‘We know we should be better’ – Gareth Southgate makes ‘bang average’ England admission amid criticism for Euro 2024 performances

Reflecting on past tournaments, Southgate cited the 1990 World Cup and Euro ’96 as examples where England started poorly but eventually rallied to reach the last four of the respective tournaments. He hopes that the Three Lions will follow a similar trajectory as there is a new-found “belief” and “togetherness” among the players following the Slovakia triumph.

Talking to reporters, Southgate said: “Everybody now, 30 years on, looks back at ’96 in a different way to how it was at the time. We were bang average against Switzerland, we were the same against Scotland. Scotland missed a penalty at 1-0. Spain should have beaten us in a 0-0 draw. In 1990 it was similar so you do go through these moments in tournaments. There’s no question this [win] will give the whole group belief. We know we should be better than we’ve been but we’ve ended up with a lot of young players in important positions and trying to solve problems right the way through the four weeks of the camp.

“But the stand-out is the way the players are dealing with it. Their togetherness, their spirit. You could see the boys that went on but also the boys that came off and the way that they were up and supporting the group. So that is giving us a chance.”

Despite the optimism, Southgate remains cautious about their upcoming match against Switzerland, a team he has long admired. Switzerland, ranked 19th by FIFA, will be the highest-ranked opponent England has faced in the tournament so far and the manager highlighted the Swiss team’s consistency and tactical sophistication.

“I think they’re excellent. I’ve thought that for a few years, really,” said Southgate. “They have had some consistency in what they do for a long time. Their system is difficult to press. They’ve got good rotation.

“Once they’ve been ahead they’ve been really difficult to break down so they are a very good side as they showed against Germany and as they showed against Italy. We’ve seen that for a while, the way they play from the back. They’ve got speed in their forwards, they’ve got good structure once they’re ahead.”

While Southgate hopes the Slovakia win will be a catalyst for a successful tournament run, he knows the quarter-final against Switzerland will be a stern test. He might have to make a few tough selection calls to bring the best out of the squad and it remains to be seen if England can silence their critics with a convincing performance against the Swiss.