England players not fit enough to press effectively, claims Southgate
THE GUARDIAN – Gareth Southgate has suggested his England team lack the physical levels to execute his gameplan at Euro 2024.
The mood in the England camp was heavy on introspection and soul-searching as they came to terms with Thursday’s 1-1 draw against Denmark. It was not so much the result, which has kept them in the driving seat to qualify for the last 16 as Group C winners. Rather the collective performance, which was defined by errors on the ball and an absence of aggression without it.
Southgate has made no secret about his fears over the fitness of a clutch of starting players, who have not completed many full games in recent weeks and months.
The captain, Harry Kane, did not press or run in behind against Denmark and Southgate took him off in the 70th minute for Ollie Watkins, feeling that he needed fresh energy up front. Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden were substituted at the same time. Saka missed Arsenal’s final Premier League game with an injury and played only 25 minutes of England’s warm-up matches.
“We are not pressing well enough, with enough intensity,” Southgate said. “We have limitations in how we can do that with the physical condition. We can’t press as high up the pitch as we might have done in the qualifiers, for example. And we are not keeping the ball well enough. We have to keep the ball better and build with more control.”
The pressure on the players is intense, the scrutiny unforgiving and it has been possible to wonder whether it has affected them. Southgate admitted after the Denmark game that “if anything they’re showing they care too much”.
Southgate said: “I am seeing every day that they are loving working together. I don’t think it is a lack of spark. At the moment, they ironically care too much and they need firm leadership. We have to guide them through the difficult period that is coming but really stay on track and focused on this challenge ahead.
“We are trying to do something that has never been done before [win the Euros]. So that is going to be a bit of a rollercoaster. It’s not going to go smoothly when you are trying to achieve extraordinary things. They are bloody difficult. We have to accept the level of expectations, we have to accept the arena we are in. And we have to find a better way of playing to how we have so far.”