England's 0-0 draw with Slovenia disappointed many fans. Compared with their small victory in the last game, and the mediocre performance of the foundation of this group stage, Southgate failed to let the team play magic and fully innovate in the final round of battles, but continued the chaotic state, and the performance at both ends of the attack and defense is difficult to say, so it is difficult to play to compete for the championship trophy.
A dull contest
The Three Lions' strength is much better than that of Slovenia. Whether it is the strength and value of the players, or their performance and experience in various competitions, Slovenia is simply not comparable. Coupled with the performance of this tournament, England's performance has not been satisfactory, and Southgate is already at risk of being discharged, and he needs to quickly adjust his form to get the team back on track.
After all, England are favourites.
However, the actual performance was the opposite, and not only did England fail to continue the win, but their performance in this game also declined, which people simply did not expect. Of course, Slovenia's limited quality problem makes it impossible to create danger for England, so a 0-0 result is normal.
The stats of the match are ample proof of this, with only 5 shots on target combined, and the problem that xOG (expected goals) add up to only 1 (England 0.87, Slovenia 0.13), confirming that not scoring is indeed "not wronged".
Fatigue in England
In this competition, England still took out all the main forces to face it, including Kane, Foden, Saka's attacking trident, and top green stars such as Rice and Bellingham in the midfield. However, when it comes to conversion, they are slow and completely out of the winner's posture.
In the 21st minute, Foden's goal was a clear indication of England's attacking problems. England made a total of 21 passes (including counter-tackles after conceding) before Foden opened the bar on the left side of the box, completing the experiment with a surprise attack on the left side of the penalty area and then setting up Foden's goal. The whole experience was really difficult and Foden's offside goal was disallowed.
Other than that, the rest of the main stars were Bellingham's incorrect pass to the opponent after the start of the game (2nd minute), Stones' mistake at the back (13th minute), Kieran Trippier's foul in front of the ball (18th minute), Kane's weak shot (30th minute), Bellingham's fall and Saka's foul and other inconsequential and more relatively negative material for England.
It can be said that England's fatigue is written all over their faces, perhaps because the players are exhausted at their respective clubs, but in short, Southgate has not been able to inspire them to play at a level that suits their individual value.
If the only feature is perhaps Palmer's a few passes after coming off the bench. Especially after the 80th minute was given to Menou, this opportunity to reverse the triangle can also show that they have some creativity.
Where the Three Lions are headed
Of course, England qualified for what they wanted, and they managed to avoid what appeared to be a more difficult knockout opponent, giving supporters a bit of confidence. It's just that if this state continues, if you encounter any giants and masters, it is estimated that "kneeling" is an inevitable result. This is not what Southgate and Kane want, let alone an acceptable situation for England fans.
The question of the suitability of value and performance is still troubling the England team.
Interestingly, Southgate told the media after the game: "We were completely in charge of the game and the Slovenian team was particularly passive.