Throughout last night’s drab 0-0 draw, England’s fans gave the stand-out performance, urging on their team to play to expectations and win. After a couple of hours of trying , there were boos at the end when their team looked for applause. England’s manager complained of an “unusual atmosphere”.
The England players, especially captain Harry Kane , have complained that they are not getting the adulation they deserve and other sides get. The commentators, who are trying to voice the fan’s frustration, point to a lack of intent, of goals and of entertainment.
In three matches against lower ranked opponents England scored two goals and conceded one. They won the group but it was the lowest scoring and least entertaining group at Euro 24.
England brought expectations to the tournament and the team leaders are falling back on comparisons with previous tournaments to justify a slow start. This might be ok if the past included success but it doesn’t. It is 58 years since England won a major tournament and most England fans look back on the past as a series of disappointments.
What is more, they look at their team and see teams like Portugal, Spain , Germany and Austria play the kind of attractive football they are used to watching at home and wonder. Are we aspiring to the failures of the past or looking to win something in the (near) future?
The word that trended on social media last night was #boring – and this from a team that had absolutely no pressure on them, having already qualified. While their rivals scythed towards goal with quick passes and laser-intense runs, our players lumbered along with slow lackadaisical passing intent on sitting high on the optima pass completion tables.
In his news conference later, Southgate said:
“We have made England over the last three or four years fun again. I think it has been enjoyable for the players and we have got to be very, very careful that it stays that way.”
When Gareth Southgate tried to connect with the fans after the game he had plastic glasses thrown at him. He said he would rather have them thrown at him than his team but the team know that they had let the travelling fans down.
The players need to come onto the pitch and show they are enjoying themselves, what we saw last night was bitching from centre forward to goal-keeper. This does not look like a team having fun.
I wondered back from an ukulele class through the streets of Windsor and could hear from front rooms the groans of those at home. There are few flags flying for England right now, not just an indication of the cost of living, also a reluctance to get behind a side that is sitting back rather than pressing for goals. The mood at home is bitter that yet again , Britain is setting about getting far enough in the tournament not to be criticised. This is the culture of the past 58 years but it is (thankfully) not the expectation of the nation.
If we go down with all guns blazing, this team will be forgiven, but if we go out on penalties after another lame , goal-free display, then people will start asking questions. My question this morning. Who is fighting the most boring campaign
- Conservatives
- Labour
- England ?
We hear today that support for the historic big two parties is dwindling
Being boring is not winning, it feels like we’re “losing” a worse way.