Gareth Southgate acknowledged his side needed to improve out of possession against Denmark, leading him to acknowledge they needed Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer to add energy while Jude Bellingham showed strength but unfortunately this wasn’t enough to prevent Slovenia from holding them goalless for much of the second half. In this article, we will discuss the main high lights of England National Football Team vs Slovenia National Football Team Stats.
England: Pickford
Pickford was England’s go-to goalkeeper at Euro 2020 and led them to an incredible runners-up finish. He excelled during their penalty shootout victory against Colombia in Round 16 before saving a kick from Jorginho during their semi-final matchup – two critical performances that earned him selection to Team of the Tournament.
As expected, he struggled in the opening stages against Slovenia, his positioning often being questionable. In contrast, his second half performance was solid with some notable saves made to prevent scoring by Slovenia’s hosts.
Southgate decided to switch out Kieran Trippier at halftime for Kobbie Mainoo but his presence did not add anything substantial to England’s midfield. Although Mainoo did send one brief pass towards Declan Rice for one fleeting moment, neither player seemed capable of connecting fully in midfield. Southgate will be concerned by their ineffective play in midfield going forward into knockout stage matches.
Stones
England’s best chance at goal lies with Foden who makes an early contribution down the left flank. Unfortunately he attempts to run through but is tackled by Vanja Drkusic and his requests for a corner are denied by referee Nigel Regan.
Foden quickly found Saka on the left channel but, being slightly offside himself, squared to him for an easy tap-in goal.
Gareth Southgate continues to struggle with England in possession. At half-time, Gareth Southgate replaced Conor Gallagher with Kobbie Mainoo from Liverpool youth academy and although Mainoo made an impactful difference for England, their overall performance lacked any real spark or flair. England finished top of Group C but this draw did nothing to inspire confidence for a team which many expected would contend for the Euro 2024 Championships – they must quickly come together.
Foden
Manchester City star Leroy Sane enjoyed an outstanding season and was rewarded with a new contract. Additionally, he captained England Under-17 side at the UEFA European Championship where they reached the final.
Foden floated across the pitch and intermittently connected with Kieran Trippier and Declan Rice; overall though he was quiet. Overall though it was an improvement but they still lack creative spark.
Foden began slowly but soon found his groove in the second half. He contributed to one of England’s best chances, which was later disallowed for offside. Since joining England this tournament, Foden has created two chances but yet to score; he could prove crucial against Sweden and Croatia; showing glimpses of his ability but lacking consistency – Cole Palmer (22 Premier League goals last season for Chelsea) provided some extra spark.
Walker
England have struggled to generate urgency when in possession, but the addition of Foden, Kane, Bellingham and Saka should change that. Gallagher will add energy and determination to their work off the ball.
Walker sends an accurate pass into space but only finds Foden offside in the box, who plays it back for Palmer who runs onto it but can only manage a weak low shot that Oblak easily saves. Southgate then introduces Mainoo for Palmer in order to liven things up further.
Kane
Gareth Southgate’s team struggled to a goalless draw against Slovenia in Cologne as Gareth Southgate failed to create the required pace and inspiration from his side, who are expected to contend at Euro 2024. Even a point may have sufficed, but such performance which saw England trail a side ranked 57th won’t silence critics.
England had difficulty with Denmark on both their left flank and on their right, where Kieran Trippier linked well with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. Nonetheless, England produced one of the lowest combined xGs from all teams participating in their opening three group matches and required greater ingenuity and movement in their final third.
Gareth Southgate’s side got an injection of vitality at half-time thanks to Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo, but their appearance wasn’t enough to prevent their fourth consecutive flat performance. England still finished top of Group C due to a goalless draw between Serbia and Denmark which guaranteed them entry based on goals scored, points earned, disciplinary record etc.
Saka
Bukayo Saka has been England’s main source of creativity so far, but his initial crosses have been overhit and have yet to find their target in the box. His second effort resulted in a weak header directed directly at Oblak.
Southgate attempts to add some spark by substituting Gordon for Foden. Unfortunately, his pass to Kane proves ineffective and the attack breaks down quickly. Foden attempts to play Saka behind but unfortunately for Manchester City they are offside and this play cannot continue.
Mainoo replaces Gallagher and appears to be an improvement on Rice who had been struggling, who hasn’t created many clear chances so far. Unfortunately for him he’s been let down by Trent Alexander-Arnold who remains a defensive liability with frequent ball losses as well as trying too hard when in possession. England continue their dominance of possession but haven’t managed to create clear-cut chances so far; opportunities are being wasted so they must step up their game speed immediately.
Bellingham
After an uneventful first half, England fans in the RheinEnergieStadion showed their displeasure with Gareth Southgate’s team as they struggled to create much. Midfield looked flat and inactive while there were few connections made; Kobbie Mainoo replacing Conor Gallagher didn’t prove helpful either.
Players discussed pressing higher up the pitch, with Harry Kane racing towards Jan Oblak while Phil Foden pressured Vanja Drkusic; but their efforts weren’t sufficient as they were easily contained.
England were quicker with the ball, moving further upfield during the second half, yet again failing to turn pressure into opportunities. While Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka each attempted shots from point blank range but it wasn’t enough to propel England into the knockout round 16. Denmark were left bottom of their group after failing to beat Serbia, meaning they will now be relegated from European competition.
Gallagher
Foden managed two decent shots during England’s forgettable first-half performance and an offside call disqualified Bukayo Saka’s tap-in for offside, leaving Gareth Southgate’s side as group C champions.
Trippier charged forward with the ball, collided into Andraz Sporar and conceded a free kick – already on an official booking and considerably subpar performance-wise for Manchester United defender Andraz Sporar.
Rice launches an ineffective volley before Foden sends in an ineffective cross that’s easily dealt with by Slovenia’s defence. Before the second half, Southgate replaced Gallagher with Mainoo to enhance their possession and attack play; unfortunately, however, this change had little impact as England struggled connecting passes together in another deflating performance that earned a loud raspberry from fans behind Jordan Pickford’s goal and is now the only team having lost two out of four matches at this tournament.
Palmer
Cole Palmer was an energetic presence for England during the second half, providing energy and personality. Unfortunately, due to Slovenia’s tight defense they did not get many opportunities to effect change as they held out for a draw that would secure their progression.
Southgate introduced Kobbie Mainoo for Conor Gallagher at half-time and this helped spur on an improved performance from England, however they could not break past Slovenia’s resilient defence. Slovenia had their best opportunity when Benjamin Sesko headed straight at Jordan Pickford; otherwise Kieran Trippier and Phil Foden looked dangerous but were held off by Slovenia. Bukayo Saka also came close for England before half time.
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