Gareth Southgate has admitted his England players are creaking under the pressure of being Euro 2024 favourites, after another uninspiring display in last night’s 1-1 draw with Denmark.
England arrived in Germany among the leading contenders, blessed with a squad of in-form forwards and looking to clear the final hurdle after several near-misses at tournaments during Southgate’s tenure.
However, despite taking four points from their opening two matches, their campaign has begun in highly unconvincing fashion and there is widespread bemusement at how a team with so much attacking talent on paper has looked so toothless.
“We know the level has to be higher, we know the level can be higher,” Southgate said.
“Maybe the biggest thing is we have to accept the environment that we’re in and the expectations that are around us. We are going to have to walk towards that challenge. At the moment, we’re falling a little bit short of that.”
Southgate made a series of bold selection calls when naming his squad this month, with experienced players such as Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish left out.
The result is that half of the 26-man squad that went to the World Cup in Qatar has been culled in the space of just 18 months, with a dozen of the current group playing at their first major tournament.
In the lead up to the Denmark game, Southgate revealed he had spoken to his players about dealing with the increased level of scrutiny.
“We have to accept that we are in an environment where we have to deliver,” Southgate added.
“Ultimately, that’s my responsibility. I’ve got to guide this group in the best way possible. To achieve extraordinary things, you have to go through some difficult moments. Today was a difficult moment, without a doubt.”
