Southgate makes Phillips claim in explaining England midfield woes

The Three Lions were in a position to secure first place in Group C early, but instead ended up with a 1-1 draw against Denmark. They held the lead but couldn't maintain it, leading to a disappointing and lackluster performance.

Harry Kane scored the first goal, but Morten Hjulmand equalized with a long-range shot. England couldn't score again, and Phil Foden hitting the post was the closest they came to threatening the Denmark defense.

There will be continued speculation about Trent Alexander-Arnold's position in the team, as he was substituted in the second half for the second consecutive match, this time by Conor Gallagher.

Southgate was asked about that choice after the game, and he mentioned that England is lacking Phillips, who was not included in the squad after a poor loan period at West Ham.

Gareth Southgate thinks that England is in need of Kalvin Phillips.

"I decided to substitute Conor in because we needed more energy and a better pressing game," stated Southgate.

"Alexander-Arnold has had some instances where he has lived up to our expectations. We understand that this is a trial and that we do not have a suitable substitute for Kalvin Phillips."

"We are experimenting with some new ideas and currently we are not achieving the smooth flow we hope for, that is certain."

England is currently in first place in Group C as they prepare for their upcoming match against Slovenia. They are confident that they will secure the top spot in the group, which will allow them to avoid a potentially difficult last-16 match against Germany.

The England manager is under pressure to switch things up, including changing players and strategies, following another game where England scored first but then retreated too far back, allowing the other team to take control.

When asked if he was telling England to hold back after scoring, Southgate said: "No. We've faced teams with flexible defenses with three players at the back, making it difficult to apply pressure."

We absolutely need to improve on our performance in the last two matches. This has been a contributing factor to our issues, but our struggles with ball possession have also played a significant role.