- Author, Alex Bysouth
- Role, BBC Sport Senior Journalist in Berlin
Underpeforming England sides at a major tournament can spark a nationwide echo chamber of opinions – through grumbles and moans, backward passes and a lack of Kalvin Phillips, it can be hard to see the light.
England may have so far failed to excite at Euro 2024 but the Three Lions did qualify for the last 16 by topping Group C and face an arguably favourable route in the knockouts, starting with Slovakia, ranked 45th in the world, on Sunday.
So is the home view of England too pessimistic? Are we expecting too much from Gareth Southgate’s side? Are the media too critical?
World Cup and two-time European Championship winner Cesc Fabregas, for example, says the Spanish press are even tougher on their national team.
“The English media is not that tough with the players,” he added. “It is the opposite. In Spain, we are much more critical.”
It begs the question – what does the rest of Europe think of England?
‘It quickly becomes toxic’
Guillem Balague, Spanish football journalist
We are all in the Spanish media very disappointed. We built this England up because we like the people in it, because we like Southgate, because of the potential, because of the success with the clubs – we built them up as one of the candidates.
The reaction has been trying to find explanations. We go through the same kind of things the English press goes through, but conclusions are a little bit different.
For instance, there is talk of the use of ‘names’ instead of players that can do a role in the big Southgate idea – the reliance on names and some playing out of position.
Jude Bellingham doesn’t do the role he does for England with Real Madrid, that’s done by Toni Kroos. Bellingham is the guy that arrives into the box and is close to the forwards, he is not doing that with England.
Phil Foden and Bellingham are too similar, two number 10s, and they use more or less the same space and influence. And there is no wide players. We don’t understand why Anthony Gordon came on so late?
Also, the fear, the pressure that is put on the England side by everyone – media, fans, everyone. It blows our mind how it quickly becomes toxic.
‘Is Southgate ready to make huge decisions?’
Image source, Getty Images
Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, French journalist for L’Equipe who covers England at major tournaments, says Southgate has “lost his golden touch”
This is the first time I don’t really understand Gareth. I was a huge supporter and sometimes as a joke at L’Equipe they told me I was obsessed with him – I always defended him and thought in the past some English people were unfair with him.
But for the first tournament I don’t really understand some of his decisions – for example, for me, it is obvious that Foden is not good when he plays on the left. They tried to switch sometimes with Bellingham, but that was not working.
It makes me think a bit about Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2004, when he wanted to play with all his best players in midfield – Lampard, Gerrard, Scholes and Beckham.
I was quite surprised Southgate accepted that fans threw cups at him, he gives the impression he accepts everyone criticising him, takes the burden, ‘it is my job…’ – I am not sure that is a good attitude, because you expect the England manager to defend himself a bit more. He seems a bit passive.
I didn’t understand why he made reference to Kalvin Phillips, because he was not good at all these past few months? For the first time in his communication, which was one of the things he was so good at, and in his choices, I don’t really understand Southgate.
Before the tournament, in L’Equipe, we said England were among the big favourites, but now we would say Spain or Germany.
We cannot see in the short term what could make it better. You have to put Cole Palmer in the starting XI, maybe throw out Foden, but is Southgate ready to make such huge decisions?
We’ll see. If he does maybe we’ll consider him differently, but at the moment England are considered disappointing at this tournament.
‘Other countries also have concerns’
Arthur Renard, Dutch football journalist covering Euro 2024
I don’t attach too much importance to group-stage games, especially as England finished first, and there have been quite a few countries who haven’t been that impressive, for instance France and Holland who finished second and third.
In a way, you could say England did what they needed to do, which was finishing first, and they have probably a good position in the knockout stages.
But you could see the team doesn’t gel, and only two goals in the group stages is not a lot if you consider the attacking talent they have. That has surprised people, but I remember Portugal drawing three times in the group stages in 2016 and winning it.
It is the same in quite a few other countries, with concerns about performances. It only needs one match to really kick-start the tournament, and that might happen in the next round.
‘Meeting England way more welcome’
Daniele Verri, Italian football journalist based in Germany
The perception around England has changed since the beginning of the tournament. England were better against Italy in the qualifiers on matchday one in Naples when Roberto Mancini was still manager, and better in the return leg at Wembley – England won the group and that was deserved.
But Euro 2024 started, this thing of players being mentally and physically tired, a long season in many competitions, being under pressure and seeing Foden and others not performing, Bellingham and Kane not giving their best – we are perceiving England now as dangerous, whereas before the tournament they were among the top favourites with France, Germany and Portugal.
England are still considered one of the top teams but everyone in Italy is now saying ‘they don’t perform, they don’t look like a team, there is no dynamics on the pitch – players stand and wait for the ball, they don’t play as a team, even the stars are not performing’.
England are still considered a better team than Italy, in terms of starting XI they have more quality, but a potential quarter-final meeting is way more welcome than having Germany or France.
‘Is Harry Kane in crisis?’
Image source, Getty Images
BBC Monitoring’s Illya Glushchenkov, Mariya Kondrachuk, Margaryta Maliukova and Gennadiy Kot, on what has been said in the European papers
Italy’s Corriere dello Sport said the draw against Slovenia was “the straw that broke the back of the English fans”, while German tabloid Bild criticised those who threw empty cups at Southgate after the lacklustre performance.
“The anger of the English fans is understandable given their team’s terrible performances – but this action has now gone too far!” Bild added.
Meanwhile, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said “the English are the big European Championship puzzle”, while also asking: “Is Harry Kane in crisis?”
“The criticism of him is getting louder, but the Bayern striker is ready to strike back,” it added.
French outlet Le Monde, during its live coverage said: “We are bored during the second half!” And Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf questioned why England “keep playing with the handbrake on and making incomprehensible choices”.
And finally, Georgia fans joked on social media about forward Georges Mikautadze scoring more goals than the whole England squad during the group stage.