The haunting fear returns for England at EURO 2024

Manager Gareth Southgate has spent eight years trying to ensure the England shirt does not weigh heavily on his players.

But suddenly, the pressure is on England at EURO 2024, reminiscent of the bad old days of the Three Lions. That was a time when England's stars took to the field with great expectations, but did not play as a team and were often eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Southgate changed everything, taking England to the semi-finals, the final and making the "Three Lions" fans happy again. In 10 years, whether Southgate is still in charge or not, this coach has done a wonderful thing.

Morale is a problem for England at EURO 2024. Photo: AFP

‌But Southgate is currently struggling with the same problems that plagued England under Sven Goran Eriksson, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson. They arrive at EUROs on the back of a long, difficult season, plagued by injuries and struggling to find the right squad. Southgate has also failed to find the right balance and winning formula.

Captain Harry Kane looked unusually out of place on the pitch. Southgate poked fun at himself by saying they missed Kalvin Phillips. The arrival of a brilliant 'No.8' like Jude Bellingham couldn't lift the England team.

Why did the Three Lions retreat to defence after scoring? With the stars in the squad, they should have been able to control the game at will in all circumstances. England are still top of the group and if they beat Slovenia, they will only have to face the third-placed team in the other group. In the end, everything went according to Southgate's plan.

But the worry is that England will face tougher opponents if they reach the quarter-finals. The Three Lions have a lot of talented players but they are not allowed to play freely. The pressure is clearly taking its toll on Southgate's players.

‌Southgate said: "The players are running and giving everything, but at the moment the emotion and the way we play is not calm at the times we need it. To get to the stages of the tournament we want to get to, it has to be better.

Every day I see the players enjoying working together. I don't think it's a lack of cohesion. I think at the moment, ironically, the players are too preoccupied and they need solid leadership at the moment."

Southgate needs to quickly find a way to relieve pressure on his players. Photo: AFP

Beyond mentality, Southgate also needs to make tactical adjustments. Bellingham should drop deeper to support Declan Rice. And Phil Foden, the Premier League's best player last season, should play centrally.

‌A win and momentum can change everything. England need a strong performance against Slovenia to change the situation. Remember, at the end of the day, success in football is judged by results and trophies.

For England, the title drought has lasted for many years? Therefore, pressure is inevitable, especially when Southgate has a world- class squad in his hands.

Source: https://laodong.vn/bong-da-quoc-te/noi-am-anh-lai-ua-ve-voi-tuyen-anh-tai-euro-2024-1356087.ldo