Beijing time on June 26, after the third round of the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, England and Slovenia shook hands 0-0. After the match, England manager Gareth Southgate accepted media interviews, commented on the match, and put forward an outlook on the team's future direction.
Southgate began by recognizing his team's improvement in possession, saying, "I think we have improved a lot in possession. We created a lot of good chances in the game but unfortunately we were not able to make the crucial breakthrough in front of goal." He also noted that while the work remains tough, the team is moving in the right direction.
Speaking about the performance of the substitutes, Southgate spoke highly of them, "The players who came on as substitutes played well and they injected new energy into the team. We tried to win by adjusting the lineup and put in more offensive players."
Commenting on youngster Palmer, Southgate was even more complimentary: "He's been excellent, good at finding openings and creating chances. We backed him to take on the scoring role at the end of the game. These young players have been put through their paces in difficult circumstances and they have made a positive impact on the team and contributed a lot." Southgate also mentioned young players such as Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer and Kobe Maynu as a good adjustment to the squad.
Despite England's failure to win this match, Southgate is confident about his team's future, "There was a lot to build on from tonight's game. We have to build on that and be fully prepared for the next games."
