Euro 2024: Southgate admits England must improve after draw with Denmark

England Manager Gareth Southgate acknowledged that the team has yet to reach top form despite their results in the opening two matches of Euro 2024. Placed in Group C, England managed a narrow 1-0 victory over Serbia but were held to a 1-1 draw by Denmark. 

Harry Kane's first-half goal against Denmark was equalized by a long-range strike from Morten Hjulmand, raising concerns about England's attacking prowess. In a press conference, Southgate expressed disappointment with the team's performance levels and emphasized the need for in-depth analysis and solutions to address the issues.

"We're disappointed with the level of the two performances we've had," Southgate said. "We know the level can be higher. Maybe the biggest thing is we have to accept the environment that we're in and the expectations that are around us. At the moment, we're falling a little bit short of that."

Southgate took responsibility for improving the team's performance, highlighting the absence of key players, such as left-back Luke Shaw, as a contributing factor to the team's imbalance. He praised Kieran Trippier's contributions, stating, "Tripps has done an incredible job for the team. His spirit, his organisation, his desire, have helped us get over the line in the last two games."

Despite pitch issues in Frankfurt, where Kyle Walker had to change boots early on, Southgate dismissed external factors as excuses for the underwhelming performances. "We can't be making any excuses for the level of the performance," he remarked.

Currently, England leads Group C with four points and is in a favorable position to reach the knockout stage. They will face Slovenia next, while Denmark takes on Serbia.