Gary Lineker: 'Call it what you want, England were s---'

Gary Lineker criticized England's performance against Denmark as "horrible" and insinuated that Gareth Southgate was not effective in his tactics, in a surprising critique of the manager.

The 1-1 draw on Thursday was disappointing, especially after their lackluster performance in the first European Championship win against Serbia. This has led to a barrage of criticism from former players.

In a recent episode of The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker criticized Southgate's strategies as "hard to understand", stating that Kane's revelation about the team's lack of knowledge on when to press opponents was "very worrying". He also dismissed Southgate's explanation that the team felt the absence of Kalvin Phillips.

We was very impressed that the England manager is a wonderful person," Lineker said about the Denmark defeat. "There are many words you could use to describe it, but it was really bad."

The Match Of The Day host from the BBC said: "Was it a bad plan? It's difficult to criticize Gareth Southgate because, in general, he has improved England's success in many ways during his time in charge."

That being said, he has actually assembled a team of very skilled players. We reached the semi-finals of a World Cup, made it to the final of the European Championship, and reached the quarter-finals of the next World Cup, although we were somewhat unlucky in that tournament.

He is an exceptional leader, an excellent communicator, and has significantly improved the public's perception of the national team and its players. However, strategically, in the first game against Serbia and in previous tournaments, England tends to start off well but then shift focus after scoring a goal. It seems like the tactic is to take the lead and then play defensively, but the game has evolved beyond that approach.

Lineker expressed confusion over why England did not use a "high press" strategy, especially since many of their players' clubs employ this tactic.

"They only spend three minutes playing that part of the game. Aren't they trained to do better?"

He continued by saying that the England team is definitely putting in effort and giving their all, but they seem to be struggling tactically. He believes this issue stems from the manager and that the team needs to play more aggressively and cohesively. As of now, they are not functioning as a cohesive unit.

Suggesting that Jude Bellingham should play in midfield with Declan Rice, he criticized Southgate for saying he couldn't find a replacement for Kalvin Phillips. He mentioned that players like Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo could easily fill that role.

"If you prefer to have two midfielders playing a defensive role, Gareth, that's an option. However, Bellingham has the ability to fulfill that role as well. Managers like Bobby Robson and Terry Venables would have clearly instructed their players on their specific responsibilities for the team."

Soccer players are known for their dedication and hard work. It's important for them to have clear instructions and guidance on their roles and responsibilities. Players crave leadership and direction from their coaches to help them perform at their best.

I have observed this competition over and over again, with a group of very talented players. You must have courage. You cannot play while being concerned about your team's shortcomings. Instead, you need to focus on and emphasize your team's strong points.

Keane: Gareth Should Wear This

If England doesn't win against Slovenia in their last Group C match on Tuesday, they might end up facing Germany in the round of 16.

Even though Lineker acknowledged that the tournament hosts would outperform Southgate's team if they continue playing the way they are, he still believes that they will be able to make a turnaround.

Southgate faced criticism from other ex-players who are now pundits, especially for his unsuccessful attempt to use Trent Alexander-Arnold in a different position on the field.

On ITV, Roy Keane expressed his opinion that the decision to play a full-back in midfield was a risky move, implying that the responsibility falls on Gareth Southgate for making that choice. Keane believes that this tactic may work against weaker teams like the ones England faced, but might not hold up against tougher opponents like France or Spain. He emphasized that England should have had more possession and been more dominant in these matches.

Alan Shearer was very critical on the BBC after providing commentary for the game in Frankfurt on Thursday.

"Gareth Southgate will face tough questioning," he stated. "The current pressing tactics from England give me the impression that they have not practiced it enough. The forwards may press, but the midfielders are positioned too far back, about 20 yards behind. This is inadequate. Pressing should involve the whole team together, rather than just a few players here and there."

"It was a disappointing performance. In tournament games, it is our responsibility to analyze what went wrong, and there are many aspects to consider. There was a lack of energy and creativity. I wouldn't say they didn't try, but the players have the potential to do much better."

Ian Wright disagreed with Gareth Southgate's statement on ITV, where Southgate claimed that Kalvin Phillips is the only player in the country who can fulfill a certain role. Wright expressed his disbelief in this assertion.

I trust that Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo have the ability to perform well. You have selected them. Currently, we find ourselves in a position where we are not desperate, as we have four points, but we need to make a change or try something new.

Some people were asking if Southgate had chosen the correct group of players for the team.

Dwaine Maynard, who is both the brother and agent of Marcus Rashford, expressed his frustration on Instagram after Rashford was left out of the team following a disappointing season for Manchester United. Maynard shared his belief that Rashford could have had a positive impact on the game.