Gareth Southgate under huge pressure after England's encounter against Slovenia in UEFA Euro 2024

England again failed to perform in their final group-stage game against Slovenia in the UEFA Euro 2024. The three Lions who were termed the favourites before the major tournament did not perform as expected by the fans and the football pundits. With a star-studded lineup they won their first game with the finest margin by just one goal in the second game, Denmark held them back in a 1-1 draw. The fans are unhappy with the way the team has been playing. 

Gareth Southgate has been under huge pressure despite being the group top in a relatively easy group and qualifying for the knockouts. But the concern remains as to how the star-studded team performs in the RO16 of the tournament. With the squad depth and qualities they have in their team, Southgate's men have not performed as a team. Team bonding has been missing amongst the footballers.

After a draw against Slovenia, the 53-year-old manager has opened up and asked the fans to blame him for any reason than his footballers. He has not been able to manage the team and there have been multiple failures with fitting in the right footballer in the right place and over-relying on Harry Kane to score goals rather than making the game more fluid in the attacking half. The fans responded with boos at both half-time and full-time. Some also chose to throw cups at the England boss.

I understand the narrative towards me: Gareth Southgate

However Southgate after the match acknowledged the fans, who had made the trip to Cologne. Southgate continued to applaud those in the stands as he and the players left the pitch. He after the game said, "I understand the narrative towards me. That's better for the team than it being towards them. But it's creating an unusual environment to operate in. I've not seen any other team qualify and receive similar."

He added: "We have got to play well and whoever we play is going to be a really tough game. We shouldn't be seduced by which half of the draw. So many things are starting to come together. We had a lot of issues before the tournament. I think the way the defence has played has been a huge positive and something to build on."