Euro 2024: Gareth Southgate, the manager of England, is using personal criticism as motivation.

England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed that he is not immune to personal criticism but is using it as motivation during Euro 2024. Southgate’s team secured a spot in the semi-finals after defeating Switzerland on penalties in the quarter-finals. This victory marked the second knockout match in which England had to come from behind, and they have only managed to win one match in regular time so far in the tournament.

The group stage started off well with a win against Serbia, but subsequent draws against Denmark and Slovenia raised questions about the team’s performance. The knockout round win over Slovakia came in extra time after trailing for most of the match. Additionally, players like Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham have failed to shine as they do for their clubs, leading to criticism of Southgate’s tactical choices.

The criticism reached a boiling point when beer cups were thrown at Southgate by some English fans following a 0-0 draw with Slovenia. In response to the criticism, Southgate addressed the issue at a press conference, acknowledging the personal nature of some of the criticism. He stated that being ridiculed and having his professional capability questioned is not normal, and having beer thrown at him is unacceptable. However, Southgate emphasized that he is using the criticism as fuel and is determined to take the team where he wants them to go.

Under Southgate’s leadership, England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-finals of the 2022 tournament. They narrowly lost to Italy in the final of Euro 2020 on penalties. Looking ahead, Southgate expressed that the team is not satisfied with reaching the quarter-finals and there is a mindset shift in what they consider acceptable. He emphasized the importance of having a winning mentality and pushing on to achieve more.

Despite not delivering their most entertaining performances, Southgate praised the mental strength shown by his players throughout the tough tournament. He highlighted their resilience, composure in difficult situations, and success in penalty shoot-outs as qualities that build character and belief. Southgate believes that these experiences will benefit the squad in the long run and put England in a good position for the future.