Euro 2024 – England face Slovenia with points to prove

Declan Rice seemed happy enough to play alongside Gallagher. For all their efforts, the partnership of Rice and Alexander-Arnold was badly balanced, ending up as the worst of all worlds with neither able to exert influence by dropping too deep. “Conor is a team-mate I would love to have on my team,” Rice told BBC Sport. “He works his socks off, you feel so secure and safe in there with him. “I think he has surprised so many people this year with his ability on the ball, with how well he breaks forward with it, how he gets into the box and scores goals. “Every time I have played with Conor, which hasn’t been much, I have really enjoyed it. I know him really well as a guy, I know his family really well, he is a lovely boy. It’s another great chance to stamp our mark.” Southgate is right that it is time to deliver because many of the harsh words aimed at England were justified, even though their glass is half-full when measured by their position in the group. England have basked in praise and goodwill during Southgate’s eight-year renaissance so can have no complaints when a drop in standards of performance comes under the microscope. There can be no repeat of the alarming revelation from captain Harry Kane that England did not know when to press, or the wholesale removal of the front three with more than 20 minutes left – as happened with Kane, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden against Denmark – in a graphic indicator of their lack of attacking creativity. Those first two games carried the worryingly listless ‘end of days’ feel that accompanied England at major tournaments in the pre-Southgate days of Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson, but the current squad has credit in the bank at these events, and the chance to change the mood. England under Southgate also have form for slow starts – such as poor group performances against Scotland at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – before improving. For all the downbeat verdicts, they should still finish at the head of their group – then perhaps the real England will show up in Germany.