At least you can’t say I didn’t warn you.
As much as I’ve enjoyed writing my column for Record Sport over these last few weeks, as a very bitter Scotsman, I took absolutely no pleasure from predicting last week, before the quarter finals, that we’ll probably have to take our medicine some time soon.
And it is with deep regret that I can say the moment has arrived.
England will beat Italy on Sunday night at Wembley to win Euro 2020 and it’s going to be absolutely horrible for all of us who have been brought up to look after that massive chip on our shoulder.
Let’s be honest, this obsession we’ve had with the English over hundreds of years probably hasn’t been very healthy – even our own national anthem is all about them!
But the truth of the matter, as difficult as it might be for us to accept, is that England have been f****** brilliant this tournament and not even the Italians are going to stand in their way.
Don’t tell them, but I’ll actually be pleased for Gareth Southgate and his players too because they deserve all that’s coming to them. They will have earned it.
I just wish I didn’t have to listen to all the mouthy pundits telling us all how easy it’s been and being so disrespectful to everyone else.
I had to turn the TV off the moment England won on Wednesday to stop myself from putting my foot through it.
It’s not going to get any easier to listen to them gloating over the next 48 hours but I’m afraid we’ll all just have to lump it.
My worry for Italy is that they just don’t have the legs to keep up with this England side.
They’ve got an ageing defence and these guys had to do a lot of running against the Spaniards in Tuesday’s semi.
Yes, I realise Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci didn’t have to work as hard as the boys in midfield who ran themselves into the ground but, even so, that 120 minutes is bound to have taken a toll on the pair of them. As no spring chicken myself, I know what I’m talking about.
Look, Chiellini is god. There’s not a better centre half anywhere in the world. I absolutely love the big guy and his partnership with Bonucci is legendary.
But I worry that the two of them are just not going to be able to cope with the pace and power that’s about to come their way.
Italy struggled against Spain. Yes, they deserve enormous credit for digging in the way they did but Spain gave them a chasing for most of the 120 minutes, They just lacked that killer instinct in the final third.
And as much as I’d love to say the Italians can do another rope-a-dope job on England, I just can’t see how they’ll deal with the energy of Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka.
My main concern is that Italy may have peaked too early. They’ve been the outstanding team since the tournament began – and I’ve loved watching them but they might be running out of steam.
And it’s the exact opposite for England who started slowly but go into this final with some serious momentum behind them. They look to be peaking at the right time, and, yes, that’s a bit of a worry.
Brilliant? That’s the only word to describe their performance against the Danes. As much as I may have hated the experience, it was also a joy to watch.
Sterling and Saka can beat anyone at any moment in any match. They’ve also got a real defensive steel and Kyle Walker has been one of the best players of the whole tournament.
He’s been England’s safety net. If anyone gets in behind them he’s got the legs to catch him. He’s done it over and over again throughout the competition.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see Lorenzo Insigne twist him inside out but Walker just has too much power and pace for him to deal with.
And that’s the thing about England. They’ve got that pace and strength all over the pitch. Then you look at their bench and see the talent that’s NOT even getting a game and it’s scary.
When you can take Declan Rice off and replace him with a Champions League winner in Jordan Henderson then it tells its own story.
I realise none of this is an easy read. I know too that Scotland was clinging to the hope that Gareth Southgate wouldn’t be a good enough manager to get the best out of them all.
But that theory has gone up in smoke.
The truth is, he’s done a great job and he’s also demonstrated that he has got big balls when it comes down to making some really tough decisions.
In extra time against the Danes, after going 2-1 up, he was brave enough to take Jack Grealish off even though he had only just sent him on as a sub.
Southgate would have been ripped to shreds if it had backfired.
But he made the change, shut up shop and got to the final. You have to take your hat off to the guy for having the tactical nous and the courage to make a change like that.
By far the easier decision would have been to take Sterling off instead. But he was still buzzing round the pitch like a Roadrunner and the manager knew his pace was terrifying the Danish defence.
That’s brilliant management no matter what anyone says.
Let’s face it, the only game that Southgate and England got it wrong was against Scotland. In every other match the tactics and selections have been spot on.
As much as we enjoyed going there and getting a point, the truth is England have kicked on to a different level ever since while we’ve been watching it on the telly.
That probably sums us up. We’ll pride ourselves on drawing with the European Champions. But they’ll be the ones holding the trophy.
Don’t say you weren’t warned.
