Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, French journalist for L’Equipe who covers England at major tournaments, says Southgate has “lost his golden touch”
This is the first time I don’t really understand Gareth. I was a huge supporter and sometimes as a joke at L’Equipe they told me I was obsessed with him – I always defended him and thought in the past some English people were unfair with him.
But for the first tournament I don’t really understand some of his decisions – for example, for me, it is obvious that Foden is not good when he plays on the left. They tried to switch sometimes with Bellingham, but that was not working.
It makes me think a bit about Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2004, when he wanted to play with all his best players in midfield – Lampard, Gerrard, Scholes and Beckham.
I was quite surprised Southgate accepted that fans threw cups at him, he gives the impression he accepts everyone criticising him, takes the burden, ‘it is my job…’ – I am not sure that is a good attitude, because you expect the England manager to defend himself a bit more. He seems a bit passive.
I didn’t understand why he made reference to Kalvin Phillips, because he was not good at all these past few months? For the first time in his communication, which was one of the things he was so good at, and in his choices, I don’t really understand Southgate.
Before the tournament, in L’Equipe, we said England were among the big favourites, but now we would say Spain or Germany.
We cannot see in the short term what could make it better. You have to put Cole Palmer in the starting XI, maybe throw out Foden, but is Southgate ready to make such huge decisions?
We’ll see. If he does maybe we’ll consider him differently, but at the moment England are considered disappointing at this tournament.