Criticism erupts as England plays "most disastrous" match
With the DFB team battling in the EURO, England faces its own turmoil: Harry Kane and co. are bracing for the "rage of Wembley" following their humiliating defeat against the "feared opponent" Iceland before the tournament. The press is furious. The weight of the nation's expectations now lies on the shoulders of an ex-BVB star.
Fans of the Three Lions hastily exited the stadium, thousands of Englishmen had left the sanctuary of football in dismay - and yet Kane and his teammates faced the full wrath of "Wembley's anger" with unrelenting force. Boos reverberated through the vast space, barely audible after hope for the nation had clearly disappeared. Just before the start of the tournament, the country was in upheaval.
The team of national coach Gareth Southgate dashed all title dreams "into the absurd" with their defeat against the "feared opponent" Iceland (0:1), according to the tabloid "The Sun." After the disappointing last-minute rehearsal, the team, which is supposed to compete once more to fulfill England's longing for a victory since 1966, was met with the "spirit of 2016" at the tournament in Germany.
Referring to the shocking elimination in the quarter-finals against Iceland eight years ago, the paper titled the article "Return of the Ice Age," the return of the Ice Age. The performance of the "frustrated" Three Lions almost touched "self-sabotage akin to years past," wrote the "Telegraph." The "Daily Mirror" labeled the team around captain Kane, who missed the best chance by shooting a ball over the goal from close range, "Gareth's Boo Boys," after the "rage of Wembley" (BBC) became apparent.
Southgate admitted that the team "showed no character" and expressed empathy for the boos. "But I have to stay calm, because I know what we have to do next week," said the 53-year-old, who must also explain his decision not to include more experienced players like Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish.
Southgate can wear as many cream-colored suits as he wants to seem approachable, but he was ruthless in preparing for this tournament, wrote the "Sun." With the exclusion of Jude Bellingham, who was not present after his triumph with Real Madrid in the Champions League final against Iceland, the EURO runner-up of 2021 seemed "alarmingly short on energy and resistance" in the eyes of the "Guardian."
Can England still rally for the matches against Slovenia, Denmark, and Serbia in Group C? The island hopes that the painful defeat was a "powerful wake-up call" for the team, as mentioned in the "Sun." So or so, the "Daily Mirror" remarked about the embarrassed English stars leaving a near-empty Wembley Stadium, "the most terrifying farewell imaginable."
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Despite the criticism, Kane and England aim to regroup before facing Slovenia, Denmark, and Serbia in Group C at the European Football Championship 2024. In light of their disastrous performance against Iceland, FC Bayern Munich's former star is determined to turn the tide and restore England's pride in European football.
