Eight years into his tenure, England manager Gareth Southgate is well used to shutting out the noise and criticism currently being directed at him following a strong start to Euro 2024.
But he acknowledges that the contentious debate sparked by England’s dismal performance in the 1-1 draw with Denmark in Frankfurt will only end if those words are replaced by actions against Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday.
England have already qualified for the last 16 but a win on Tuesday would see them clinch top spot in Group C and avoid a knockout stage encounter with Germany.
But shaky performances – a 1-0 win over Serbia and a virtually helpless defeat to Denmark – have raised doubts about their status as pre-tournament favourites and a convincing performance will be crucial to stave off that.
Southgate said he had not heard former England striker Gary Lineker’s colourful one-liner verdict after the Denmark game until he arrived for his press conference ahead of the final Group C match.
“I’m not concerned with that,” Southgate said. “I’m not aware of it. It’s not important to me at all.”
“I don’t need to listen to outside opinions because I’m my own biggest critic, and I think most players are too.”
The mood in the England camp was calm before facing Slovakia but tensions were clearly running high in the aftermath of the draw with Denmark.
England cannot afford to lose to Slovenia, ranked 57th in the world.
The siege mentality is one of sport’s oldest motivational tools but it must be backed up by results, and England’s players can argue with critics all they want, but the best way to silence them is to perform as they have done so far.
“We can talk all we want but we have to get results on the pitch,” Southgate said, adding: “Hopefully we can do that against Slovenia.”
The England manager and his staff have five days to transform their team into one worthy of being rated as a title contender ahead of Euro 2024.
He is expected to replace Alexander-Arnold with Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher, bringing to an end the Liverpool man’s brief flirtation with the midfielder – an experiment that should be better tested before Euro 2024 than during it.
It is likely to be the only change and it may not be enough to satisfy those calling for a refresh after the Denmark game, and Gallagher will be grateful for the opportunity after failing to make an impact apart from receiving a yellow card against Denmark.
Anyone expecting Southgate to panic and make changes will be sorely disappointed, as he appears to be sticking with the current set-up and relying on the talent at hand to provide solutions.
Declan Rice seemed content to play alongside Gallagher, and the Rice/Alexander-Arnold pairing, despite their efforts, was awful, with the balance poor and both dropping too deep to make an impact.
“Connor is a great player to have as a team-mate,” Rice told BBC Sport. “He works hard and you feel very comfortable and safe around him.”
“I think he’s surprised a lot of people this year with his ability on the ball, his ability to carry the ball and make charges forward, get into the penalty area and score goals.”
“Every time I’ve played with Connor, not for very long, has been really fun. I know him really well as a guy and his family. He’s a lovely boy. This is a unique opportunity for us to make our mark.”
Southgate correctly points out that although England are half-way good judging by their position in the group, many of the harsh words aimed at England have been justified and it is time for results to be delivered.
England have been soaked in praise and goodwill during Southgate’s eight-year resurgence that they cannot complain about any harsh criticism of declining performance standards.
Scenes like captain Harry Kane’s stunning revelation that England didn’t know when to press, or the loss of their front three in one fell swoop with more than 20 minutes to go against Denmark in a display of a stark lack of attacking creativity, must never be repeated.
The first two games had that depressing, doomsday vibe that England had in major tournaments under pre-Southgate managers Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson, but the current team have a proven track record in these competitions and have the chance to change that.
Southgate’s England side have also tended to get off to slow starts, including poor group stage performances at Euro 2020 and against Scotland at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but have since improved.
Despite the gloomy verdict, England should finish top of their group and we might see the real England emerge in Germany.
