Cologne [Germany], following his team's goalless draw against Slovenia at UEFA Euro 2024, England coach Gareth Southgate said that the booing and angry reactions of English fans during matches are creating a "unusual environment" for him and the players to operate.
Although England topped Group C with a draw against Slovenia, they continued to struggle for consistency and fluidity. So far in the tournament, England have beaten Serbia and drawn with Denmark and Slovenia.
England does not yet know its last 16 opponents, as the Netherlands or the third place in Group E await them.
After the match, when asked about the booing and negative reactions from fans, Southgate said, quoted by Sky Sports: "I understand the narrative towards me. That's better for the team than it is for them. But it's creating an unusual atmosphere. to operate. I haven't seen any other team qualify and receive something similar.
"I understand some of the reactions, but we're playing in a strange environment," he added.
"Many things are starting to fall into place. We had a lot of problems coming into the tournament and today we looked more dangerous, we had a good impact from our substitutes and now we have to take advantage of our opportunities," he concluded. .
Southgate said Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer did very well after they were introduced as substitutes late in the game and injected a whole new life into England's front row.
"They [Mainoo and Palmer] are really young players, so we're balancing their blood in a different environment, but they made a really good impact when they came in and used the ball really well," he said.
During the match, Bukayo Saka had a goal disallowed for offside and England did not register a shot on goal until the 30th minute. Harry Kane nearly scored for England, but failed to connect cleanly with Kieran Trippier's cross.
Southgate made just one change to the team that struggled for consistency and fluidity against Denmark when he introduced midfielder Conor Gallagher in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold, but he too did not have a positive impact as he was replaced by Mainoo in the second half. half. Although the youngster's presence improved the team's performance, they were unable to convert their opportunities into goals.
Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon also had a chance to play, but were unable to score. By leading Group C, England avoided what could be a tougher half of a draw during the qualifiers, having avoided the likes of Germany, Spain, Portugal and France.
Although England topped Group C with a draw against Slovenia, they continued to struggle for consistency and fluidity. So far in the tournament, England have beaten Serbia and drawn with Denmark and Slovenia.
England does not yet know its last 16 opponents, as the Netherlands or the third place in Group E await them.
After the match, when asked about the booing and negative reactions from fans, Southgate said, quoted by Sky Sports: "I understand the narrative towards me. That's better for the team than it is for them. But it's creating an unusual atmosphere. to operate. I haven't seen any other team qualify and receive something similar.
"I understand some of the reactions, but we're playing in a strange environment," he added.
"Many things are starting to fall into place. We had a lot of problems coming into the tournament and today we looked more dangerous, we had a good impact from our substitutes and now we have to take advantage of our opportunities," he concluded. .
Southgate said Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer did very well after they were introduced as substitutes late in the game and injected a whole new life into England's front row.
"They [Mainoo and Palmer] are really young players, so we're balancing their blood in a different environment, but they made a really good impact when they came in and used the ball really well," he said.
During the match, Bukayo Saka had a goal disallowed for offside and England did not register a shot on goal until the 30th minute. Harry Kane nearly scored for England, but failed to connect cleanly with Kieran Trippier's cross.
Southgate made just one change to the team that struggled for consistency and fluidity against Denmark when he introduced midfielder Conor Gallagher in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold, but he too did not have a positive impact as he was replaced by Mainoo in the second half. half. Although the youngster's presence improved the team's performance, they were unable to convert their opportunities into goals.
Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon also had a chance to play, but were unable to score. By leading Group C, England avoided what could be a tougher half of a draw during the qualifiers, having avoided the likes of Germany, Spain, Portugal and France.
