By Tom Gott
Gareth Southgate admitted England have lacked good fortune in front of goal so far in their Euro 2024 campaign.
The Three Lions may have finished top of Group C but Southgate and his players find themselves under immense pressure after three poor showings, the latest of which was a 0-0 draw with Slovenia on Tuesday.
As Southgate went to applaud the fans after the game, a handful of cups were thrown in his direction as disgruntled fans made their frustrations known, and the England boss admitted he understood the disappointment from supporters.
"I thought we were much improved with the ball," he told ITV after the final whistle. "We have created some good openings and at the moment it is hard work for us.
"We are not quite getting that break in front of goal. I think the players who came on did well. I understand the reactions but it is a tough environment.
"We tried to win the game by the changes we made. We put attacking players on the pitch.
"Tonight we went with Conor [Gallagher] who presses well and we did that better. Then we felt Kobbie Mainoo's control of the ball would help us. I don't think we were going to go from where we were to winning 3-0 or 4-0."
Defender John Stones also urged fans to look at the positives and remain supportive of the team heading into the knockout stages.
"The objective was to top the group and we have done that - it is not always going to be an easy road," the Manchester City centre-back insisted. "It is not going to be easy when we have a target on our back to beat us.
"I thought there was a lot of improvement from the other two games, we found people in the pockets and created more chances - another step in the right direction.
"I can get the fans frustration not taking chances, but that is football - it is never an easy game."
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Gareth Southgate explains what went wrong for England in Euro 2024 group stage.
