Gareth Southgate admitted ahead of England’s second Euro 2024 group game that he finds it impossible to enjoy victories with the national team due to the overwhelming level of pressure and scrutiny it is placed under.
Head coach Southgate leads his squad against Denmark on Thursday (noon ET on FS1) having come under a flurry of criticism and questioning following an unconvincing 1-0 win against Serbia last week to kick off the team’s campaign.
Few nations place such an intense level of public interest on their soccer team as England, with this summer’s tournament seen as a huge opportunity to win a major trophy for the first time since 1966, behind superstars Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
And while that results in a steady flow of support when things are going well, Southgate said it also brings a unique sense of unease at times — so much so that he shuts off all social media and is careful to prepare his players for the inevitability of the eternal noise.
“I get about 45 seconds of enjoyment,” Southgate told reporters. “The whistle blows, I cuddle everybody, I walk off the pitch and that’s it. I hope they have a little bit longer than that. There should be more joy in it, but that’s not my reality.”
He added: “It is what it is. There is more noise around a national team than there ever is around a club team. Millions of people in your own country, extensive media coverage, social media. It’s a different world.
“It is not going to affect what I do. My job is to keep the players on track. What are the realities? What are we doing well? What do we need to be better at? Where actually are we?”
There have been several elements to the recrimination that followed the Serbia game. There has been much media dissatisfaction with the play of Phil Foden, who seemed unable to combine effectively with Bellingham in his unfamiliar role on the left.
Doubts were also raised about the compatibility of Trent Alexander-Arnold in central midfield, considering his most frequent use at club level has always been at right back.
However, Southgate has never been one to cave to outside voices and multiple reports indicate he is planning to keep the same team against Denmark, which drew 1-1 with Slovenia in its opener.
“There’s going to be a narrative around a player, a couple of players, after every England game,” he said. “This is a different world to the one you experience at clubs.
“The players as a collective recognize that now. We talked with them about it. It’s very rare at their club they’d win a game and experience what they’ve experienced here.”
Part of the reason for the extra glare is because of the feeling that things have been building to this point. Southgate has been in charge for eight years and has had more sustained success than any England coach of modern times.
He is perhaps as popular as an England boss can possibly be without having a title to his name, yet there is also a sense of frustration from the masses that his team have not gotten over the line.
They came close at the 2018 World Cup. Losing to Croatia after leading late in the semifinal. In the Euros final held in 2021, they led Italy before losing on penalties, heartbreakingly, on home soil.
At the 2022 World Cup they gave France a scare, but lost 2-1 in the quarterfinal after Kane missed a crucial penalty.
This time, England would guarantee progress to the knockout stage with a win against Denmark, its semifinal opponent at the last Euros in a game that went to extra-time at Wembley Stadium.
Even a draw would ensure it kept its fate in its own hands heading into the final game of the Group C schedule.
Southgate said that while there are a number of young players in his squad, there is also a core that has a wealth of experience. Even Bellingham, though just 20, is coming off a Champions League win with Real Madrid, was named La Liga player of the year and is taking part in his third international tournament.
Figures like Kane, Declan Rice and defenders John Stones and Kyle Walker are responsible for maintaining the positive vibe around the camp. And though some of the barbs aimed at Southgate revolve around his perceived unwillingness to make necessary changes, he defended his process.
“It’s great that we have experienced players that have lived through it who (help us) stay on track,” he said. “Our own assessment of the game is the most important.
“We are never slow to pull things up that aren’t right. That’s the most important view, the way we dissect the game.”
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