England 0
Slovenia 0
AFTER a turgid bore draw, Gareth Southgate was preoccupied not by Harry Kane's fitness or Jude Bellingham's form, but a deep sense of foreboding about the escalating mood towards himself and his England team.
In a sticky press conference room here in Cologne, Southgate suggested England were at risk of returning to the dark ages, warning that supporter hostility towards him was creating "an unusual environment" for the squad, who could lose the "fun" of representing their country.
There were loud boos from the England end at full time and, as Southgate went to acknowledge the supporters, who were magnificent at the Rhein Energie Stadion, there were more jeers and a couple of plastic cups thrown in his direction, although others applauded the manager.
"I understand the narrative towards me," he said. "That's better for the team than it being towards them. But it's creating an unusual environment to operate in. I've not seen any other team qualify and receive similar."
Asked what had changed, Southgate added: "Probably expectation. We've made England fun again and it's been very, very enjoyable for the players. We've got to be careful it stays that way."
Beyond England's progress on the pitch, Southgate's success has been in rebuilding the connection between players and fans, and ending the us-against-them dynamic with the media, to create a far more enjoyable environment for the squad.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Versatile Gomes could be the missing piece of England midfield puzzle
OF THE four newcomers in the squad, no player signifies the start of Lee Carsley's new England revolution more so than Angel Gomes.
I'M READY TO GO DISTANCE WITH SINNER'
DRAPER HAS PLENTY LEFT IN THE LOCKER FOR HIS BLOCKBUSTER US OPEN SEMI AGAINST WORLD Not
Pope needs strong finish after good start takes worrying dip
THE OVAL Test so often feels like the end of something, but that is not really the sense as this summer of red-ball renewal draws towards a close.
The manager has exciting new ideas and beliefs - now I want the chance to show him what I can do
IT MUST have been an occasionally frustrating summer for Jarrod Bowen, who initially looked poised to be a key player for England at Euro 2024 before having to watch their strange tournament unfold from the sidelines.
Lloyd's profits hit £4.9bn for half year as prices rise
LLOYD’S of London, one of the City’s most significant financial institutions, reported a sharp rise in half-year profits today in a boost for the Square Mile.
What Londoners really want in bed (it's not what you think)
GEN Z are having the same amount of sex as baby boomers, BDSM is on the rise and a whopping number of millennials are open to polyamory, according to a new report into sex habits by the Kinsey Institute, in partnership with dating app Feeld.
Seven years on, the scandal of cladding still shames us
A S Britain absorbs the second phase of the report into the Grenfell Tower inferno, with its accumulation of horrors, an event last week serves as warning and a rebuke to the pace with which we have got here.
Is Gen Z to blame for the horror show of carbonara in a can? Oh, do give over
THERE won’t be historians in the future — only conspiracy theorists — but if there were, you might expect them to pinpoint the downfall of civilisation to last week, when Heinz announced it had put spaghetti carbonara in a can (spoiler: it’s a disaster). Heinz says this is all Gen Z’s fault, because the lazy sods can’t be bothered to cook.
Our glorious Paralympics is no fluke at all
IT’S been an incredible Paralympic Games and I’ve loved watching all of the action whether it be on the track, on the court, in the water or the arena.
Bowie in Berlin: how the German city changed him
Anew radio show explores how David Bowie disappeared into the city to reinvent himself. Dylan Jones has a first listen