England must cope with the pressure of being heralded as one of the favourites for Euro 2024 as Gareth Southgate aims to finally steer a richly-talented generation to glory in the European Championships that they hope to dominate this summer.
Gareth Southgate, the manager of the England national football team, supervised a training session, with a sharp focus on gearing up for the formidable task ahead. “We have to be exceptional,” Southgate declared, emphasizing the high standards required to put an end to the 58-year-long major tournament title drought. England will commence their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday, with an intense spotlight on them from fans and critics alike.
Excitement mixed with trepidation has swept through the tens of thousands of England supporters who have landed in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany. Despite a disheartening 1-0 defeat by Iceland in their final warm-up match, the fans eagerly anticipate a spirited performance from their team. Memories of the narrow miss in Euro 2020, where England lost the final to Italy on home ground at Wembley, linger vividly. The team has shown promise by reaching the latter stages in the last two World Cups, yet Southgate acknowledges that this tournament represents a critical juncture and potentially his final shot at securing major tournament success.
“We have a bunch of good teams in this tournament. Our mission is to progress through the group and then aim higher,” Southgate said at his pre-match press conference. He outlined a tiered strategy, focusing first on advancing from the group. “Achieving exceptional things requires breaking the goal into manageable chunks. Our primary focus is to get through the group stage and build from there,” he elaborated.
Harry Kane, England’s goal machine, steps into Euro 2024 with a burning desire to clinch his first major trophy. Despite his prolific scoring record for both club and country, Kane’s trophy cabinet remains void of major accolades. “Winning a trophy for your country is what every player dreams of. The fact that it hasn’t happened yet only fuels my determination and hunger to achieve that goal, beginning this summer,” Kane shared. Fresh from an outstanding season at Bayern Munich, where he netted 44 goals, Kane is keenly looking forward to making an indelible mark in the tournament.
In Group C, England’s path to the knockouts appears favorable, with Denmark and Slovenia posing as their group-stage adversaries. Earlier on Sunday, Denmark will clash with Slovenia in Stuttgart, setting the stage for England’s opener against Serbia.
. Southgate’s confidence stems from Serbia’s lukewarm performance in the qualifiers, where the team managed only four wins out of eight matches, suffering defeats to Hungary and being held to draws by Bulgaria.
Even though Serbia’s form seems lackluster, they boast a formidable striker in Aleksandar Mitrovic. Premier League fans will recall Mitrovic’s impactful years with Newcastle United and Fulham. Now playing for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, Mitrovic has carried his remarkable run of form, scoring 40 goals in 43 matches. “Mitrovic is a top-notch goalscorer, and we need to be prepared to handle not just him but several exceptional Serbian players,” Southgate acknowledged.
Serbia’s coach, Dragan Stojkovic, openly recognizes the formidable challenge his team faces but maintains that England must live up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites on the pitch. “To be crowned champions of Europe, England must prove their mettle on the field. Forecasts and predictions are futile; it is performance during the game that counts,” Stojkovic remarked.
Adding a layer of concern, the German police have flagged the match as a “high risk” encounter, signaling a stern test for security personnel. Memories of violent fan confrontations from England’s opening match against Russia in Euro 2016 and the chaotic scenes during the Euro 2020 final linger, raising concerns. The authorities have thus restricted the availability of full-strength beer at the Arena AufSchalke, aiming to mitigate any potential disturbances.
Both Southgate and Stojkovic urged their supporters to embrace the spirit of the occasion. “Football is a celebration for fans, a carnival of sport, and we hope everyone will savour the experience peacefully,” said Southgate. Stojkovic echoed similar sentiments, expressing hope that fans would enjoy the atmosphere and game in good spirits.
In other fixtures, Sunday’s opening game will feature the Netherlands facing Poland in Hamburg within Group D. Meanwhile, on Saturday, defending champions Italy commenced their title defense with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Albania in Dortmund, overcoming an early setback from the fastest goal in the tournament’s history. Spain triumphed with a comfortable 3-0 win against Croatia in Berlin as part of Group B, and Switzerland sealed a 3-1 win over Hungary in Cologne’s Group A match.
With agency inputs amplifying the narrative, the anticipation for England’s opening Euro 2024 match is building to a fever pitch. The high expectations surrounding Southgate and his squad come with the hope that this generation can finally deliver the glory years the fans have long awaited.
