June 27th 2024.
After the recent draw with Slovenia, Gareth Southgate took a moment to show his appreciation for the fans. It was a rather forgettable game, unless of course, you were a Slovenian supporter or an avid football fan who enjoys a match without any goals. As Michael Cox points out, the noise and hype surrounding goal-scoring can often be misleading.
However, in this case, it was not misleading at all. Slovenia only needed a single point to advance to the next round, so their defensive strategy was completely expected. But for England, it was not the result they were hoping for. Despite having four times as many shots on target and a goal from Bukayo Saka that was unfortunately deemed offside, the overall gameplay was quite lackluster. Thankfully, things picked up in the second half when Kobbie Mainoo, Anthony Gordon, and Cole Palmer were brought onto the field.
If you were watching this game with friends who are not particularly interested in football, you probably had some good conversations to break up the dullness. Otherwise, you may have found yourself sinking deeper into a state of disappointment. But as Southgate himself acknowledged, the criticism and negativity he has faced have been quite unique. One can only imagine how he felt when he saw Belgium's own fans booing their team the following day.
It's worth noting the transformation in attitudes towards the England team that Southgate has helped bring about. Those who have been following England for a long time can attest to the fact that it's quite remarkable how he has managed to keep the aggression and hostility at bay. While it's understandable to feel frustrated when watching top players performing below their potential, the public reaction has not been helpful.
Southgate reminded us of this on Tuesday. As fans, we have a role to play in supporting our team. Fear and negativity seldom lead to success. And unfortunately, some of the reactions we've seen have been quite terrifying. As many have pointed out, emotions can be irrational and difficult to control.
However, recent research has shown that we do have some control over our emotions. While only a small percentage of our behavior is deliberate, much of it is habitual. This includes activities like "co-rumination," which has been found to increase negative emotions. This is particularly relevant in the workplace, where studies have shown that spending too much time discussing problems can lead to higher stress levels and burnout. Sometimes, sharing a problem with others doesn't necessarily make it feel any less burdensome.
Although England's performance in this tournament may not have lived up to expectations, there are plenty of examples of teams making it through the group stage without standing out, only to go on and win the entire tournament. Just look at France with Kylian Mbappe, or Argentina losing their first game in the 2022 World Cup before going on to become champions. Greece also came second in their group before their unexpected victory in 2004. And let's not forget Portugal finishing third in their group on their way to winning Euro 2016.
It's likely that England fans will once again feel disappointed when this tournament comes to an end. But it's important to remember that a large part of the anguish stems from the high expectations we have for this team, rather than them constantly letting us down. It's a tough realization that we have no control over the outcome of a game we care so deeply about. And while it may be tempting to vent our frustrations online, we should consider the impact our words may have on the players. And if that's still hard to care about, then perhaps we should focus on taking care of ourselves instead.
In other news, an England fan who fell asleep during the Euro 2024 draw took a swipe at Gareth Southgate, and Gary Lineker believes one of England's players has been unfairly left out to dry by the manager.
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