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One goal may have been enough to defeat Serbia, but one goal may not be enough to defeat Denmark. I expected more goals from England, and I must say that the one goal in their first game is disappointing but a progress from their last friendly game where they lost. The performance of England has to improve, the competition will be tougher and if they will win this competition, one goal will not be enough against the big teams. England should be scoring as many goals as Spain and Germany.
The way the British medias were going about this England squad by over hyping them, I was thinking England were going to demolish Serbia in their first game. I thought England were going to show their seriousness by beating Serbia with a convincing scoreline. Just imagine how they were struggling to beat Serbia. With this kind of display if they meet teams like Germany or Spain who has played so convincingly so far in this competition, England will lose. I have said it many times, it's not about have big names in a team, do you have the right tactical ability to manage those players? It's unfortunate that Southgate don't know what to do with England squad. As expected they are definitely going to win their group, but they should not expect a soft landing once the group stages are over.
Yes England need to win a trophy but they should make no mistake about it, they shouldn't get it twisted, nobody is going to hand them a trophy on a platter of gold. If they want to win something, they should work hard for it and earn it. With this kind of lackluster performance they are not going to win anything and that's for sure. They managed to win, but I'm not convinced even with this win that they are going to win the tournament.
Southgate will receive harsher criticism if the England national team draws in their next match, especially if they lose, it will be a nightmare for Kane and his teammates. Southgate has a number of quality players in his squad, they are all mainstays at club level, so managing them and winning games should be easier for Southgate.
The victory over Serbia deserves praise even though it didn't appear impressive considering it was only the first match. Plus, almost half of the England players Southgate has called up for this EURO are new faces, so it may take some time for them to gel. However, they cannot relax even though the competition in the group stage is a little easier for them.
It makes sense for some to consider England as one of the favourites, given the talent available in the squad. I am sure that if Southgate position is filled by a coach of the caliber of Pep Guardiola or Ancelotti, then everyone is sure that England will win the trophy this time. But I also doubt that Southgate will be able to do it.
I've been seeing different fan bases since I started watching football but the England fans is undoubtedly one of the most impatient fan base across the globe. They're always quick to condemn their team and manager at the slightest poor result. Gareth Southgate is an Englishman and he definitely understands how high the expectations of the English fans are so I expect him to do everything within his tactical strength and experience to avoid any poor result that'll draw intense criticism from the English fans. The result of the England game against Serbia yesterday might not be very convincing considering the scoreline but the performance of the Three Lions against their opponents I think was convincing enough to anyone who understands football.
Their best game on the tournament will be against Denmark and I strongly believe that England will win that game