6 months ago
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FRUSTRATED England fans rued a number of missed chances as the Three Lions’ crucial Euros clash with Slovenia ended in a disappointing 0-0.
Supporters in Germany and back home at fan zones across the country had been expecting Gareth Southgate’s men to turn their recent lacklustre form around.
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Three Lions fans did not give up and continued urging the team forwardPA
England fans had their heads in their hands after Saka’s goal was disallowedPA
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ReutersBut they were left uninspired as England were unable to convert their dominance of possession into goals.
Despite the result England have still finished top of their group and avoided facing hosts Germany in the next round.
Supporters went wild when they though Bukayo Saka had put England ahead 1-0 in the 20th minute.
Their cheers were quickly subdued when the Arsenal star’s strike was ruled out for offside.
Southgate’s team dominated possession for long spells but seemed content to play the ball sideways – to the growing frustration of the fans packing the stands and watching at home.
Conor Gallagher was subbed off for Man Utd’s Kobbie Mainoo at half-time as England started the second period strongly.
However chance after chance went begging – including a promising move just minutes from time that Cole Palmer was unable to finish.
Three Lions supporters had descended on Germany with supporter zones in the UK packed out for Tuesday’s game.
Fans turned Cologne into a sea of red and white as they posed up in flags against the city’s dramatic cathedral.
England fans dominated three quarters of the stadium in Germany, filling the air with Three Lions anthems and vastly outnumbering the Slovenian rivals.
Hundreds of huge St George’s Cross banners were spotted in the stands as excited supporters downed pints.
Despite the result, passionate fans kept cheering on the men in white as they tried to break down their disciplined opponents.
England supporters across the continent refused to let the scoreline get them down.
And fans are ready to get behind Gareth Southgate‘s side once again for their last 16 tie on Sunday.
England will play their next game in Gelsenkirchen on June 30.
England Player Ratings
SunSport’s Tom Barclay has given his ratings of the England players.
Jordan Pickford – 6
Largely a spectator due to England’s dominance on the ball. Asked the touchline what the Denmark score was during one break in the second half.
Kieran Trippier – 6
The one positive of having a right-footed player playing left-back is that he can dispatch in-swinging crosses, and one such one should have been headed home by Conor Gallagher before the break.
Marc Guehi -7
Cruyff turn early doors showed his confidence from excellent displays against Serbia and Denmark, and barring one loose pass was good again.
John Stones – 6
One of many to miss his target with his passing. He wasn’t bad but, like others, way off what he has produced for his club.
Kyle Walker – 5
Played so safe, rarely looked to get forward. Was lucky at one point that Pickford was alive to his blast of a pass-back. Sliced cross after break summed up his off-night.
Conor Gallagher – 4
Got the nod after the Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield experiment ended, but was poor, particularly, in possession and replaced at half-time by Kobbie Mainoo.
Declan Rice – 7
Had promised an “in your face” performance from his team, but he was really the only one to produce it. Very good out of possession, much better than against Denmark.
Phil Foden – 7
Liveliest of England’s attacking four by a mile and went close with a stinging free-kick. Booked for dissent, summing up England’s frustration.
Jude Bellingham – 5
Cut a very frustrated figure as he and Harry Kane got in each other’s way at times, while he was often shunted wide left as Phil Foden moved into the middle.
Bukayo Saka – 6
Tapped home on 20 minutes, but it was ruled out for offside in the build-up. OK but once again subbed after the break, perhaps due to fitness concerns.
Harry Kane – 6
Insists he is 100 per cent fit and maybe he is. What is 100 per cent certain is that he has been nowhere near as effective in this tournament as he usually is for England, albeit he was marginally better here.
Substitutes
Kobbie Mainoo (for Gallagher) – 7
Made a difference when coming on, making England much more positive in their play. So much more confident with his touch than Gallagher.
Cole Palmer (for Saka on 71) – 7
Finally made an appearance at this tournament and one clever ball through for Mainoo showed what he can do.
Anthony Gordon (for Phil Foden on 88) – 6
Like Palmer, first minutes at the Euros, but too late to make an impact.
After the game, England skipper Harry Kane told ITV: “That was the aim, to top the group.
“We played a lot better than the other two games, better on the ball with more aggression and energy.
“We couldn’t find the final pass, the final finish. We look forward to the next one.”
Roy Keane was equally unimpressed by the performance as he slammed the players at half time.
Speaking on ITV, he said: “It has been too slow and too sloppy.
“The one good moment was offside.
“Pass it in front of somebody, and be brave enough to lose the ball.”
Gary Neville echoed Keane’s sentiments as he labelled the players showing as “basic”.
Three Lions fans have now turned their attention to who they’ll face in the round of 16, which gets underway on Saturday evening.
And they’ll face either the Netherlands – or a side from Group E, most likely Slovakia.
England could also end up facing the third-placed team from Group E, in which all four teams – Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine – are currently level on three points.
Once the final group stage matches are played on Wednesday night, England’s opponent will be officially confirmed.
Victory for England in the last 16 will set up a quarter-final tie against either Switzerland or Italy.
England will then face either Austria, Hungary, Romania or Turkey in the semi-finals, which will take place on Tuesday, July 9 or Wednesday, July 10.
Thirsty supporters were thrilled to learn Germany had rushed in extra beer for them after Scotland drank the city dry.
An estimated 16million people tuned in to ITV to show their support from their living rooms on Tuesday night.
A staggering 12million pints were also sunk in England‘s pubs as temperatures soared to a glorious 28C in the midweek clash.
Bosses were already warned to brace for a wave of workers calling in sick after the game.
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Loyal supporters continued to cheer on the Three Lions as they went closePA
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Story Picture AgencyEngland vs Slovenia match report
By Dave Kidd, Chief Sports Writer
England struggled to defeat a team ranked 57th in the world on a frustrating night.
We thought it couldn’t get much worse than the 1-1 draw with Denmark last Thursday but this was another performance to have you tearing you hair out and swearing at the telly.
How can a side which possesses Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden be as bad as this?
Slovenia are not very good and were never going to outplay England as the Danes had done.
But despite dominating possession, England barely ever looked like scoring.
Bellingham was anonymous for a second successive game, Foden flattered to deceive and Kane again lacked peak sharpness.
Aside from a barnstorming individual display from Declan Rice, there was nothing to get excited about.
Nothing to whet the appetite for the knock-out stages, nothing to instil confidence that they can progress much further.
England have won just two of their last games and are in a right old two and eight.
As expected, Southgate gave up on Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield as a bad job, bringing in Conor Gallagher in a move which hardly got the nation’s pulses throbbing.
And Gallagher was duly dragged off at half-time after a shocking display.
Rice’s bold pre-match talk of England pressing hard and fast and ‘in your faces’ probably hadn’t accounted for such stifling hot weather even with a 9pm local kick-off time.
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