England fans prepare to gather knock out Euros game against Slovakia (2024)

Everyone seems to have a view on where Gareth Southgate and his young stars are going wrong at the Euros.

From highly paid pundits such as Gary Lineker, who used an expletive to sum up one performance, to negative armchair experts and innumerable pub bores.

But despite the lacklustre start, an ­inescapable thought is spreading across the country ahead of England's last-16 showdown with Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen.

It is that maybe things aren't so bad, and, whisper it softly, we should look on the bright side. We're still in this, after all. And the sun is shining.

This afternoon, with temperatures nudging 24C (75F), millions will gather in pubs and gardens and fan zones and living rooms; barbecues will fire up and, right across the land, drink and song will flow freely in an ­atmosphere crackling with heady anticipation.

Some 19 million viewers – the highest TV ratings of the year – are expected to tune in to the match on ITV.

It clashes with country star Shania Twain's appearance at Glastonbury, which is being screened by the BBC.

Meanwhile, it is estimated an extra six million pints of beer will be drunk today – some 32 million in all.

Heaven knows our election-weary nation could do with letting its hair down.

Come the hour – 5pm – eyes will strain towards screens. Do or die time. Soulless, goalless draws don't cut it at the ­knockout stage.

England must win, and win well to smite the naysayers.

Yesterday, Southgate called on supporters to ensure his players feel the love.

'It's a young team. It's a team that can be influenced by the fans in a really positive way so they need that love, they need that support,' he said.

'And it can only help them give more and more, so that's my ­reason for being here – to lead the team and try to give my country the best chance of winning.'

By Gareth's thoughtful, always measured standards, this was a major rallying cry.

Fans will be hoping for a bit of magic in return. Oh, for a brace of goals from Harry Kane, for Phil Foden's bewitching artistry, for the sublime, unbridled brilliance of 21-year-old Jude Bellingham.

Optimism invariably conquers logic when England play in major tournaments, only to disappear under the crushing weight of expectation.

Yet few doubt that this squad, blessed with rare talent, has the potential to become champions – if only they might come alive. Not all the criticism has been justified.

England topped their group, after all. Certainly, Southgate did not deserve to be pilloried after the goalless draw with Slovenia.

No, now is not the time to forsake England. History shows that ­successful teams often begin slowly.

And as former Tottenham manager David Pleat said ­yesterday: 'Knockout football will ­produce a different mindset and I have no doubt our talented players will show their true worth.'

Southgate hopes so, too. He revealed yesterday that he will keep faith with his quartet of attackers – Bellingham, Foden, Kane and Bukayo Saka – and is imploring them to show no mercy.

He said: 'It is about just having that discipline in your positions, being in the areas where we . . . can hurt them, and then really about being ruthless.'

Victory tonight would see ­England progress to a quarter-final against Switzerland at 5pm on ­Saturday.

Meanwhile, if negativity had infected England's 40,000 army of travelling fans last week, it now seems to have abated.

Those arriving in Gelsenkirchen, a former mining town in North Rhine-Westphalia, yesterday seemed cautiously upbeat about England's prospects.

When England played Serbia here at the start of the tournament, those Three Lions supporters without tickets were banished to a wet and muddy fan zone miles outside the city. Given past form, who could really blame the Germans?

And it didn't help that fans made disparaging comments about Gelsenkirchen on social media, while a small number sang Ten German Bombers, the unsavoury chant celebrating the RAF's success in shooting down Luftwaffe planes during the Second World War. The vast majority were well behaved, though.

Yesterday, they were ­welcomed back with, well, if not open arms, then a quiet civility. A fan zone in the city centre has opened with live music and, to widespread delight, normal-strength beer.

Local police and officials from European football's governing body had originally decided to impose the restriction that applied for the Serbia game when only weak beer with a 2.8 per cent alcohol volume was allowed on sale.

But the authorities relented after protests.

Late on Friday night, we found an advance party of England fans quietly sipping beers outside a cafe in the city centre. The mood was optimistic.

Ben Powley, 22, from Manchester, said: 'I reckon we're going to win.

'It will probably be a bit of a fight, because clearly they've not done so well so far but that's OK, because I think this is whatwill then drive them ­forward now.

'The pressure is now on, because they have to show what they've got.

'But I think this is what's then going to make the match so good, and England are going to win 2 -0.'

Nearby, Russ Barker, 57, from Stoke-on-Trent, was bemoaning the pessimism and urging fans to 'come together'.

He said: 'There's been just too much negativity about the ­England team, and I think this needs to stop right now.

'People need to rally around the players. People should stick by the ­manager. We are still in the game and of course we can still do it – not just this match, but all of them.'

Elsewhere yesterday, English fans mixed freely with their German hosts, and this time nobody mentioned the war.

In fact, two of them were with a German they first met the last time the tournament was held in the country – 36 years ago.

Rob Leslie, 58, and his pal Nigel Degnan, 61, both from Oldham, were passing through Cologne after watching England play ­the Republic of Ireland in Stuttgart in June 1988, when they met Carsten Giessmann while their train was waiting at a platform.

Mr Leslie said: 'We got talking and kept in touch from there. We've got together at each ­tournament ever since.'

The two friends are hoping to be in Germany for some time yet. Maybe all the way.

'It's a thought at the forefront of Gareth ­Southgate's mind too.

Asked if he has thought about tonight's clash potentially being his last as England head coach, he said: 'No, I'm enjoying being here.

'I want to be here for another fortnight. I've got nothing to rush back for.'

Additional reporting: Andy Dolan and Rob Hyde in Germany