By Gary Neville has expressed concern over England’s performance at Euro 2024, emphasizing the need for manager Gareth Southgate to implement changes to avoid a disappointing outcome. Following a lackluster victory against Serbia, England’s subsequent match ended in a 1-1 draw with Denmark, a game in which they were outperformed for significant stretches by the world’s 21st-ranked team.
England’s play was characterized by a defensive posture, a slow pace, and a lack of substantial scoring chances, despite having one of the strongest attacking line-ups in the competition. Neville, a commentator for Sky Sports, urged Southgate to adjust his team strategy to prevent England from repeating their failure to compete for the Henri Delaunay Trophy, as happened at Euro 2020.
Neville highlighted a recurring issue, noting that England’s tendency to fall back and play defensively has become a detrimental pattern that needs to be disrupted. He criticized the team’s composition, suggesting that players are being forced into unsuitable positions, leading to a defensive strategy out of discomfort.
The former England defender also pointed out that the team struggles to maintain possession and build attacks from the back, resulting in turnovers and disorganized play. Neville warned that without intervention, the team is likely to face an all-too-familiar disappointing end to the tournament.
He also questioned whether Southgate’s wealth of attacking options has paradoxically constrained him, leading to a forced inclusion of players that disrupts the team’s balance. Neville called for Southgate to reevaluate his approach and possibly engage the players in self-reflection to address their subpar performance.
In conclusion, Neville stressed the urgency for Southgate to find solutions on the training ground to steer England’s campaign in a positive direction, or risk repeating past failures.
