one wasn’t. Andersen is too close to the opponent when the ball hits him. And his arm was where it should be as he ran back to the byline.

To complete a sorry hat-trick of bad calls from our boys - Oliver forgot to send Rodri off in Spain’s first game for a denial. A pen was the correct decision, but Rodri has to go because there was no attempt to play the ball. Attwell stayed quiet. If he’s the best England has got in VAR god help us next season.

After a terrific piece of reporting by The Sun’s Neil Custis it turns out United haven’t given ten Hag a new deal after all - they’ve simply triggered the years extension that was in his original deal. Why play fast and loose with the truth like that Sunny Jim? Actually - you don’t need to answer. I think we know. What are the chances of ten Hag still being at OT come Christmas I wonder? Actually - you don’t need to answer that. I think we know.