Foden Expresses Sympathy for Southgate Amid Mounting Pressure.

Posted 2 months ago

England forward Phil Foden believes the players should "take some of the blame" for the team's performances at Euro 2024 and expresses that he "feels sorry" for under-pressure manager Gareth Southgate.

Southgate's team advanced to the knockout stages by topping their group and then beating Slovakia in extra time in the last 16.

However, their style of play has faced criticism, with questions about team selection and tactics.

"The players have to take some of the blame," Foden said. "We need leaders to come together and find out why it's not working. The manager can only do so much—he sets us up and tells us how to press. If it’s not working, we have to figure it out."

Regarding the pressure on Southgate ahead of Saturday's quarter-final against Switzerland, Foden added, "I feel sorry for Gareth. In training, he instructs us to press high, but sometimes it has to come from the players. We need to be leaders and find solutions during the game if things aren't going well."

He emphasized the importance of the players stepping up, saying, "We've talked about it more. If it happens again, we can come together, see what's going wrong, and adapt our press."