The phrase “do your job” comes to mind.
England will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals of the European Football Association (UEFA) Euro 2024 at the Düsseldorf Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany on Sunday (June 7). The Three Lions battled back from a 0-1 deficit against Slovakia in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals thanks to Bellingham’s goal in stoppage time and Harry Kane’s strike in extra time. Switzerland is coming off a 2-0 win over defending champions Italy in the round of 16.
In fact, England, who were the ‘favorites’ throughout the tournament, have been struggling. They somehow managed to make it to the quarterfinals, but they’ve played poorly in every game. They had a poor group stage and have only gotten worse since entering the tournament.
They have the highest budget of any team at the Euros due to their star-studded squad, including Kane and Bellingham, but their performances have been far from stellar. In particular, they were on the brink of elimination against Slovakia, but a super performance from Bellingham saved the day.
Naturally, there has been a lot of criticism directed at Gareth Southgate.
There”s another pundit who has a similar concept when it comes to advising Southgate. Jürgen Klinsmann, a columnist for The Sun, wrote a piece about the former South Korea national team coach.
In the process, Klinsmann urged Southgate to follow his convictions, which is why he has been giving him advice every chance he gets. On March 28, he criticized Southgate’s tactics but praised his humanity.
“I admired the way he took the criticism and faced the fans. He could have gone straight to the locker room after the 0-0 draw with Slovenia and been angry, 고스톱 온라인 but he went to the English people. Even though he knew the fans were angry.”
“Southgate faced the situation and thanked them for their support,” Klinsmann said. “Despite some fans throwing plastic beer mugs at him and spitting abuse, I think many people were impressed by his behavior,” says Klinsmann, adding, “We all like compliments. We are human beings. But when it comes to criticism, you need to have broad shoulders to withstand it,” he argued.
One time he didn’t show that side of himself was on Feb. 8 at Incheon International Airport.
Klinsmann and some other members of the South Korean national team were returning home from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar through Incheon International Airport. South Korea, a heavy favorite at the time, was eliminated after a 0-2 loss to Jordan in the semifinals. Klinsmann has been loudly proclaiming his goal since his appointment in March last year, but he failed to realize his dream.
It was one of the closest games in Asian soccer history. Despite the absence of Kim Min-jae due to suspension, South Korea’s defense and performance were abysmal. There were no dramatic upsets like in the round of 16 and quarterfinals. The match ended with a 0-2 defeat. Klinsmann’s journey, which he had boasted that he would win this time, came to an early end.
As Klinsmann left after his exit interview, he was met with angry shouts of “Go Home!” and “Fxxking Idiot”. Klinsmann, who told The Sun that he “needs broad shoulders to take criticism,” was shouted down by fans at the time, and left the airport with a stern look on his face and a gesture that seemed to say, “Why are you angry with me?
“You have to make sure that everyone, from the bus driver to the press officer to the striker, is united in their beliefs,” Klinsmann said of the England team, something he failed to do. During the Asian Cup, there was dissension within the squad, which Klinsmann ignored.
Three days later,
Klinsmann wrote again, this time recommending a formation change: “It’s time for England to try something different at the Euros. A 4-4-2 might be an arrogant choice. But sometimes you have to make different choices. You always have to be open-minded,” he emphasized.
He added something that might not sound good to South Korean fans. “Southgate will think about it all day before he picks his team against Switzerland. Even if he hurts the feelings of one or two players, he should be brave,” he said, adding, “There are 56 million managers in England. You can’t let their words distract you. The team that started the tournament will not be the same team at the end.”
In many ways, Klinsmann advises fans to pretend to be like him and go their own ‘my way’. In reality, Klinsmann was a great player, but he has failed repeatedly as a coach. Even the South Korean national team has only seen the worst of his previous failures. It will be interesting to see how Klinsmann”s advice will affect Southgate.