TV pundit in a rage

“Haphazard” Southgate: “I feel sorry for the players”

Gareth Southgate (l.) with goal scorer Harry Kane(Bild: AP)

Despite a sometimes subterranean performance, England made it through to the last 16 at the European Championship in Germany as group winners. German TV pundit Christoph Kramer went into a real rage after the zero number in the last group game against Slovenia. Coach Gareth Southgate had no plan, he said, and "I feel sorry for some of the players".

"If I compare him (Southgate, ed.) with (the German team boss, ed.) Julian Nagelsmann: Nagelsmann has a plan in his head. If it doesn't work, then he stands there and tries to change it. You can see that in his facial expressions, in his gestures. Southgate can't have a plan in his head," said Kramer's ruthless analysis on ZDF.

Normally a coach has "a clear idea and if it doesn't work, you freak out", said the Mönchengladbach professional. Southgate doesn't try to give the players anything, "he just lets this world-class team play" and doesn't intervene when things aren't going well.

Gareth Southgate(Bild: AP/Associated Press)

I "feel sorry for some of the players"
"If you don't have good in-game coaching, then you at least have to change something for the next game," said Kramer. But Southgate doesn't change anything, he simply sends his players into the match without a plan. "I sometimes feel sorry for them. If you're sent into a game like that, you have no chance."