England in Turmoil: Chaotic Times Unfolding

England, oh what a mess!

Is it exciting or disheartening? The English football team's morale is divided, not just at this EURO. But during their second appearance in this tournament, the "Three Lions" faced their first significant setbacks.

This EURO has been a grand celebration so far. The Scots assist an elderly woman in the rain and cheer Germany's beer reserves emptying, in Dortmund the first pubs ring the alarm. In the same city, the Turks and Georgians captivate the continent with a surprising exchange that's difficult to top. The German team is rising as a title contender, with coach icon Ewald Lienen already aiming to lead a parade. Austria is clinging to the French and has to eventually give in to the colossal quality of the "Equipe Tricolore". The Spaniards are enchanting, the Albanians are battling their way into our hearts. Ah, everything is wonderful.

But not with the English. They had to go to the "Shithole" of Gelsenkirchen for their first match and couldn't escape quickly enough. At least one of them didn't. All the others with considerable delay and a bad mood. And they came in a bad mood to begin with. The last test before the EURO against Iceland was a "Horrorshow of Wembley". But can it really be that way, this team is the top favorite for the title. Where one must replace "is" with "was" after the 2nd match day. With a performance that can be quite aptly described as "shoddy", the "Three Lions" salvaged a precarious draw (1:1) against Denmark in Frankfurt. Kyle Walker, Manchester City's most decorated player, finds nothing wrong with the previous events at Eintracht's impressive stadium: top spot in the group defended. Deserved point obtained. That's how he sees it.

This generous opinion was shared quite exclusively by the swift right defender. Shortly after the final whistle, the first thunderous headline criticisms landed on the Lion's head from England: "What a disastrous performance", the "Daily Mirror" derided. Nothing, really nothing about this game provided arguments that on July 14th the great title longing after 58 years would be fulfilled. Not even their own goal, scored by Harry Kane after 18 minutes. On the left defensive side, the Dane Victor Kristiansen falls into a momentary slumber, Walker sprints in between, his deflected cross lands at Kane. And he makes things then simply happen - 1:0. The game had just become a little more exciting.

But again, the English quickly returned to a state of relaxation and struggled to escape it. Bukayo Saka headed the ball a few minutes after the interval towards the outside net, Phil Foden hit the ball a little later after a beautiful, swift movement against the post. But otherwise? Football that wasn't really present. A failure to perform, bordering on arrogance collapse. In some situations clearly beyond that. As if the opponent, who was defeated in the last EURO semi-final after a questionable goal from Kane in the 104th minute, was not taken seriously.

In the 66th minute, the most unsettling scene for "Three Lions" fans occurred when Declan Rice was played in by Kieran Trippier at their own penalty area. The Danes closed in and the £120 million pound six-player of the Lions played the ball casually into the goal. Rice and his teammates were left in shock. What was happening? Intimidated like a kitten stepped on, Gareth Southgate's team reacted, and it wouldn't settle down for them.

Southgate rarely lets his team off the hook. The big offensive stars, Kane, Foden, and Saka, rarely get a chance to shine. They can make football look so crazy fast and simple, like another sport, even compared to some other European top leagues. And even Jude Bellingham, the best man for Borussia Dortmund that night, barely got anything going on this Thursday evening. The World Star from Real Madrid kept signaling frantically to the referee when he didn't blow the whistle, when his teammates once again had no idea how to shape the game.

Sleepy Kristiansen delivers a pass

During an attack, Kane lost the ball. The Danes countered immediately. Sleepy Kristiansen played a simple pass to Morten Hjulmand, who lasered the ball deftly into the corner (34.). Jordan Pickford was powerless. The English team lost their way until the half-time break. They didn't win a single challenge. They fell, they grumbled, they argued. They weren't playing football, they were just arguing amongst themselves. From the sidelines, where support often comes from, there were loud boos. They were restless, like an audience waiting for a concert to start.

Southgate took it all in stride. He let things unfold, even though they weren't going in a good direction. He made no corrections at the break. After about ten minutes, Conor Callagher, a man for the central midfield, came on. A controller, not one for the wild call to action. He didn't last. With the stubbornness of the German Chancellor, Southgate had weathered all debates about a changed starting lineup and a less defensive approach for this offensive powerhouse. Why Cole Palmer, the shooting star of Chelsea, didn't get a chance remains a mystery. The English team stopped chasing the win. Instead, the Danes pressed and had a shot from Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg that brought them luck (85%).

In a German television interview, Walker defied the common belief that Southgate restrains his players, noting that Southgate actually encourages forward movement. However, the discussion was cut short, leaving uncertainty about how this aggressive approach in attack might manifest. Given Southgate's preference for a controlled style, it's unlikely to be reckless. Southgate, who still bears the memory of England's failed penalty shoot-out against Germany in the Euro 1996 semifinals, is a proponent of the defensive zero formation. Under his leadership, England has managed to score zero goals in 21 tournament matches. The general wisdom suggests that this defensive strategy is the key to winning the title, and Southgate is confident that it will come.

Captain Kane spoke about the potential backlash and disappointment at home following a draw against Scotland in their last Euro event. He assured, "We'll make it. We're currently in the lead, and there's still room for improvement." If they fail to improve, they could face a potential eights finals against Germany, which could potentially be a tough match.