Football News Update: England’s Slow Start at Euro 2024, Champions League and FIFA World Cup Highlights
In the lead-up to the highly anticipated Euro 2024 tournament, England’s national football team has faced some early challenges. Their laboured performance against Slovakia in the group stage was preceded by an equally underwhelming group phase, although they did progress as group winners.
Gareth Southgate, the England manager, has drawn comparisons between the current team’s start and the experiences of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96 squads, where England also made slow starts before eventually reaching the semi-finals.
“Everybody now, 30 years on, looks back at [Euro] 96, that I played in, in a different way to how it was at the time,” said Southgate, who famously missed the decisive penalty against Germany in the semi-final at Wembley.
Southgate acknowledged that England’s performances in the group stage were far from their best.
“We were bang average against Switzerland, we were the same against Scotland. Scotland missed a penalty at 1-0. Spain should have beaten us in a 0-0 draw.”
The manager remained optimistic, however, noting that similar patterns have emerged in previous tournaments.
“1990 was similar, so you do go through these moments in tournaments.”
Ahead of the quarter-final clash, Southgate has praised the “excellent” performance of their opponents, Switzerland, who are ranked 19th in the world and knocked out holders Italy in the last round.
“They have had some consistency in what they do for a long time. Their system is difficult to press. They’ve got good rotation. Once they’ve been ahead they’ve been really difficult to break down, so they are a very good side.”
The England manager’s comments highlight the challenges facing the Three Lions as they navigate the competitive landscape of Euro 2024, while also drawing parallels to the team’s past experiences in major tournaments.
As the spotlight turns to the crucial quarter-final match, the England squad will be eager to build on their previous successes and secure a place in the semi-finals, mirroring the achievements of their predecessors from the 1990s.
With the FIFA World Cup and Women’s World Cup also on the horizon, the performance of England’s national teams will be closely monitored by football enthusiasts around the world.
🔗 Source