COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — Top of the group, unbeaten and on the favorable side of the draw for the knockout phase of Euro 2024. It’s a case of job done for England. Try telling that to the fans who jeered loudly and threw beer cups as the final whistle blew on a 0-0 draw with Slovenia at Cologne Stadium on Tuesday.
Criticism of England's performances in Germany has been fierce. “I’ve not seen any team qualify and receive similar,” manager Gareth Southgate said. He believes he and his England team could be paying the price for its success under his leadership.
And safe passage through to the round of 16 maintains his personal record of advancing from the group stage of every major tournament he's taken charge of, dating back to the World Cup in 2018. “I think probably expectation (is different). We’ve made England over the last six or seven years fun again.
I think it has been enjoyable for the players,” Southgate said. “We’ve got to be very, very careful that it stays that way.” England hasn't been fun to watch at these Euros with a 1-0 win against Serbia its only victory in Group C.
That was followed by a 1-1 draw with Denmark and the 0-0 with Slovenia. Its performance against Denmark was so uninspired that former captain and now BBC presenter Gary Lineker used an expletive to describe it. And Southgate's team will likely need a sharp upturn in form if it is to live up to its pre-tournament billing as one of the favorites to be crowned European champion.
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