England and Gareth Southgate have been trashed by the European press after their 0-0 draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024.
On a night when fans were yearning for inspiration and hope against a nation below Scotland, the Three Lions fell flat, lacking invention and verve.
While the last 16 are assured, England have once again been thrown into the pressure cooker of criticism.
spanish newspaper brand He stated that “you can’t play worse” than England and believes they would improve if they fired Southgate and installed Pep Guardiola midway through the tournament.
Marca lists England’s array of attacking talents before concluding that Southgate has “none of them to play well”, producing a “dismal” performance against Slovenia.
The European press ripped England apart after their 0-0 draw against Slovenia on Tuesday.
German newspaper Bild called it “the next embarrassing performance by Kane’s team.”
L’Equipe: French touch: Like the French team a few hours before, the English team qualified without shining, showing a worrying offensive impotence
Marca asks ‘what the hell is wrong with Gareth Southgate?’ while Bild claims: ‘You start to wonder what his plan really is!’
Naming Pep Guardiola could be ‘worth a try’ for England mid-tournament, Marca said
Later, they pose a fiercely phrased question: “What the hell is wrong with Gareth Southgate?”
For the life of him, Marca cannot understand why Cole Palmer has been “kept in the most absolute anonymity” – his 19 minutes against Slovenia were his first at Euro 2024.
They praised the decision to bring in Kobbie Mainoo instead of Conor Gallagher, as he brought “dynamism and a tremendous personality”, but feel that his “ceiling is below that of Trent Alexander-Arnold”.
In Germany, criticism of England was only more vigorous from newspaper and television pundits.
Exit image He disparaged England by arguing that “these lions are kittens” and maintained that “the criticism will only get worse” by taking a dim view of his prospects.
Meanwhile, they handed out some withering ratings. Bild rates players and coaches from one to six, with six being the worst possible score. Seven people were given a five, with only Declan Rice managing to reach a three.
Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Conor Gallagher, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker and Southgate received a humiliating rating of five.
Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer didn’t fare much better in four.
Bild gave Jude Bellingham the second-lowest possible rating and criticized him for his “uncharacteristic” performance
Phil Foden had “very little influence on the game” in the eyes of Bild, despite moving to number 10
Southgate tore into a lengthy rebuke when Bild wrote: “You’re starting to wonder what his plan really is!”
Dutt. They called the performance “terrifying” and “lack of control” and criticized Southgate for moving Bellingham to the left wing in the second half.
However, they gave credit for a turnaround after the break and applauded them for keeping a clean sheet.
Meanwhile, Bellingham was branded “very pale” and “uncharacteristic” for his “bad pass.”
Bild considered that Foden had “very little influence on the game” – despite operating through the middle for part of the second half – and that Saka “had little chance of making an impact”.
Gallagher’s audition to replace Alexander-Arnold in the knockout rounds couldn’t have gone much worse, and he was withdrawn at half-time.
About him, Bild wrote: “He disappeared completely, seemed restless and lost the ball during the match.”
Elsewhere, expert Christoph Kramer burst into Southgate on ZDF broadcaster.
German expert Christoph Kramer said Southgate “can’t have a plan in his head.”
He said: ‘What bothers me about Southgate, if I compare him to Julian Nagelsmann: Nagelsmann has a plan in his head.
‘If it doesn’t work, you stay there and try to change it. You can tell by his facial expressions and his mannerisms. There’s no way Southgate has a plan in his head!
Because he lets the game play out as it happens and just sits there. Normally, as a coach, you have a clear idea and if it doesn’t work, you freak out. You try to give your players something to take away with them.
‘He doesn’t do that at all. I find it so strange. He just lets this world-class team play. After the first part we saw from England, we thought: nothing is happening!
“If you don’t have good training during the match, at least you have to change something for the next match.
‘But he doesn’t change anything! He simply sends the eleven running. It doesn’t matter who plays.
“I feel sorry for some of them. They send them there. You can have as many players as you want. If they send you to a game like that, you have no chance.”