- England beat Slovakia 2-1 in the last 16 in another dismal performance.
- Three Lions players vow to protect Gareth Southgate
- The manager is under a lot of pressure.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has insisted that all England players will do everything they can to protect Gareth Southgate, the Three Lions manager , who is facing heavy criticism.
England have just successfully booked their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 after coming from behind to beat Slovakia 2-1 in the round of 16, equalising in the last minute of injury time before overtaking to win in extra time. The results of that game have put a lot of pressure on Southgate from fans, the media and analysts.
Rice said: “We’re united, we proved it tonight. We’re going to do everything to protect this manager. We’re going to protect each other and we’re going to keep fighting. And this result paid off for their efforts. It’s not pretty, but it’s an honour to give our country and we’re going to try to do everything we can to get there.”
As Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid’s playmaker in La Liga Spain, added: “We won the ufabet https://ufabet999.app game together, not me, not Harry Kane. It’s not a moment of individual success for anyone. The likes of Ivan Toney, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka, who had to play left-back, were equally important.”
“It’s the sacrifice you make for the team and that’s the energy we have to keep no matter what,” said the 21-year-old, who scored a late equaliser in the 95th minute.
England, led by Southgate, won just one of their group games, beating Serbia 1-0 in their opening game, before disappointing draws with Denmark and Slovenia and, most recently, losing to Slovakia after taking the lead in extra time.
Southgate, 53, said after the game: “We had possession for too long in the first half and they closed down the spaces in midfield very well. In the second half we tried to change that and I think with this team we were very patient. We tried to play calm and not get nervous.”
Meanwhile, Southgate also revealed that his team has many problems to solve at Euro 2024, but they will build on their unflagging spirit and belief for the next game against Switzerland, who recently knocked out Italy in the knockout round.
“We are correcting the mistakes and giving opportunities to the young players and we are finding a way. Of course we are still in the competition and one thing that cannot be questioned is the determination and desire of everyone in the team,” the England boss said.
Southgate’s contract with England expires in December and there have been no talks over a new deal, so if the Three Lions fail to win the Euros, there is a high chance he will have to bid farewell to the team and make way for someone else to take over.