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Jubilant fans in Germany have thrown their support behind Mail Sport’s ‘We’re backing England’ campaign ahead of today’s crunch clash with Slovakia.
Dancing round draped in England flags and donning hats on the streets of Germany, they have urged supporters back home to believe in Gareth Southgate.
England take on Slovakia at 5pm on ITV1 with a chance to set up a Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with Switzerland, who beat Italy 2-0 on Saturday.
Feeling the good vibes with Mail Sport’s Aadam Patel, one fan exclaimed: ‘Gareth (Southgate) has given us four of the best summer ever. Just get behind Gaz!’
Another explained: ‘The pros are better than we are. The manager is better than all the public. Let him do what he’s doing. It’s coming home, bruv! Look how good they are, look how good we are. Everyone becomes a manager when the Euros are on.’
Fans in Germany have got behind Mail Sport’s ‘We’re backing England campaign’ ahead of tonight’s clash against Slovakia
Supporters have explained that Gareth Southgate and the players know best – not the public
Elsewhere, fans made clear their feelings that it is wrong to boo your country after Southgate had plastic cups thrown at him and others jeered following the 0-0 draw with Slovenia.
‘I would never boo my country,’ said one bucket hat-toting supporter.
‘Absolutely not (I wouldn’t boo),’ said another. ‘Loyal to the boys, you know? They’re not going to play badly.’
‘You might have got three people who took t’bottle against Southgate, three people. Ninety-five per cent of people in that ground clapped the team off.’
Fans have clamoured for Southgate to make changes but the England boss looks set to stick with mostly the seam team that played during the group stages.
Kobbie Mainoo is expected to replace Conor Gallagher in midfield. Gallagher himself had been the only change for the final group game, coming in for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
That means players such as Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon, and Ollie Watkins will start on the bench yet again despite calls for them to be given a shout.
All 26 players trained on Saturday, handing Southgate a boon ahead of this evening’s showdown in Gelsenkirchen.
They insisted that true fans do not boo their country and highlighted loyalty as a key quality
‘Gareth (Southgate) has given us four of the best summer ever. Just get behind Gaz!’
Despite some being dissatisfied with five points, some out in Germany were delighted.
‘Top of the group, last 16, let’s goooo,’ one fan told Mail Sport before jumping about with a fellow supporter. ‘We’re going to Berlin!’
Southgate has been doing his best to boost the mood around the England camp.
‘There’s definitely an excitement and a good feel around the group over the last few days.
‘It also coincided with being able to have a day off the training pitch [on Wednesday] and relaxing a little bit. A bit of golf. Stuff like that. It’s not always science.
‘We’re surrounded by science and data in our world now and sport is about joy and enjoyment. Sometimes in a tournament it [the football] is all you’ve got to think about and you need other stuff to talk about and enjoy and focus on.
‘I feel we’ve been through a good few days in that sense. A nice balance of thorough preparation but also some time to switch off.
Southgate has shared how England’s players have been unwinding alongside ‘throoguh preparation’ for Slovakia
‘I’m enjoying being here. I want to be here for another fortnight. I’ve got nothing to rush back for. I’m in the final of the padel. There’s a lot to look forward to.’
Padel has become one of the favourite sports for England’s stars to unwind with alongside golf.
