England is in the semi-finals of the European Championship after eliminating Switzerland in the penalty shootout. The English got involved among the four best in the tournament for the second consecutive time (in 2021 they were runners-up), something they had not achieved in the history of the competition. Your rival will be Netherlands for a place in another final. However, in England they are not satisfied with the team’s play and with the performance of the great star, as demonstrated by the criticism of Gareth Southgate y Harry Kane.
Harry Kane played 106 minutes against Switzerlandbeing substituted before the penalty shootout. The top scorer in the history of ‘The Three Lions’ He was not at his best, touching only nine balls in the entire first half. In this Euro Cup he is not shining, but he has two goals in five games (England have only scored five). He is the only English player whom The Telegraph suspends in its match rating, with a 4/10. “The captain didn’t look comfortable at all. England wanted him to lead the pressure and he just couldn’t do it. In extra time, he fell on the bench and was forced to leave. He seems jaded”they explain.
England have an obvious problem: Harry Kane. The debate we must face before the semifinal is whether such a heavy Kane deserves to continue being a starter
In this sense, Oliver Brown, chief sports editor, goes further: “England have an obvious problem: Harry Kane. The debate we must face before the semi-final is whether such a heavy Kane deserves to continue being a starter, each step was a little laborious and each touch more clumsy than usual.” He believes that he played “as if he were overwhelmed by the gravity of Neptune” and reproaches him for leaving before the round, “in which he should have been the protagonist, although Southgate had reasons to finish his useless work much earlier.”
Kane saw from the bench, like Alexander Arnold marked the decisive penalty of the shootout. “Few sensations could have been more irritating. Before he was the talisman, now he is the spectator. There is little compelling justification for it to remain a protected species,” Brown said.
England defies the logic of football, it is not normal to play so badly and still win. The team is crawling to the level of mediocre teams and is about to cross the finish line
Jaime Carragherformer player for Liverpool and the English National Team (where he played in two World Cups and a European Championship), attacks ‘The Three Lions’ game: “England defies the logic of football: it is not normal to play so badly and still win. The team is dragging itself to the level of mediocre teams and is about to cross the finish line.” The ‘red’ legend is very pessimistic: “We cannot escape from reality and disguise it in another way. England have been very lucky. They have reached the semi-finals despite their performances, not because of them.”
(Southgate) is tactically inept. No matter what happens, I think he will retire permanently.
Gary Lineker joins the criticism of Southgate: “He’s tactically inept.” The 80-time international with ‘The Three Lions’ believes that this will be the coach’s last tournament: “No matter what happens, I think he will retire permanently.” He also proposes a name to replace him, the former Chelsea and Everton coach, Frank Lampard. “England is a difficult team to watch and plays like a caged lion that reacts when you poke it… They don’t play the football we all long for,” headlines the former Scottish Liverpool coach in the Daily Mail. Graeme Souness. Although he also recognizes that Southgate got it right with the changes: “He reacted when they were down by a goal and the changes he made in the 78th minute made sense.”
England is a difficult team to watch and plays like a caged lion that reacts when you poke it… They don’t play the football we all crave
This is how they see the situation in England. His team is in the semifinals and can sneak into the second consecutive Euro final, title that has never been lifted. However, the game does not convince anyone and so much the coach and the all-time top scorer are in question before facing the Netherlands.
