England were far from convincing in a 1-1 draw with Denmark on Thursday, even if it likely ensured advancing to the round of 16 at the European Championship.
Harry Kane gave England another fast start at Euro 2024, scoring it the 18th minute, but the captain was substituted off in the second half as the team faded. England coach Gareth Southgate removed his forward line in a triple substitution with 25 minutes to play.
Denmark leveled in the 34th when Morten Hjulmand fired in a powerful low shot from long distance, after Kane gave away the ball in defense. The Danes made England look ragged in the second half, attacking the end from where English fans’ anxiety and jeers increased late in the game. England has four points from two games, after edging past Serbia 1-0 in its first match.
That points tally always has been enough to advance in the 24-team Euros format. Still, England can finish in any position from first to third in the Group C standings after playing unbeaten Slovenia next Tuesday.
Slovenia drew 1-1 with Serbia earlier Thursday, four days after getting the same result against Denmark. Serbia and Denmark also play Tuesday evening. Relive all the action and reaction from England v Denmark below:
Gareth Southgate must make hard choices after abject England struggle to draw with Denmark
If Gareth Southgate has already warned his players to ignore criticism, he’s going to need to lock them away in Erfurt after this. This was a 1-1 that meant a lot more than failing to win this match. It raises the biggest questions yet over whether England can even come close to winning this tournament.
Almost nothing about the team works right now. If that seems harsh given they have four points and are still on course to top the group, it is about how Gareth Southgate has currently made this team so much less than the sum of their parts.
The biggest problem is in midfield, which admittedly isn’t new and has been the long-term issue. The concern is how Southgate has so far compounded it. Why persist with the Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment, when it obviously didn’t work? Why keep him on at half-time, only to change it minutes later?
Denmark 1-1 England: Harry Kane’s early goal was cancelled out by Morten Hjulmand’s wonderful strike as Gareth Southgate was left with more questions than answers
Mike Jones20 June 2024 19:16
‘The Trent experiment’ and no pressing: Are pundits right to be so critical of England tactics?
No pressing from Harry Kane. No cohesion in midfield. No pace in attack, no runners beyond the defence, not enough pressure on the ball.
Listen to the BBC Sport half-time talk on England’s Euro 2024 match against Denmark and you might be forgiven for thinking the Three Lions trailed by a couple of goals or were in danger of heading out of the tournament, not level at 1-1 and top of the as-it-stands group table.
It all echoed of we’re not creative enough, we’re not positive enough.
Alan Shearer and the BBC pundits were scathing of Gareth Southgate’s set-up
Mike Jones21 June 2024 07:00
Gary Neville highlights the problem with Declan Rice for England after ‘nervous’ display
Gary Neville insists Declan Rice needs to play further up the field after looking “nervous” in England’s draw against Denmark at Euro 2024.
Gareth Southgate’s side remain unbeaten and top of Group C on four points and on the brink of progress to the last 16.
But Neville is adamant Rice is not at the same level as some of the best holding midfielders in Europe when picking the ball up from the back line and claims Southgate could learn from how Mikel Arteta handled him for Arsenal towards the end of the season.
The Arsenal midfielder struggled in the stalemate with Denmark with Gareth Southgate’s side unable to strike the right balance in Frankfurt
Mike Jones21 June 2024 06:00
England caught between midfield ideals amid search for attacking balance
There was a problem with the team of all the talents. It wasn’t a team.
In as much as there is any agreement on anything concerning the England team, Gareth Southgate may have thought he had given the people what they wanted. He had crammed in his four most gifted attackers and a generational talent of a passer, primed to supply them.
And in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s parting contribution, he almost got a glimpse of what might have been.
He was pictured at France’s training base in Paderborn on Wednesday wearing a protective covering on his nose, and later trained on his own away from the rest of the squad, before getting involved in shooting drills.
France have prepared a protective mask for Mbappe to wear when he returns to the pitch during the Euros
Mike Jones21 June 2024 04:00
Gareth Southgate must make hard choices after abject England struggle to draw with Denmark
If Gareth Southgate has already warned his players to ignore criticism, he’s going to need to lock them away in Erfurt after this. This was a 1-1 that meant a lot more than failing to win this match.
It raises the biggest questions yet over whether England can even come close to winning this tournament.
Almost nothing about the team works right now. If that seems harsh – given they have four points and are still on course to top the group – it is about how Southgate has currently made this team so much less than the sum of its parts.
Denmark 1-1 England: Harry Kane’s early goal was cancelled out by Morten Hjulmand’s wonderful strike as Gareth Southgate was left with more questions than answers
Mike Jones21 June 2024 03:00
England ‘struggling with and without the ball’, admits Harry Kane
Harry Kane admits England are “struggling” at Euro 2024 after they were jeered off the pitch following a laboured draw against Denmark.
Victory in the Group C clash in Frankfurt would have assured England of top spot and progression to the last 16 with a game to spare.
Instead, despite Kane putting Gareth Southgate’s side ahead, they were pegged back to 1-1 through a fine Morten Hjulmand strike and then were largely second best.
Kane opening the scoring in Frankfurt, but Denmark hit back to claim a deserved draw.
Mike Jones21 June 2024 02:00
Gareth Southgate admits England are struggling to deal with Euro 2024 pressure
Gareth Southgate admitted underperforming England are struggling to cope with the pressure after the Euro 2024 hopefuls were booed at the end of a dismal draw with Denmark.
Among the favourites to become kings of the continent three years on from finishing as runners-up, they made hard work of beating Serbia 1-0 win in Sunday’s Group C opener.
It meant another victory against Denmark on Thursday evening would seal England’s progress to the round of 16 with a game to spare and wrap up top spot.
England were fortunate to draw 1-1 after Harry Kane’s goal was cancelled out by a Morten Hjulmand stunner.
Mike Jones21 June 2024 01:00
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Euro 2024 offers something new with Spain and Italy duel
Just when you think Euro 2024 has given you a bit of everything, it gives you something new. Because Spain’s Group B clash with Italy, the tournament’s first meeting of major footballing nations, was certainly different to every game that came before it.
Just one hour earlier, a rematch of one of the 2021 semi-finals had concluded – England drawing with Denmark – and Thursday’s late game carried the same status, but greater prestige.
Other games in Germany this week had felt like big ‘occasions’, but this felt like the first big match, in a purely sporting tense. It was as if this was a semi-final.
Harry Kane opened the scoring for Gareth Southgate’s team before Morden Hjulmand equalised from long-range for the Danes.
Yet England wilted in the second-half, with the likes of BBC pundits Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer critical of the Three Lions’ performance.
However, England Test cricket captain Stokes, who has won both the 50-over and 20-over World Cups in the last five years, slammed the negativity while praising the post-match interview of right-back Kyle Walker.
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