Euro 2024

ANGE POSTECOGLOU urged Gareth Southgate to put “players in their natural positions” amid criticism of the England manager.Three Lions boss Southgate, 53, has come under fire for his side’s opening two performances at Euro 2024.Ange Postecoglou has given Gareth Southgate some simple adviceCredit: GettyEngland have struggled in their opening two games at the EurosCredit: GettyAn unconvincing 1-0 win over Serbia was followed up by a dismal 1-1 draw against Denmark on Thursday.Many England fans have slammed decisions to play Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield and Phil Foden on the left of a front three.And Tottenham boss Postecoglou, 58, who coached the Australia national team for four years, has referenced those unorthodox positional calls from Southgate.Speaking as an ITV pundit on Belgium’s win over Romania, he said: “It’s fairly extreme, particularly here in England [the reaction to poor performances].READ MORE ON ENGLAND”It’s actually predictable that the England story is pretty similar. You go in with high expectations, and there’s extreme reactions either way.”I think it’s part of I think when you represent England in particular, you need to embrace that. You need to understand that. And I think for the most part, the players seem to be understanding that. And also there’s a fair bit of experience in there.”I know there’s a lot of reference points where people say, well, in other tournaments England have sometimes made radical changes and it’s worked. I just don’t think that that’s the point they’re at at the moment. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSPundits and legends lay into EnglandENGLAND’s lifeless display in the 1-1 draw with Denmark left pundits and legends queuing up to take a dig at Gareth Southgate’s team.
Here’s the best of what was said…
ALAN SHEARER
“Awful performance, particularly after going up in the game.
“I don’t think one England player can look at themselves and say, ‘I’ve done my job tonight’.
“England were all over the place, far too sloppy in possession, gave the ball away too much and got caught too many times.
“There was no energy, no pace, no guile — Southgate is simply not getting the best out of England’s best players.
“It’s concerning and Gareth will get some serious questions.
“You saw England players lying on their backs — they look absolutely shattered but there’s no excuse for that.”
GARY LINEKER
The BBC host called the performance “lifeless and tepid”.
On Harry Kane he said: “He needs his manager to ask more of him. I would have expected that if I’d put in that kind of performance.”
RIO FERDINAND
“The players don’t look the same as they do for their clubs. It is a big concern.”
ROY KEANE
“Courage and bravery, we’re not really seeing it.
“There’s something amiss with the balance. Bellingham is waving his arms.
“This is a big test for Gareth. It looks like he’s overthinking things.”
JAMIE CARRAGHER
“My big worry watching this and for the rest of the tournament?
“England look absolutely knackered. They can’t get close to the ball.
“The surest sign of fatigue is dropping deep.
“Declan Rice is having to cover so much ground. No-one can convince me this is a strategy.”
JACK WILSHERE
“It’s strange that we have taken the lead in both games so far, yet instead of it settling us down and giving us the confidence to play, we have failed to take control.
“But what was most worrying was that Denmark had a clear way of playing — while we didn’t.”

“I’d like to see players just playing in their natural positions to start with. I think that’s your starting point.Most read in Euro 2024″I think if you can get midfielders in the midfield areas, wingers in the winger’s areas, and if that’s the way you want to play, I think that helps you get a little bit of stability.”England fans’ must-watch guide to Cologne ahead of Three Lions’ Euro 2024 clash vs SloveniaEURO 2024 LIVE: KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM GERMANYPostecoglou also addressed the experience England are drawing on from recent tournaments.Southgate’s men had collected four points out of a possible six at each of their previous two major tournaments.But while the Spurs head coach believes it can help to learn from the past, he also warned the England players they need to “stay in the present”.He added: “I think experience does count in this scenario. Jordan [Pickford] referenced the last two tournaments quite a lot and I’m sure that’s the talk inside the camp. They’ve had four points before. “I think the key to that though is you’ve still got to stay in the present.”Just because you had four points in the past and things worked out ok, you still didn’t win. [That] doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen this time so I still think they’ve realised that there needs to be some impetus to their tournament.”Now I think [the] next game gives them the opportunity to do that.READ MORE SUN STORIES”Well, some momentum in terms of form, in terms of players maybe playing with a little bit more freedom and a little bit more confidence.”I think if you don’t get that at some point in the tournament, it will get away from you.” More

WAYNE ROONEY has named 12 mistakes Gareth Southgate has made at the Euros.The Three Lions left fans thoroughly concerned with their performance against Denmark on Thursday as they played out a 1-1 draw in Frankfurt.Wayne Rooney BBC pundit Euro 2024Credit: BBCGareth Southgate has some big decisions to make for the Slovenia gameCredit: ReutersMany have called for a number of changes to be made ahead of England’s final Group C game against Slovenia on Tuesday.And Rooney, 38, who is working as a pundit for the BBC at the tournament, has now discussed a number of ways Southgate has gone wrong in Germany.Among those included positional decisions such as playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, putting Phil Foden on the left, and leaving Anthony Gordon on the bench.Speaking in his column for The Times, he said: “Without wishing to make a big thing and say: ‘I told you so,’ we’ve seen two games where the team Gareth Southgate decided would be his best XI for the tournament just has not looked right in terms of balance — and I did write before Euro 2024 began that playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield would be a mistake.”READ MORE ON ENGLANDHe also pointed to the lack of energy and tempo in England’s game.This coincides with the Three Lions’ inability to press both Serbia and Denmark.The exclusion of Jordan Henderson, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford were also decisions Rooney disagreed with.And in terms of Henderson’s omission, it leaves Harry Kane without a vocal presence behind him.Most read in Euro 2024EURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSRooney has criticised the lack of co-ordination among England’s attacking playersCredit: GettyRooney feels Southgate should have taken Marcus Rashford and Jack GrealishCredit: GettySouthgate’s 12 blunders according to RooneyHere are the 12 blunders Wayne Rooney believes have been made by Gareth Southgate:

Playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield
Selecting Phil Foden on the left
Not starting Anthony Gordon
Lack of energy and tempo
Not pressing
Not selecting Jordan Henderson, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford
No co-ordination going forward
Lack of vocal presence on the pitch
Poor substitutions – Eze and Bowen over Gordon and Palmer
Being too stubborn
Players coming inside too early
Overthinking due to number of options

Rooney added: “You coach how you want to press but then you need leaders on the pitch to execute it and Harry needs someone vocal behind telling him to show the opponent left, show them right and so on.”Sometimes, when you’re the striker, you need to be told to wait or to let the centre back come and step into your press. I wonder if anyone is helping Harry in that way.England fans’ must-watch guide to Cologne ahead of Three Lions’ Euro 2024 clash vs Slovenia”Having played with Henderson I can tell you he’s very loud and excellent at organising the pressing.”Rice is quite vocal but not to the same level, and I don’t think Trent is much of a talker on the pitch at all.”Whoever plays midfield in the next game has to be in Harry’s ear and support him.”In-game substitutions were also disputed by Rooney as he believes the introductions of Eberechi Eze and Jarrod Bowen against Denmark should actually have been Gordon and Cole Palmer.He also suggested Southgate has been “stubborn” and “overthinking” his own moves.And the lack of co-ordination going forward is being caused by “players coming inside too early”.He added: “Both Jude and Phil want to get into the No10 position but aren’t going at the right times.”Phil is coming inside too early, leaving too great a distance for Kieran Trippier to cover and get there with his supporting run.”In fact a lot of players are coming inside too early and getting into their positions too early, making England easy to defend against, crowding the middle of the pitch.READ MORE SUN STORIES”We’re even seeing Jude drop at times and Rice become the furthest player forward. There is too much going on in there.”The players should be told to hold their positions a little bit longer — and then make those movements late and at a quicker pace.”Pundits and legends lay into EnglandENGLAND’s lifeless display in the 1-1 draw with Denmark left pundits and legends queuing up to take a dig at Gareth Southgate’s team.
Here’s the best of what was said…
ALAN SHEARER
“Awful performance, particularly after going up in the game.
“I don’t think one England player can look at themselves and say, ‘I’ve done my job tonight’.
“England were all over the place, far too sloppy in possession, gave the ball away too much and got caught too many times.
“There was no energy, no pace, no guile — Southgate is simply not getting the best out of England’s best players.
“It’s concerning and Gareth will get some serious questions.
“You saw England players lying on their backs — they look absolutely shattered but there’s no excuse for that.”
GARY LINEKER
The BBC host called the performance “lifeless and tepid”.
On Harry Kane he said: “He needs his manager to ask more of him. I would have expected that if I’d put in that kind of performance.”
RIO FERDINAND
“The players don’t look the same as they do for their clubs. It is a big concern.”
ROY KEANE
“Courage and bravery, we’re not really seeing it.
“There’s something amiss with the balance. Bellingham is waving his arms.
“This is a big test for Gareth. It looks like he’s overthinking things.”
JAMIE CARRAGHER
“My big worry watching this and for the rest of the tournament?
“England look absolutely knackered. They can’t get close to the ball.
“The surest sign of fatigue is dropping deep.
“Declan Rice is having to cover so much ground. No-one can convince me this is a strategy.”
JACK WILSHERE
“It’s strange that we have taken the lead in both games so far, yet instead of it settling us down and giving us the confidence to play, we have failed to take control.
“But what was most worrying was that Denmark had a clear way of playing — while we didn’t.” More

PIERS MORGAN has expressed his fears after FIVE pitch invaders reached Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal’s win over Turkey.The broadcaster warned “something serious will happen” following the Euro 2024 match on Saturday afternoon.Piers Morgan has warned ‘something serious will happen’ after fans invaded the pitchCredit: PAPitch invaders ran on to the field five times during Portugal’s win over TurkeyCredit: GettySupporters hugged the Portugal captain and posed for selfies after entering the fieldCredit: GettyRonaldo was swarmed by pitch invaders on five separate occasions during his side’s 3-0 victory.Supporters hugged and took selfies with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner after making it on to the pitch in Dortmund.Security staff could be seen chasing the fans, with one steward even clattering into Portugal’s Goncalo Ramos at full-time.However, Morgan – whose bombshell interview with close pal Ronaldo saw the ex-Manchester United star quit Old Trafford – has called for better protection for the players following the worrying scenes.READ MORE EURO 2024 NEWSTaking to social media, he wrote: “Ridiculous. The players must be better protected, or something more serious will happen.”The 2016 winners went on to win the match thanks to goals from Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes either side of a bizarre own goal.Silva dismissed the concerns over the pitch invasions after the match, explaining: “It’s not really a concern. It’s just a bit annoying in terms of always having to stop the game because a fan enters the pitch.”But I think that’s the price you pay for being so recognised in the world of football and having a player like him [Ronaldo] with us.Most read in Euro 2024CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”But in terms of feeling in danger, I don’t think so, no. Not me personally at least.”Meanwhile, manager Roberto Martinez admitted: “It was a concern. Because today we were lucky that the intentions of the fans were good.Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with Portugal match-winner Conceicao… 21 years after making his debut alongside his dad”You can understand it was a difficult moment — if those intentions are wrong, the players are in danger.”We should give a message to the fans: it’s not the right way. You’re not going to get anything out of it, and what will happen is the (security) measures will get tighter.”Portugal’s second win from as many matches confirmed their progression to the knockout stages as group winners.Martinez’s side will conclude their group campaign against Georgia in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday.Their last 16 clash against one of the best third place teams will follow in Frankfurt on July 1.EURO 2024 LIVE: KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM GERMANY More

ENGLAND will be desperate to beat Slovenia on Tuesday night to finish first in Group C.If they fail to finish top it would mean the Three Lions face a horror route to the Euro 2024 final.England need to finish first in Group C to avoid horror route to the finalCredit: GettyEngland faced a dismal 1-1 draw to Denmark on ThursdayCredit: GettyThe Three Lions had a dismal performance against Denmark and their 1-1 draw has feared fans that Gareth Southgate’s squad will not finish top of their group.And if England cannot secure a win against Slovenia it would mean they face the winner of Group A in the Round of 16 – which is currently Germany.But Germany face Switzerland TONIGHT and if the Swiss beat the Germans they would overtake and win the group, meaning England could face them instead.If England wins the Round of 16 they will face either Spain or one of the third-placed sides from Groups A, D, E or F in the quarter-finals.READ MORE IN EURO 2024And then it would be the winner of the Hamburg quarter-final on July 5 which will most likely be Portugal or the Netherlands in the semi-finals.Then should the other side of the draw progress as planned, France or Belgium would await at the Olympiastadion in Berlin for the final.But what if England finish third?Yes, that is possible. Should England lose against Slovenia and Denmark beat Serbia the Three Lions would end up in the third spot in Group C.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAnd they will need their fingers crossed to hope they finish as one of the fourth-best third-placed teams in the tournament.Depending on where they place amongst the third-place teams they could face the Group F winner which is currently Portugal in Frankfurt in the Round of 16.Gary Neville begs Gareth Southgate to ‘disrupt’ England’s starting XI as he names TWO stars who must play vs Slovenia Or they could play Group E winner which could be in Belgium, Slovakia, Romania or Ukraine in Munich.In the quarter-finals, in a worst-case scenario play France or the Netherlands should either side win Group D.Then if England scraps a win to reach the semi-final they could face the winner of Group C again – Slovakia/Denmark or a repeat of the Euro 2020 final against Italy.And if Southgate’s side comes out victorious to reach the final in Berlin they would be up against tournament favourites Spain or Germany. More

GARY NEVILLE has urged Gareth Southgate to “disrupt” England’s starting XI against Slovenia.The former Three Lions defender believes two players must come into the team for the final group stage match.Gary Neville has named the two players who must play against SloveniaCredit: ITVGareth Southgate has been urged to ‘disrupt’ his England starting XI by NevilleCredit: RexEngland face Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday night as they look to book their place in the last 16.A win will see Southgate’s side top the group, with a draw enough to assure progression.The win over Serbia and draw against Denmark have already given England four points, which will likely be enough to finish as one of the best third place teams if necessary.However, the draw with Denmark has prompted a debate over the team selection against Slovenia, with Neville now giving his thoughts.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLSpeaking during ITV’s Euro 2024 coverage, he admitted a change in midfield and out wide is needed.Neville revealed: “He’ll disrupt it, he has to. He talked about a partner for Rice and maybe some pace up-front alongside Kane.”That’s Gordon and that’s Mainoo. Rice must have a partner in midfield that can help get us playing out from the back.”I do actually think he could be disruptive enough to do what he’s done in previous tournaments, which is go to a three at the back. But it’s that left wing-back slot which is a little bit difficult for Gareth.”Most read in Euro 2024CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSMainoo played the final four minutes against Serbia but was an unused substitute for the second match with Denmark.Southgate instead introduced Conor Gallagher into the midfield off the bench on Thursday.Gary Neville says ‘I’m struggling to see how we go the whole way’ as he reveals England’s major weakness at Euro 2024The Manchester United midfielder is coming off the back of a breakthrough season and has won four caps since his debut in March.He also put in a man of the match display on his first start against Belgium earlier this year.As for Gordon, who also made his debut in March, he has yet to feature in the tournament.However, he was able to start the final warm-up match against Iceland after recovering from an ankle injury.The Newcastle winger scored 11 goals and added 10 assists in the Premier League last term.Southgate has so far opted to introduce Jarrod Bowen and Eberechi Eze off the bench in the first two matches.READ MORE SUN STORIESEngland have won five of their six previous meetings with Slovenia, drawing once.The two sides also met in their final group fixture at the 2010 World Cup, with Jermain Defoe scoring in a 1-0 Three Lions victory.EURO 2024 LIVE: KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM GERMANY More