Criticism at home

England only “hard to watch” at the European Championships so far

Harry Kane and Co. have not really got going so far.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Despite winning their group, the English national soccer team has fallen short of expectations at the European Championship in Germany. After Tuesday's lackluster 0-0 draw against Slovenia, team boss Gareth Southgate and his team were once again criticized.

For ex-football star Gary Neville, the game was "really hard to watch". English fans even threw cups in Southgate's direction. "I understand that and it's better for me to take it than the team," said the 53-year-old.

The star-studded England won Group C with five points and only two goals scored, as the parallel match between Denmark and Serbia also ended goalless. While the Danes and the Slovenes advanced to the round of 16 with three points each, the Serbs will have to travel home with Salzburg defender Strahinja Pavlovic.

Duel with Holland?
The fans of the "Three Lions" have similar fears for their team should they fail to improve their performance. A clash with a third-placed team in the group awaits in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday (6 p.m.), which could be the Netherlands, for example. "I can understand the fans' frustration that we're not taking our chances. But that's soccer. It's never an easy game," said defender John Stones. His coach practiced optimism. They are not yet where they want to be, "but they were steps in the right direction," explained Southgate.

This opinion is unlikely to be shared by the majority at home. The results in the preliminary round (1:0 against Serbia, 1:1 against Denmark and now 0:0) were still the best thing about England's performance. The BBC said that the performance was once again "not good enough to justify England's status as tournament favorites". The tabloid "The Sun" saw an "uninspired" performance against the Slovenians. "Gareth Southgate has the best players in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Spanish league at his disposal. And yet England couldn't beat a team ranked 57th in the world."

Southgate relies on cohesion
Southgate, who has been in charge of the team since the summer of 2016 and is yet to win a title, expressed his displeasure at the constant criticism. "I haven't seen another team that has qualified and received as much criticism." They will only be successful if they stick together.

England team boss Gareth Southgate

(Bild: AP/Associated Press)

The mood was completely different among the celebrating Slovenians, who managed to advance for the first time in a European Championship tournament with three draws. "I'm really proud of the team. I'm sure that this is just the beginning of a beautiful era for Slovenian soccer," said coach Matjaz Kek, who praised his team's "mental strength". "They showed their true colors."

Slovenia put England under a lot of pressure.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

With heart and robust defensive behavior, the team made it to the round of 16 with Sturm Graz legionnaires Jon Gorenc Stankovic, who was substituted three times, and Tomi Horvat. "We deserve it," said Kek. He doesn't "care at all" about the opponent at the moment and can think about that later.

Germany against Denmark
The Slovenians only finished behind the Danes, who are level on points and goals, because of the fair play ranking and will now face hosts Germany in Dortmund on Saturday (9pm). "This really is a great game," said coach Kasper Hjulmand, already looking ahead. "It's going to be really big. We're playing for the big moments and the fans are looking forward to big moments," said midfielder Thomas Delaney.

Christian Eriksen, who played his 133rd game for Denmark against Serbia and is now his country's record player, has a key role to play. After suffering a cardiac arrest at the European Championship three years ago, the 32-year-old Manchester United director is writing his very own emotional story. And this is set to continue against the Germans.