Three Lions fans get behind Mail Sport’s ‘We’re backing England’ campaign… as followers in Germany urge public to ‘get behind Gaz’ and enjoy ‘one of the best summers EVER!’
Delighted fans in Germany have thrown their support behind Mail Sport’s ‘We’re backing England’ campaign ahead of today’s exciting match against Slovakia.
As they dance around draped in England flags and donning hats on the streets of Germany, they have called on supporters at home to believe in Gareth Southgate.
England take on Slovakia at 5pm on ITV1 with a chance of a Euro 2024 quarter-final with Switzerland, who beat Italy 2-0 on Saturday.
Sensing the good vibes from Mail Sport’s Aadam Patel, one fan exclaimed: ‘Gareth (Southgate) has given us four of the best summers ever. Just get behind Gaz!’
Another explained: ‘The pros are better than us. The manager is better than the whole crowd. Let him do what he does. It’s like coming home, bruv! Look how good they are, look how good we are. Everyone becomes a manager when the Euros start.’
Fans in Germany are backing Mail Sport’s ‘We support England campaign’ ahead of tonight’s match against Slovakia
Supporters have explained that Gareth Southgate and the players know best, not the crowd
Elsewhere, fans made it clear they believe it is wrong to boo your country after Southgate had plastic cups thrown at him and others booed him after the 0-0 draw with Slovenia.
“I would never boo my country,” said one supporter in a bucket hat.
“Absolutely not (I wouldn’t boo),” said another. “True to the boys, you know? They’re not going to play bad.”
‘You could have had three people taking the bottle against Southgate, three people. Ninety-five percent of the people on that field were applauding the team.”
Fans have called on Southgate to make changes, but the England boss appears to be sticking with the team that played during the group stages.
Kobbie Mainoo is expected to replace Conor Gallagher in midfield. Gallagher himself was the only substitute for the final group game, coming on for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
That means the likes of Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins will start on the bench again, despite calls for them to be given a chance.
All 26 players trained on Saturday, which was a boon for Southgate ahead of tonight’s clash in Gelsenkirchen.
They stressed that true fans do not boo their country and emphasised loyalty as a key quality
“Gareth (Southgate) has given us four of the best summers ever. Just support Gaz!’
While some were unhappy with the five points, some in Germany were happy with it.
“Top of the group, last 16, let’s gooooo,” one fan told Mail Sport before jumping around with a fellow supporter. ‘We’re going to Berlin!’
Southgate is doing his best to boost the mood in the English training camp.
‘There is definitely excitement and a good feeling within the group in recent days.
‘It also coincided with the opportunity to have a day off from the training pitch [on Wednesday] and relax a bit. A little golf. Those kind of things. It’s not always science.
‘We are now surrounded by science and data in our world and sport is about joy and enjoyment. Sometimes in a tournament [the football] is all you have to think about and you need other things to talk about, enjoy and focus on.
‘I think we’ve had a couple of good 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 relaxed during ‘full preparation’ for Slovakia
“I like being here. I want to stay here for two more weeks. I have 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 favorite sports for the English stars to relax in addition to golf.