England do have reasons to be cheerful at Euro 2024 – here’s just a few of them
By Dan Sheldon
It might not feel like it, but Englandare on the verge of qualifying for the last 16 of the European Championship.
Their campaign has felt overwhelmingly negative over the two games, with captain Harry Kane snapping back at critics in the media, head coach Gareth Southgate saying his players are too tired to pressopponents aggressively and big stars struggling to make an impression.
But a win against Sloveniatomorrow (Tuesday) will ensure they finish top of Group C and set up a last-16 fixture against one of the third-placed qualifiers on Sunday afternoon in Gelsenkirchen.
So, as an antidote to the pessimism, here are reasons for England fans to be cheerful.
1. England are top of Group C
Amid the acrimony that accompanied the fallout from the 1-1 draw with Denmarkon Thursday, England’s players wanted to communicate a very clear message.
“We have a real tight group, a real togetherness, and we are sat here with four points and in control of our destiny,” said forward Jarrod Bowen.
“I don’t know why we feel like it’s such a negative thing,” added midfielder Declan Rice. “We’re talking like we’re going out of the tournament here!”
They have a point. For all the hand-wringing around the standard of England’s two performances, they are well placed overall. Italy, the reigning European champions, would dearly love to be in their position as they scramble to secure passage into the last 16; neither Francenor the Netherlands, meanwhile, are guaranteed a place in the top two of Group D, while Belgiumcould also be flying home if they lose against Ukraineon Wednesday.
England have benefited from a kind group draw. Their displays have been underwhelming but a favourite managerial truism is that a team picking up results when not playing well is a good sign.
They are not exactly coughing up chances at the back, either. Serbiamanaged one shot on target in the opening match, and while Denmark had seven (to England’s four), goalkeeper Jordan Pickfordwas rarely extended.
2. England are used to slow starts in tournament football
If this all feels very familiar for England fans, that’s because it is.
At the previous European Championship, in 2021, England also drew their second group game, 0-0 with Scotland, prompting another outburst of angst. Southgate’s side went on to reach the final, only losing to Italy on penalties.
In the next tournament 18 months later, the World Cup in Qatar, they also had four points after two games, the second of which was a dull draw, this time against the United States, again 0-0.
The fact is, England rarely sweep aside all-comers at major tournaments. Even in 2018, the competition that made Southgate’s reputation, early momentum was checked by a group-finale defeat to Belgium. It did not stop them from reaching the World Cup’s semi-finals for the first time in 28 years.
England are not used to such tournament success but, under Southgate, they have shown it takes them a while to get going.
“Overall, we are calm, we have been here before, we have a lot of experience, it is not a time to panic but a time to improve,” Kane said on Sunday.
“I love my other sports and in these tournaments at this early stage, it is almost like a boxer in the first couple of rounds, seeing where everyone is at and how they feel. Or a golfer in a major tournament in the first round, ‘Don’t play yourself out of the tournament. Be calm’. That is where we are at.”
3. Marc Guehi’s form
Guehi has been England’s best player, showing he is capable of partnering John Stonesin central defence for many years to come.
In the first half alone against Serbia, in his first appearance at a major tournament, 23-year-old Guehi laughed off the notion that he would be feeling the pressure of playing on one of the biggest stages. He completed all 32 of his attempted passes and won every duel and tackle.
Partner Stones is one of his biggest admirers. “He’s been so good,” he said. “He’s handled it so well. I believe massively in partnerships that you do it all together and he’s handled the occasion so well. I really enjoy playing with him.”
The Crystal Palaceman has been widely lauded for his composure on the ball and his ability to play a pass with both feet, while also controlling his aggression in the tackle.
4. They have options they can explore
Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney, Adam Wharton, and Anthony Gordonare yet to make an impact in Germany. This gives Southgate plenty of options if he wants to switch up his starting XI, or if he wants to turn to his bench to positively impact a game.
Palmer, 22, scored 25 goals for Chelseain his first season at Stamford Bridge. Toney, who missed a large portion of last season after being banned for betting offences, has proven himself to be a fine Premier Leaguegoalscorer for Brentfordover recent years.
As the debate rages on about whether Trent Alexander-Arnoldcan play in midfield, Mainoo is another exciting prospect Southgate could turn to. The 19-year-old is not fazed by much, as shown when he scored Manchester United’s decisive second goal against Manchester Cityin the FA Cupfinal in May.
Gordon, 23, was one of Newcastle’s better performers last season and was player of the tournament when England won the Under-21 European Championship last summer. He has been spending his downtime at the plush resort the squad are using as their base in Germanyreading motivational books and is a natural left-winger, meaning he could provide a different style of attack for Southgate if he were to start or come on.
5. Inexperienced players won’t be burdened by ‘failure’
For years, the consensus was that England’s players were saddled by previous failures, unable to shake off early exits or missed opportunities. But Southgate has changed that and has overseen a culture where the squad embraces the challenge as opposed to fearing it.
Even if some hesitancy has crept in regarding the players who played for England in 2018, 2021 and 2022, there are 12 members of Southgate’s squad this summer have never been at a major tournament before. For them, it is an entirely new experience, and they have shown domestically that little seems to faze them. They are eager to be given a chance to play and will relish it as opposed to shy away from the spotlight.
Southgate has created a leadership group consisting of Kane, Kyle Walker, Rice and Jude Bellingham, and part of their job is to help the squad’s less experienced players be heard if they have any concerns.
6. Their pathway isn’t treacherous
They would never admit this publicly, but if they do beat Slovenia and finish top of Group C, England will be on the easier side of the draw for the knockout phase.
In that scenario, England will avoid playing Spain, Germany, Portugaland either France or the Netherlands, until the final. Whoever tops Group D out of the French and Dutch will be on England’s side of the draw, but that is markedly better than a nightmare route to the final.
Based on current standings, England would play Austriain the last 16, before (providing they win) meeting either Italy or Switzerlandin the quarter-final. It would then (again, they would need to win to get there) be Romania, Albania, Turkeyor France/Netherlands in the semi-final.
If England lose to Slovenia and Denmark beat Serbia in the group’s other match, they will finish third, and would be unlucky not go through to the knockout phase with their four points. Should they be runners-up, they will be on the other side of the draw and will face host nation Germany in Dortmund in the last 16 on Saturday.
England do have reasons to be cheerful at Euro 2024 – here’s just a few of them
By Dan Sheldon
It might not feel like it, but Englandare on the verge of qualifying for the last 16 of the European Championship.
Their campaign has felt overwhelmingly negative over the two games, with captain Harry Kane snapping back at critics in the media, head coach Gareth Southgate saying his players are too tired to pressopponents aggressively and big stars struggling to make an impression.
But a win against Sloveniatomorrow (Tuesday) will ensure they finish top of Group C and set up a last-16 fixture against one of the third-placed qualifiers on Sunday afternoon in Gelsenkirchen.
So, as an antidote to the pessimism, here are reasons for England fans to be cheerful.
1. England are top of Group C
Amid the acrimony that accompanied the fallout from the 1-1 draw with Denmarkon Thursday, England’s players wanted to communicate a very clear message.
“We have a real tight group, a real togetherness, and we are sat here with four points and in control of our destiny,” said forward Jarrod Bowen.
“I don’t know why we feel like it’s such a negative thing,” added midfielder Declan Rice. “We’re talking like we’re going out of the tournament here!”
They have a point. For all the hand-wringing around the standard of England’s two performances, they are well placed overall. Italy, the reigning European champions, would dearly love to be in their position as they scramble to secure passage into the last 16; neither Francenor the Netherlands, meanwhile, are guaranteed a place in the top two of Group D, while Belgiumcould also be flying home if they lose against Ukraineon Wednesday.
England have benefited from a kind group draw. Their displays have been underwhelming but a favourite managerial truism is that a team picking up results when not playing well is a good sign.
They are not exactly coughing up chances at the back, either. Serbiamanaged one shot on target in the opening match, and while Denmark had seven (to England’s four), goalkeeper Jordan Pickfordwas rarely extended.
2. England are used to slow starts in tournament football
If this all feels very familiar for England fans, that’s because it is.
At the previous European Championship, in 2021, England also drew their second group game, 0-0 with Scotland, prompting another outburst of angst. Southgate’s side went on to reach the final, only losing to Italy on penalties.
In the next tournament 18 months later, the World Cup in Qatar, they also had four points after two games, the second of which was a dull draw, this time against the United States, again 0-0.
The fact is, England rarely sweep aside all-comers at major tournaments. Even in 2018, the competition that made Southgate’s reputation, early momentum was checked by a group-finale defeat to Belgium. It did not stop them from reaching the World Cup’s semi-finals for the first time in 28 years.
England are not used to such tournament success but, under Southgate, they have shown it takes them a while to get going.
“Overall, we are calm, we have been here before, we have a lot of experience, it is not a time to panic but a time to improve,” Kane said on Sunday.
“I love my other sports and in these tournaments at this early stage, it is almost like a boxer in the first couple of rounds, seeing where everyone is at and how they feel. Or a golfer in a major tournament in the first round, ‘Don’t play yourself out of the tournament. Be calm’. That is where we are at.”
3. Marc Guehi’s form
Guehi has been England’s best player, showing he is capable of partnering John Stonesin central defence for many years to come.
In the first half alone against Serbia, in his first appearance at a major tournament, 23-year-old Guehi laughed off the notion that he would be feeling the pressure of playing on one of the biggest stages. He completed all 32 of his attempted passes and won every duel and tackle.
Partner Stones is one of his biggest admirers. “He’s been so good,” he said. “He’s handled it so well. I believe massively in partnerships that you do it all together and he’s handled the occasion so well. I really enjoy playing with him.”
The Crystal Palaceman has been widely lauded for his composure on the ball and his ability to play a pass with both feet, while also controlling his aggression in the tackle.
4. They have options they can explore
Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney, Adam Wharton, and Anthony Gordonare yet to make an impact in Germany. This gives Southgate plenty of options if he wants to switch up his starting XI, or if he wants to turn to his bench to positively impact a game.
Palmer, 22, scored 25 goals for Chelseain his first season at Stamford Bridge. Toney, who missed a large portion of last season after being banned for betting offences, has proven himself to be a fine Premier Leaguegoalscorer for Brentfordover recent years.
As the debate rages on about whether Trent Alexander-Arnoldcan play in midfield, Mainoo is another exciting prospect Southgate could turn to. The 19-year-old is not fazed by much, as shown when he scored Manchester United’s decisive second goal against Manchester Cityin the FA Cupfinal in May.
Gordon, 23, was one of Newcastle’s better performers last season and was player of the tournament when England won the Under-21 European Championship last summer. He has been spending his downtime at the plush resort the squad are using as their base in Germanyreading motivational books and is a natural left-winger, meaning he could provide a different style of attack for Southgate if he were to start or come on.
5. Inexperienced players won’t be burdened by ‘failure’
For years, the consensus was that England’s players were saddled by previous failures, unable to shake off early exits or missed opportunities. But Southgate has changed that and has overseen a culture where the squad embraces the challenge as opposed to fearing it.
Even if some hesitancy has crept in regarding the players who played for England in 2018, 2021 and 2022, there are 12 members of Southgate’s squad this summer have never been at a major tournament before. For them, it is an entirely new experience, and they have shown domestically that little seems to faze them. They are eager to be given a chance to play and will relish it as opposed to shy away from the spotlight.
Southgate has created a leadership group consisting of Kane, Kyle Walker, Rice and Jude Bellingham, and part of their job is to help the squad’s less experienced players be heard if they have any concerns.
6. Their pathway isn’t treacherous
They would never admit this publicly, but if they do beat Slovenia and finish top of Group C, England will be on the easier side of the draw for the knockout phase.
In that scenario, England will avoid playing Spain, Germany, Portugaland either France or the Netherlands, until the final. Whoever tops Group D out of the French and Dutch will be on England’s side of the draw, but that is markedly better than a nightmare route to the final.
Based on current standings, England would play Austriain the last 16, before (providing they win) meeting either Italy or Switzerlandin the quarter-final. It would then (again, they would need to win to get there) be Romania, Albania, Turkeyor France/Netherlands in the semi-final.
If England lose to Slovenia and Denmark beat Serbia in the group’s other match, they will finish third, and would be unlucky not go through to the knockout phase with their four points. Should they be runners-up, they will be on the other side of the draw and will face host nation Germany in Dortmund in the last 16 on Saturday.