England may have taken four points from their opening two fixture at Euro 2024, but it's fair to say that there is quite a bit of panic in that country on the back of their performances so far.
They stuttered over the line against Serbia, getting a 1-0 victory despite playing quite poorly. It was hoped that they would kick on in their game against Denmark last night, perhaps putting down a marker in the manner that the likes of Germany and Spain have already done.
Things certainly didn't work out that way.
England were incredibly poor against the Danes, being largely dominated by their opponents despite taking an early lead in the game. They offered nothing in terms of attacking output, also looking completely out of sorts in the middle third and vulnerable at the back.
It was not the performance of a side who have genuine ambitions of winning this tournament.
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Richard Keys an unlikely level head after England draw with Denmark
Some England players are already being scapegoated after this latest poor performance, while Gareth Southgate's bizarre comments about the absence of Kalvin Phillips have also done very little to take pressure off either him or the team.
Indeed, the tactical setup used by England in this tournament has baffled quite a few pundits and supporters. Considering the wealth of talent at his disposal, that has to come down to the manager. Quite a few prominent English football figures continue to back their head coach, but others are less certain.
In fact, it's quite a bad look when Richard Keys is becoming the voice of reason. Keys has never been known for his measured (or even accurate) takes on the world of football, although he seems to view Southgate through a lens that other Englishmen do not.
Speaking on beIN SPORTS, he was quick to question Joe Cole's claims that this England side have 'achieved' quite a bit under his management.
"What have they achieved?!"
Joe Cole talks up the qualities of the Three Lions... @richardajkeys is not so sure!#Euro2024 | #beINEURO | #HomeofEuro pic.twitter.com/XPPh8i3c6r— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) June 20, 2024
England reached a World Cup semi-final in 2018 under Southgate, as well as the final of Euro 2020. However, it is worth pointing out that they had exceedingly kind draws in both of those tournaments and often flattered to deceive in each campaign.
Their record against other top ranked teams is incredibly poor. Apart from beating a faltering Germany side at Euro 2020, they have consistently come up short when facing strong opposition such as Belgium, Croatia, Italy, and France at major tournaments.
Keys would raise this point on the broadcast, also suggesting that the way in which England's most talented players were all being used in unfamiliar roles and struggling to perform had to have something to do with the manager.
"Declan is the most important player for the pitch for England!"
Joe Cole is convinced that Declan Rice has to sit and defend for England.
The rest of our panel thinks this England side is experimental! #Euro2024 | #beINEURO | #HomeofEuro pic.twitter.com/pRIAJX6oPK— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) June 20, 2024
You've got Foden doing things that are unnatural, Trippier doing things that are unnatural, Rice doing things that he doesn't necessarily like to do, Alexander-Arnold. That's half the team.
How after all this time can he be here experimenting?..
Let's be honest, they look great against ordinary teams. When questions are asked, they're not as good.
[Southgate] has had 24 games in the top ten (of the world rankings) and he has won seven.
That last statistic is all you need to give you a fair idea of England's standing among the other top nations in world football at the moment.
They may well turn things around and make a deep run at Euro 2024, but the signs have not been there in this or other tournaments to suggest that this will be the case.
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