GARY LINEKER has made a cheeky joke about the furore surrounding his criticism of England.
The BBC commentator called the Three Lions’ performance against Denmark “shit”, which saw Harry Kane react at a press conference.
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And Lineker made reference to the exchange that made headlines at half-time of Italy’s clash with Croatia.
During a preview segment for England’s final Euro 2024 group stage game against Slovenia tomorrow, Lineker said: “If Albania don’t win tonight, England will officially be through to the last 16.
“Because even if they lose tomorrow, they will continue as one of the best third-placed teams.
“I wish people would stop being so critical of them.”
Previously, Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate insisted he paid no attention to Lineker’s comments.
“I didn’t hear what he said. I heard a word.
“This is the world we live in. I’m oblivious to it, it’s not important to me at all.
“What is important for me is to guide this group of players with confidence through the terrain of the tournament.
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“We are a top-notch team and we have expectations and fully understand that everything we do will be scrutinized.
“I’m very comfortable living this life. I don’t need to get involved with external things because I’m my biggest critic and I think our players are too.
‘We are struggling with and without the ball’, admits Harry Kane
HARRY KANE admits England “weren’t good enough” at the Euros.
Here’s what captain Kane said after the disappointing 1-1 draw with Denmark:
“We are fighting with and without the ball.
“The pressure in both games was not very good. We weren’t good enough, from top to bottom, from me to Picks (Jordan Pickford).
“Everyone is falling a little below their level, in terms of ball retention, playing under pressure.
“We know there will be a bit of noise and disappointment at home.
“But it’s time to stay calm and we will get there step by step.
“It wasn’t our best game, but we came out with a draw.
“We are starting the games well. But when teams are dropping some players, we’re not sure how to push and who should go.”
“In the second half we changed everything with me and Jude (Bellingham) playing in front of their two midfielders. But it was difficult.”
“There is nothing to be gained by listening to external criticism. We know what we did well and we are very honest about it.
“We know where we need to improve and we are brutally honest about it.
“That’s how you coach a team and improve performance.”
Experts and legends arrived in England
ENGLAND’S lifeless display in their 1-1 draw with Denmark left pundits and legends alike queuing up to criticize Gareth Southgate’s side.
Here’s the best of what was said…
ALAN SEARER
“Terrible performance, especially after moving up in the game.
“I don’t think a single English player can look at themselves and say, ‘I did my job tonight’.
“England were all over the place, sloppy in possession, losing the ball too much and getting caught too many times.
“There was no energy, no pace, no guile – Southgate is simply not getting the best out of England’s best players.
“It is worrying and Gareth will be asked some serious questions.
“You saw England players lying on their backs – they looked absolutely devastated, but there’s no excuse for that.”
GARY LINEKER
The BBC presenter called the performance “lifeless and tepid”.
Of Harry Kane he said: “He needs his manager to ask more of him. I would have expected that if I had given that kind of performance.”
RIVER FERDINANDO
“The players don’t look the same as their clubs. It’s a big concern.”
ROY KEANE
“Courage and bravery, we’re not really seeing that.
“There is something wrong with the balance. Bellingham is waving his arms.
“This is a big test for Gareth. It seems like he’s overthinking things.”
JAMIE CARRAGHER
“My big concern watching this and the rest of the tournament?
“England look absolutely exhausted. They can’t get close to the ball.
“The surest sign of fatigue is falling deeply.
“Declan Rice is having to cover a lot of ground. No one can convince me that this is a strategy.”
JACK WILSHERE
“It’s strange that we’ve taken the lead in both games so far, but instead of that calming us down and giving us the confidence to play, we haven’t been able to take control.
“But the most worrying thing was that Denmark had a clear way of playing, while we didn’t.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
