Gareth Southgate makes Serbia admission as undercooked England look to Denmark

Gareth Southgate admits England will have to play their way into form to win the Euros.

England made a winning start to their campaign against Serbia but may have to play better to beat Denmark in their next Group match in Frankfurt on Thursday. They were the pre-tournament favourites because of the quality in the squad with the likes of Jude Bellingham. Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

But Southgate would be the first to admit that England are a long way from being at their best after a less-than-ideal build-up to the Euros. England managed just one win in their five games before the tournament and the immediate preparation was hit by injuries to big players from the camp.

Bellingham was given extra time off after winning the Champions League while the Manchester United and City players were allowed to report up later after the FA Cup final. The likes of Kane and Saka came into camp nursing knocks while Anthony Gordon was a doubt.

It meant Southgate did not have the chance to try out his preferred starting XI before the tournament began and, with Trent Alexander-Arnold playing in a different role, there was no chance for him to familiarise himself with teammates.

Therefore, it feels as if England will need time and patience to get into their groove. It is a young squad, 12 players are at their first ever tournament and they do not even have a fully fit natural left back among the 26.

Gareth Southgate, Manager of England

Luke Shaw may not be fit until the knock-out stages after missing the last four months with a hamstring injury. There were good and encouraging individual performances against Serbia, most notably Bellingham. Saka, Rice and Marc Guehi also stood out. As did Kyle Walker.

But injuries, a lack of preparation and also a formation which is still very much a work in progress means that England will have to improve and grow as they hopefully go deeper into the tournament. Southgate admitted that England lost their grip on the game against Serbia and says that must be partly down to the fact that some players have come into the tournament undercooked.

Guehi was outstanding at centre-half which is not bad when you consider he had started just one game for his club, Crystal Palace, since February. England boss Southgate said: “I thought physically we had players that needed the game. We’ve had a lot of players that hadn’t played 90 minutes for a long time.

England player Kieran Trippier injured during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group C match between Serbia and England

“We expended a lot of energy in that first half. I knew that we would dip. And it was a good moment to bring Conor [Gallagher] into the game, who can get up to the ball and provide that bit more defensive solidity at that time.

"There’s obviously a lot of new players, young players, so the team that started was a very experienced team in terms of international and club bar Marc, really, who had a brilliant game. So we’re just going to have to assess as we go from game to game.”

It was also the same for Kieran Trippier, who missed much of the second half of the season and is now gallantly playing out of position at left-back. England’s entire back four is right-footed, they are a very right-footed team and it can mean they look rather unbalanced and, with Foden often starting from the left, he has to come inside to get the ball. It is not ideal.

Harry Maguire isn't headed to Euro 2024

But perhaps it explains why Southgate opted to wait on Shaw rather than Harry Maguire if he decided to allow himself one risky pick.

Maguire, who had not played since April 27, believed he would be fit to make the 26 but, when England stepped up his rehab, they feared it proved he was not guaranteed to be fit for the knockout stages in what must go down as a setback for the England centre half.

Southgate admitted the drop off in energy in the second half was a worry – but not a surprise. The England boss added: “That’s as it’s been. That was Tripps’ first 90 minutes for about three months. We are dealing with the cards we have been handed and trying to find the best way with that so really pleased that given the circumstance, we’ve managed to show the resilience we did in the second half.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.