Gareth Southgate booed by fuming England followers throughout Slovakia match announcement
Gareth Southgate was met with boos from England fans as his name was announced over the stadium PA system prior to their last-16 match against Slovakia.
Southgate has been under scrutiny from both fans and critics for a string of disappointing performances at Euro 2024 in Germany. Despite England leading their group and advancing to the knockout stages, accusations of uninspired and sluggish play have left some supporters doubting their head coach ahead of Sunday’s game.
At the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday (June 30), a handful of England fans reportedly booed when Southgate’s name was announced by the stadium speaker, reports the Mirror.
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This will be a painfully familiar experience for Southgate, who was also booed by dissatisfied fans as he approached the travelling supporters after England’s dull 0-0 draw with Slovenia in their final group stage match.
A section of the crowd even hurled beer cups towards Southgate, who responded by defiantly applauding the fans. For Sunday’s knockout match, Southgate made one alteration to the starting XI that faced Slovenia, with young Kobbie Mainoo stepping in for Conor Gallagher in midfield.
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(Image: Getty Images)
Mainoo was a rare spark in an otherwise lacklustre performance against Slovenia, which saw the Three Lions desperately seeking some cutting edge and creativity.
Mainoo’s introduction to the midfield is the third change in the centre of the park for England in Germany so far. Gallagher stepped in for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the previous match after the Liverpool ace was relieved from his experimental role following unconvincing performances.
Southgate’s strategy has been consistently scrutinised since the tournament kicked off, with critics accusing the manager of stifling the creativity of a team brimming with top-tier talent. During the half-time break against Slovenia, Gary Neville lamented how “basic” the team appeared, adding that the nature of the performances made him “sad” considering the squad’s quality.
(Image: Getty Images)
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Ahead of the tournament, Southgate confessed that his future as England boss depended on his success on the grand stage. He guided England to the Euro 2020 final, where they were defeated by Italy in a thrilling penalty shoot-out.
Now in his eighth year and fourth major tournament in charge, Southgate told German outlet Bild that: “if we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore”, piling even more pressure on the already beleaguered coach to deliver.
