COLOGNE: While England won their group at Euro 2024 their humdrum scoreless draw against Slovenia on Tuesday, the third dull performance in as many games, had frustrated supporters poking fun at coach Gareth Southgate and his team.England drew 0-0 with Slovenia in their Euro 2024 Group C match on Tuesday.
Even Irish-owned airline Ryanair got in on the heckling, writing in a post to the team on X: “That’s enough, let’s get you home.”
The tepid draw launched numerous amusing memes, including a photo of a man sitting facing a brick wall under the words “Watching England play football.”
Another showed Southgate planting an England flag at the top of a manure pile, with the words “Group C.”
England, who could muster only two goals in three games, enjoyed 70 per cent possession on Tuesday but despite boasting four of the best attackers in European soccer this past season, had just four shots on target.
England manager Gareth Southgate said: “I thought we were much improved with the ball. We have created some good openings and at the moment it is hard work for us. We are not quite getting that break in front of goal. I think the players who came on did well. I understand the reactions but it is a tough environment.We tried to win the game by the changes we made. We put attacking players on the pitch.
“He (Cole Palmer) did very well. He finds space well and he makes chances and we were backing him to score at the end. They are young players and we are blooding them in a difficult environment. They had a good impact on us and did good things for us. Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo, it was a really good move. We have to build on that. There were a lot of things to build on from tonight.
On cups being thrown towards him by England fans, he said: “I understand the sort of narrative toward me and if that’s better for the team than it is towards them, but it is creating an unusual environment to operate in. I’ve not seen any other team qualify and receive similar... I’m not going to back away from it but I’m very, very proud of the players for how they’re operating within it.”
England captain Harry Kane said: “That was the aim before the start of the tournament, come top of the group and control our destiny. I thought we played a lot better than the other games. We couldn’t just find that finish but we look forward to the next one.
Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville said Southgate’s men “looked so basic in the first half.”
“It was a struggle to watch but it moved forward a lot in the second half even though we didn’t get the result but there was glimpses of what we can be,” he said during the broadcast.
“England have Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Phil Foden -- massive, massive talents and we cannot afford to mismanage them.” Southgate, who guided England to a place in the 2020 Euro final where they lost to Italy in a shootout, said he understands supporters’ frustration and will bear the brunt of the criticism, but made a plea to fans to at least support the players. “I understand it. I’m not going to back away from it. The most important thing is the supporters stay with the team,” Southgate said. England’s last-16 opponent is yet to be determined. — Agencies
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