USA, Scotland and now Denmark, guess what they all have in common? They have been England’s second opponents of group games in International tournaments, and they have performed very poorly in all of those games. This is also turning into something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. But in England’s defense and their manager Gareth Southgate’s, he has been getting The Three Lions into the deeper stage of tournaments. Euro 2021, they got to the final; in 2022, they put up a spirited performance in the quarter-final in a loss to beaten finalists France, so it’s not all doom and gloom, right?
Well, in the world of being an England fan, they’re favorites to win the Copa America one week and then the favorites to get dumped out of the AFCON the next; I said what I said. With those last two statements, I am tongue in cheek because the England fan base can be quite toxic sometimes. Against Denmark, however, this wasn’t those times; the Three Lions were tamed to kittens and had no roar. They were supposed to sound like Mufasa from The Lion King but instead passed off as a younger Simba.
Seen as favorites for the tournament due to their attacking prowess in their squad, England couldn’t put three passes together. Southgate’s men look tired and devoid of ideas. When the full title whistle blew, the players were on their haunches as if they’d been knocked out of the tournament. As poor as they were the world number four ranked England are at the top of their group and have four points from two games. In reality, they’re all but through, but they could have done with the win to have just sealed the deal.
Spain and Germany are safely through, and if they want to, they can play a second-string side almost to help protect the regular first-team players. Gareth Southgate’s England will have to make changes as they have been so poor they can not do so. But there’s nothing to worry about; this is what England did in Gareth’s tenure: they raised the heart rate of us supporters. What fun would it be if England went through a group with nine points from nine? We only save the 100% record in qualifying, you know, when it matters.
Tournament rules (unwritten ones) dictate that a team shouldn’t peak too soon. Yes, it’s a thing; Brazil in the World Cup of 82, Holland in Euro 2008, and Argentina in World Cup 2010 are just some examples of teams who peak too early. Italy in Euro 2021 were an exception to the rule, but the general rule is, that you grow into a tournament. Of course, England haven’t won a tournament yet, but this team is getting mature and closer; it’s a patience thing. This time, in a few weeks, The Three Lions will bring it home! There’s nothing wrong with a little English optimism, hey?
