GELSENKIRCHEN: England coach Gareth Southgate set expectations amid growing concern among his team’s traveling fans, but demand for the Three Lions to play at Euro 2024 only increased after they found themselves on the soft side of the draw.
Southgate’s men will begin what they hope will be a trip to Berlin for the final match against Slovakia on Sunday, July 14 in Gelsenkirchen.
The quarter-finals would then feature a rematch of the Euro 2020 final against Italy or Switzerland, and potential semi-final opponents include Austria, Turkey, the Netherlands or Romania.
Few of England’s performances in Germany so far have justified the pre-tournament frenzy surrounding their favorites.
However, with Germany, France, Spain and Portugal on the other side of the ladder, the pressure increased on the talented squad to finally play as a team.
“If people are negative it’s only because they expect a lot from you, which is a positive thing,” said Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, which could be one of the changes Southgate is eyeing.
“If we want this to end, we just need to step up and give people what they want to see.”
Despite finishing top of Group C, England had scored just two goals in their first three matches.
The quartet of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane have combined to score 114 goals in club football in the 2023/24 season.
But together they have formed a distributed attacking unit that Southgate must unleash in Gelsenkirchen.
Foden returned to the squad after returning home to attend the birth of his third child.
However, his lack of time on the training pitch this week could mean the Premier League Player of the Year will be the one who tries to balance the attack in the autumn.
The England team’s lack of width on the left side was highlighted by Southgate’s lack of a natural left-back due to Luke Shaw’s injury and Foden’s tendency to drift inside.
Gordon will likely get his chance, despite only playing a handful of minutes in the tournament so far.
“My main advantage is that I am very direct. I’m obviously fast, so I’m a nightmare for anyone I play against,” Gordon told reporters on Friday to press his case for a first competitive start in England.
“I’m not a very safe player, I always strive for that, I always try to put people on the back foot.
“I think with the players we have, like H (Kane), who likes to play deep, I can add a new element to the team.”
Kobbie Mainoo is expected to start in midfield after the 19-year-old impressed in the second half against Slovenia.
Southgate also faces a clamor to release Cole Palmer.
The Chelsea playmaker, who scored 26 goals at club level last season, turned heads during his late performance against Slovenia and had England’s only shot on target in the second half.
Southgate has remained steadfast and stubborn in his squad selection so far, making just one change to his starting line-up as Conor Gallagher replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield for the third game in charge.
A similar approach taken over the weekend risks further antagonizing fans who threw beer cups at their coach after the stalemate in Slovenia.
Southgate can point to his experience of negotiating with his country during the ups and downs of major tournaments.
England scored just two goals in the group stage of the last European Championship before reaching the final of their first major tournament in 55 years.
However, it is the shades of Euro 2016 that send shivers down the spine of England fans heading to Gelsenkirchen.
Eight years ago, Roy Hodgson’s side also came through the group stage with five points, only to eventually suffer a seemingly comfortable draw with Iceland.
What followed was arguably the most embarrassing night in English football history as the tiny island nation claimed a shock 2-1 victory in its first major tournament.
Matching this low is the current risk for English crops if they do not move to a higher level on Sunday.