The Euro 2024 finals fizzled out somewhat after what had been a promising start, but they did at least produce a worthy winner – Spain were, by a distance, the best team in the tournament.
That does not always happen, and even last Sunday the Spanish might have slipped up, having to rely on a late winner to overcome England.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s fine finish meant, of course, that football did not “come home” and the Scottish nation could breathe a huge collective sigh of relief.
That the English made it to that point was pretty remarkable after what was a largely unremarkable tournament for them.
They stumbled through the group, got an equaliser against Slovakia deep into stoppage time, needed penalties to see off Switzerland and were handed a ridiculous penalty to get back into the game against the Dutch.
Had they pulled it off, they would have been the least impressive champions since Greece in 2004.
Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of the finals, and while it has to be said his overall record in charge – one quarter-final, one semi, and two finals in four major competitions – is impressive, this is one he might well have won.
Having been bold in his original squad selection, Southgate was much less so during the tournament itself, showing loyalty to players who had got him there when it was clear a number were off-form or not fully fit.
Harry Kane looked, for the most part, as if he was in the wrong movie, Phil Foden shone only sporadically, Declan Rice appeared off the pace, and even golden boy Jude Bellingham showed up only in patches.
Apart from his overhead kick against Slovakia, which spared English blushes, the Real Madrid player snarled, moaned and play-acted his way through the finals.
No-one can doubt his talent, or what he achieved last season, so perhaps the arrogance which oozes out of Bellingham is, to an extent, understandable, but I cannot shake the feeling that he cares more about himself than the team.
I have rarely seen such a self-confident individual, which is fine when you are delivering, but if not, it comes across as a less-than-appealing trait.
Most of England’s best moments came from their substitutes, young hungry players like Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer, but Southgate limited their game time, stuck with his favourites, and paid the price as a result.
Which, I have to say, I am very happy about!
Towards the end of the group stage, I wrote about how much I had enjoyed the opening phase of the tournament; it had been exciting, unpredictable and goal-laden, but the knockout stages were, at times, a tough watch, and the entertainment levels dropped significantly.
The one exception was Spain, and in Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams they had two players who lit up virtually every match. The youngsters were ably supported by the likes of Rodri, Carvajal, Cucurella, Fabian and Olmo, and they looked like a proper team throughout.
That side has the potential to emulate the achievements of their predecessors who dominated the game earlier in the century, winning three successive tournaments.
Sivert Heltne Nilsen will give Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie license to roam
Aberdeen got their campaign off to a solid start last weekend, and while we will need to see much more than just that single game against Queen of the South, there was much to enjoy in their Palmerston performance, and good reason to feel optimistic about the season ahead.
The new faces are clearly going to need time, but while he was not at his best in Dumfries, I feel sure Sivert Heltne Nilsen is going to be a key figure for Aberdeen.
He is exactly the type of player the side was crying out for, and his presence allowed Graeme Shinnie more license to roam, culminating in his excellent goal.
It was also pleasing to see Ester Sokler net a double. All too often he has been a bit part player, overshadowed, understandably, by the excellent Bojan Miovski.
With Miovski’s future in doubt, and Duk off on a sulk, Ester may have to be the man to lead the line, and last Saturday would have been a real confidence booster for the Slovenian.
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