Gareth Southgate believes England is on the cusp of significant improvement at Euro 2024, emphasizing fitness and tactical adjustments ahead of their crucial group match against Slovenia. After lackluster performances in the first two games, Southgate called for a “reset button” and “honest conversations” to get the team back on track.
The manager pointed to fitness as a key issue, highlighting the progress made over the past week. “We’re definitely making progress,” Southgate noted. He cited the improved condition of players like Marc Guehi, Kieran Trippier, and Harry Kane, who had all struggled with fitness coming into the tournament. “Two games in, with some recovery time, all of those will be in a better place. That’s definitely going to help us,” he added.
Despite Declan Rice’s promise of a more aggressive approach against Slovenia, Southgate tempered expectations, referencing the team’s need to adapt after their 1-0 warm-up defeat to Iceland. “Our identity has been pretty clear for a while. We haven’t quite seen that in the first couple of games,” he admitted, stressing the importance of staying calm and making sensible decisions.
Southgate is considering bringing Conor Gallagher into the midfield for Trent Alexander-Arnold but is wary of making drastic changes. “The big risk is you have a knee-jerk reaction and move away from things that are going well,” he said. “We need to add to what we’re doing, not throw everything out the window.”
The manager also touched on the development of Adam Wharton, praising his training performances and hinting at his readiness to step up if needed. “He’s training very well and doesn’t look out of place. He’ll be ready if called upon,” Southgate said.
England’s final group match is far from a dead rubber. A draw or defeat could see them finish second or third, potentially setting up a daunting last-16 clash with Germany in Dortmund. “Whether we win the group or not, we’re going to face top sides. It would be a myth to think we’ll have an easier route,” Southgate concluded.
With a collective effort and tactical fine-tuning, Southgate hopes to guide England to a successful Euro 2024 campaign, starting with a decisive performance against Slovenia.
