England have played out a drab 1-1 draw with Denmark in their Euro 2024 group game, with some already growing frustrated with the English performances at the tournament in Germany.
Gareth Southgate's team would take an early lead in the game, with Harry Kane finishing from close range to take advantage of some poor Denmark defending.
🇩🇰 0-1 🏴
18' Kane takes full advantage after Walker catches Danish defender Kristiansen napping. An early lead for England
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However, as was the case in the game against Serbia, the goal seemed to result in them retreating into their shell.
Denmark would quickly become the dominant team in the game, going on to get a deserved equaliser just after the half hour mark.
🇩🇰 1-1 🏴
34' Hjulmand bags a deserved equaliser for Denmark wiuth a cracking low strike from distance
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📱 Updates https://t.co/URtaix4FK0#Euro2024 #DENENG pic.twitter.com/gHI6h70b76— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 20, 2024
It was much of the same in the second half.
England struggled to create anything in attack, with Gareth Southgate going down the extreme route of taking off the front three of Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, and Phil Foden just before the 70-minute mark.
Those changes would do little to change the flow of the game, which ultimately petered out towards a 1-1 draw.
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Rio Ferdinand very frustrated after England draw with Denmark
This is the second successive underwhelming performance from England, who also stuttered to a 1-o win over a poor Serbia side during their Euro 2024 opener. Their showing in this game was even worse, with Denmark having been the better side for the majority of the contest.
Gareth Southgate's tactics were under the microscope before this tournament even began, with the scrutiny only likely to intensify over the coming days. He is certainly not getting the most out of the talented squad at his disposal.
Some prominent voices in English football have already grown tired with the team's approach in Germany.
Speaking on the BBC after the game, Rio Ferdinand struggled to mask the frustration he felt with England and their setup during the draw with Denmark.
Lacklustre, lacked any sort of direction in my eyes, tactically well below par.
We were overshadowed tactically I thought by a Denmark team. You have to give them that respect, they were well drilled and tactically superior, they pressed us better and forced England to look very average.
We highlighted before the game about sitting back. Our best players and most decisive players are at the top of the pitch and we choose to set up like that?
We've got too good of players to set ourselves up tactically to sit back and wait and hope to get through the game. We need to get to the bottom of whether they're being told to do this or if the players are being forced to do this by the opposition.
At the moment, it doesn't look good for them as individuals, but more importantly as a team...
It just concerns me when you see the standard of players we have out there...
The players don't the same players we see for their clubs. It happened in my generation, so I understand exactly what it is.
John Stones is there, he's an absolutely perfect centre back coming out with the ball. He looks far from it there. He comes into the midfield when he has the freedom to do it in the team structure. I don't think the team balance is allowing the players to perform at their best.
Foden isn't playing in his best position and isn't performing at his best. Jude Bellingham would maybe be better off as an 'eight', all the best things he done was from the 'eight' position.
The balance of the team is a big concern.
England remain top of their Euro 2024 group, with a game against Slovenia still to come. While they should comfortably make the knockout stages, their performances so far are not fitting of a team that the English media had deemed as favourites to win the tournament.
If they fall flat over the coming weeks, it is likely that Gareth Southgate will take the blame.
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