To say the English fans were left fuming in their seats earlier tonight would be an understatement. The Three Lions had a horrendous night in their final group stage game, with the team playing a goalless draw against Slovenia. This was a very subpar result for Gareth Southgate‘s men, who, despite topping the table, will be disappointed with their performance.

England picked just one win in their three group games, which is considerably low for a team considered favorites for the title. Fans lost their calm at Gareth Southgate following the contest, with a section of angry supporters tossing beer cups at the manager. The response to the team’s performance was no different, with fans booing England out of the pitch.

The boos did not stop as fans urged the English Association to be done with the manager. While Gareth Southgate won’t lose his chair midway through the tournament, anything less than England lifting the title could see the manager lose his job.

Frustrations have been boiling at the English camp following the team’s consistent poor performances. Manager Gareth Southgate has taken the brunt of the blame, with fans and experts questioning his ability to lead the team. However, it seems like the manager isn’t taking the criticism too kindly!

Gareth Southgate responds to criticism following Slovenia draw

The English head coach commented on the criticism against him and his team following the draw against Slovenia. The manager added he can understand where the fans are coming from considering the team is not producing results. Southgate stated, “I’m not going to back away from it. The most important thing is the supporters stay with the team. I understand the narrative towards me and that’s better for the team than it being towards them.”

However, the English manager added that this kind of criticism makes it hard to work. Gareth Southgate also claimed his team has been under pressure, with no teams that had qualified so far going through the same treatment.

The manager added, “But it is creating an unusual environment to operate in. I’ve not seen any other team qualify and receive similar. I understand it, I’m not going to back away from it, but I’m very proud of the players for how they’re operating within it.”

This seems like a very poor attempt from the English manager to hide his team’s shoddy run. Considering how the team has done so far, it would be nice if the manager claimed he agreed with the comments and would do his best to ensure England plays like what fans expect during the knockouts.