Gareth Southgate, however, broke the mould. His England sides were characterised by humility and the greater good was prioritised over individual egos. As a result, tournaments became genuinely enjoyable occasions. But two games into Euro 2024, after an unconvincing win over Serbia and a dismal draw with Denmark, it feels like the bad old days again.
And Southgate is responsible for the messy performances after walking into the familiar trap that plagued many of his predecessors: trying to cram as many star players into the team as possible without much thought as to how they function together.
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Not working together
England arrived in Germany with more attacking quality than any other side in the tournament. Harry Kane is the European Golden Shoe winner, Jude Bellingham the top scorer in a Real Madrid side that romped to the Spanish title and Champions League, while Phil Foden was crowned the best player in the Premier League.
Even allowing for the injuries that have rocked their preparations, the starting XI Southgate picked for England's first two matches made for impressive reading. Every name is a key player for their club, but it is abundantly clear that they do not work together.
Kieran Trippier is not a left-back and has barely tried to play like one in either match, essentially operating as a third central defender. John Stones looks shorn of full fitness and has retreated to being a traditional centre-back, showing none of the attacking verve he usually demonstrates for Manchester City.
Declan Rice has also had to sit much deeper than where he tended to operate for Arsenal last season, while Trent Alexander-Arnold looked out of his depth for the second game in midfield, a role Jurgen Klopp always resisted playing him in for Liverpool.
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Thanks for reading: The new Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard: Jude Bellingham-Phil Foden dilemma threatens to define another England golden generation, Sorry, my English is bad:)