Southgate Addresses England’s Shock Defeat Ahead of Euro 2024
Ahead of the highly anticipated UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, England manager Gareth Southgate has addressed the team’s recent shock 1-0 defeat to Iceland in their final friendly match. The Three Lions’ performance at Wembley Stadium has raised concerns among supporters, but Southgate insists that the squad must remain calm and focused despite the setback.
The defeat, which saw Iceland’s Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson score the only goal of the game, was met with audible boos from the England fans both at half-time and full-time. Southgate acknowledged the frustration, saying, “> I don’t blame them. We have to accept that tonight we didn’t play well enough, so I don’t think we can complain about an adverse reaction when we don’t play well enough.”
England’s struggles in the final third were evident, with Harry Kane missing a glaring opportunity in the first half. The team lacked the quality and composure to find an equalizer, leading to many fans heading for the exits in the final minutes of the match.
Despite the setback, Southgate remains confident that his side can bounce back and perform at the highest level in the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament. England will face Serbia in their Group C opener on June 14, followed by matches against Denmark and Slovenia.
The manager emphasized the need for the team to stay calm and focused, stating, “> We stay calm after tonight, but we know the level has to raise. Everybody saying we’re going to walk to Germany and walk off with this trophy, it’s going to be unbelievably hard to do that. You have to have every part of your game right, mentality has to be right, character has to be right.”
With the Euro 2024 kick-off just days away, England will need to address the issues highlighted in the defeat to Iceland and ensure they are fully prepared to compete at the highest level. Fans and pundits alike will be closely monitoring the team’s progress as they look to secure a successful campaign in the prestigious European championship.
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