- England will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
- Gareth Southgate is under immense pressure from his team’s performance.
- Many pundits believe the “Lions” need urgent change.
England , led by Gareth Southgate, will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on Saturday at the Dusseldorf Arena and despite finishing top of their group and edging out Slovakia in the last 16, the Three Lions have yet to live up to their potential.
Many pundits have suggested Southgate’s side lack creativity, are slow and lack teamwork, all of which are major problems before they have to be dealt with, as Switzerland are a strong side who have just knocked out Italy in the knockout stages .
Former Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Gary Lineker said: “I saw a ทางเข้า ufabet https://ufabet999.app team that didn’t seem to have any soul. It didn’t look like they knew what they were doing or how they should be playing. It was a strange style for them.”
“There was something about the players. They tried so hard but they seemed to lose their identity. *It must be tactics. It must be an order because the players are playing differently to the way they are used to playing. It was very surprising.”
Alan Shearer added: “The game against Slovakia was awful . It was hopelessness. This team has to improve in every area of the pitch if they are to beat Switzerland. There is still a lot for this England team to do. Would I be wrong to say they could be beaten within 30 minutes if they play at the same standard?”
Meanwhile, former Manchester City defender Micah Richards believes England are unlikely to solve their problems anytime soon and Southgate’s side are far from their best. Saying: “Are we trying? I don’t know how that message came from Southgate and that’s a big concern. There’s been no change for the better in the last four games.”
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Southgate may have to make changes to his attacking line, with Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane likely to be benched and denied the opportunity to replace him.
“He sets himself a very high standard, his link-up with his team-mates is good, but things are not going his way,” Murphy said. “The options we have on the bench seem to be what we need. We are all asking for a change.”
Lineker continued: “Kane’s movement up front is still a problem. He’s left isolated most of the time. Switzerland play three centre-backs at the back and he has to deal with that.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s young midfielder Cole Palmer is another person who has been talked about as a potential starter after his excellent form last season. However, in this Euro, the 22-year-old only played 73 minutes.
Murphy said: “He’s the bravest guy on the ball. It’s like he’s trying to say, ‘I don’t mind trying to do something different and if it doesn’t happen, at least we’ll see something different. I think some England players think too much. But Cole Palmer doesn’t think that way and that’s how he’s played all season.
“He has to start the next game. Maybe the pressure will make other players lose confidence, but I think Palmer will do well if given the chance,” the former Reds star concluded.