British Supporter Angry Over 0-0 Result Against Slovenia, Gareth Southgate Throws Plastic Glass

Gareth Southgate, England coach, became the target of anger by British supporters (photo: x @England)

JAKARTA - Gareth Southgate became the target of the anger of British supporters who threw plastic glasses at him after the team's poor performance in the Euro 2024 match against Slovenia which ended in a 0-0 draw, Tuesday, June 25. Even though England managed to top Group C with this result, supporters remained disappointed and cheered their head coach after the final whistle sounded.

Southgate remained calm and accepted the criticism with his head held high. "I understand that. I will not back down," he said. "The most important thing is that we stay with the team. I understand the narrative that is developing against me. It's better for the team than being directed at them, but it creates an unusual environment to work."

Southgate admits that fans have high expectations and the team needs to show an increase in the knockout stages. "We dominated the second half, maintained defense solidity, but failed to score. Of course we wanted to make supporters happy, but we clearly showed improvements compared to the last game," he said.

Team captain Harry Kane added, "Our goal is to top the group from the start of the tournament and control our own destiny. Tonight was a tough game, but we played better than the previous two matches. We played with better energy, but only less final touch."

The England team had to face injury problems. However, Southgate is optimistic about the performance of the young players who are given the opportunity to play, such as Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer who impressed when they entered as substitutes.

Southgate stressed the importance of each player knowing his role, an approach he took from national basketball coach, Gordon Herbert. This strategy has proven to be effective, especially with substitutes who are able to perform extraordinaryly.

Despite having topped the group, Southgate realized that his team needed to improve performance to be able to advance further in this tournament. The round of 16 match will be England's next tough test. The Trhee Lions will meet third from Group D/E/F. If they win, they will likely face strong opponents like Spain if they qualify for the last 8.

"Football doesn't work in an instant way. But I see progress. Goals are coming, we will get there," added Southgate optimistically.

With the high enthusiasm of fans and the strong determination of the team, England hopes to show their best performance in the knockout stages and realize the dream of becoming European champions.