Euro 2024: Gareth Southgate says England 'not hiding from anything' ahead of Slovenia clash
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Updated 24/06/2024 at 22:02 GMT+1
Gareth Southgate has said his England squad are "not hiding from anything" as they look to take top spot in Euro 2024 Group C in their clash against Slovenia on Tuesday. Despite sitting top of the group on four points, England have received criticism for their performances so far in the tournament, with Southgate's side conceding plenty of pressure in their matches against Serbia and Denmark.
'We want to hit a different level' - Southgate looking for improvement from England
England boss Gareth Southgate said his squad are "not making any excuses at all" as they look to claim top spot in Euro 2024 Group C against Slovenia on Tuesday.
Southgate, alongside notable squad members including captain Harry Kane, have received criticism from high-profile pundits and journalists over laboured performances in their opening two games of the tournament against Serbia and Denmark.
The England boss, however, said the mood within the England camp is "very good", adding that his players are "not making any excuses" for their performances so far.
"The mood is very good," Southgate told a news conference on Monday. "We know the world we live in, there will always be external noise but it shouldn't affect us. What's important is the internal. The performance is what we're focussing on. The results have basically put us in the next round already and now we want to top the group.
"We are not hiding from anything and we are not making any excuses at all. That's not what we do as a group. Tactically tomorrow is a different game. There are some fundamentals that we need to get back to."
Ex-England striker Gary Lineker was among the notable pundits who were critical of England's performance in their 1-1 draw against Denmark, sparking a response from Harry Kane, who said that such high-profile names carry a "responsibility" with comments they make.
However, Southgate said he is "oblivious" to the comments made about his team, instead turning the focus on the task at hand - Tuesday's final group clash against Slovenia.
"That's the world we're in," he said. "I'm oblivious to it, it's not important to me at all. What's important to me is I guide this group of players through the tournament. We're a high-profile team. I'm very comfortable with that life.
"I don't need to listen to externals because I am my own biggest critic and I think most of the players are as well. That's how you coach a team and improve performance."
Southgate did concede that there have been issues with England's levels of performance in the opening two matches, saying they have not been reflective of his tenure as manager.
"I think we've had different cycles with this team and different moments," the England boss added. "I don't think the performances over the last two matches have reflected how we've played over the last couple of years.
"We've had a short period here where we're not functioning at the level we want to. That's been a brilliant challenge to unpick that and find the best way forward and be honest about where we sat three or four days ago."
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Kane suggests critical ex-player pundits could take a 'step back'
'I did come out and defend our front players' - Rice on England critics
Declan Rice has said that it is inevitable players will be aware of comments made about them in the media, but has urged his team to "turn a page" on Tuesday against Slovenia.
Rice has started both matches in the tournament so far alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, and has been the subject of criticism with England conceding territory against both Serbia and Denmark.
But the Arsenal midfielder believes his squad must turn in good performances, in order to overturn the negative discourse - thus harnessing more confidence in the squad.
"The guys [journalists] in here have been fair with what they've been saying," Rice said. "The expectation of what people are going to say is going to be negative.
"I did come out and defend our front players and as players you do read stuff.
"It is better to read a load more stuff which is positive than it is negative.
"For me as a player when I was captain at West Ham I like to encourage and tell people 'they can be the best player on the pitch'.
"The more you feel that as a player the more confident you are stepping onto pitch - you will see that tomorrow night."
England sit top of Group C, two points clear of both Denmark and Slovenia behind them. Serbia are bottom of the standings but still in with a chance of qualifying.
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