The top stories and transfer rumours from Monday’s newspapers…
DAILY MAIL
AC Milan have shown an interest in Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin as talks continue for the striker with Newcastle.
David Beckham is keen to sign Raphael Varane at Inter Miami this summer after the defender’s Manchester United exit.
Image: Dominic Calvert-Lewin controls the ball against Sheffield United
THE TIMES
The England squad have turned to the Professional Footballers’ Association for assistance with their commercial rights after splitting with the agent who also acted for the manager Gareth Southgate.
RB Leipzig are one of a number of teams interested in signing Liverpool and England Under-21 midfielder Tyler Morton.
Emerson Royal has confirmed that AC Milan have expressed an interest in signing him from Tottenham Hotspur.
THE SUN
Sam Allardyce has hinted he would love to return to management for the Wales job.
Crystal Palace striker Odsonne Edouard has just changed agent to join Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brother Tyler and his PLG company and may soon also swap clubs.
DAILY MIRROR
Image: Joshua Kimmich celebrates after heading Bayern Munich in front against Arsenal
Joshua Kimmich remains in contention for a Premier League move this summer, but Manchester United won’t be in the mix unless the German has changed his stance.
Wilfred Ndidi is leaving Leicester City this summer but might yet remain in English football with Everton among the clubs interested in signing him.
DAILY STAR
Bayern Munich are interested in Manchester City ace Bernardo Silva who has a £50m buy-out clause in his contract at the Etihad Stadium, which still has two years to run.
DAILY EXPRESS
Andy Murray is not yet ready to pull out of a final Wimbledon appearance after undergoing surgery to remove a spinal cyst.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
Phil Foden has revealed he takes himself away from the scrutiny of England’s performances his own role at the Euros by going fishing at the team’s Spa & Golf Resort Weimarer Land basecamp.
THE GUARDIAN
Anthony Joshua has said he is considering opening a care home for retired boxers with health problems.
DAILY RECORD
Rangers are considering a move for Hearts power-broker Andrew McKinlay as they search for a new chief executive after their own James Bisgrove stepped down last month.
SCOTTISH SUN
Former Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst will use his Scottish football connections to bolster his backroom team at Besiktas.
When does the summer transfer window open and close?
The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League and Scottish Premiership is officially open.
The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
Harry Kane says he is “fresh and fit” to play despite concerns, but adds that England have “not played the way we wanted” ahead of their final group game with Slovenia.
Kane missed Bayern Munich’s final game of the Bundesliga season with a back injury, and some have questioned whether he is still carrying a knock after a sluggish start of Euro 2024.
However, the Three Lions captain assured fans that he is ready and offered an insight into some of the tactics of his play so far.
“I physically feel fresh and fit,” he told a press conference. “I know sometimes when I’ve had bad games, there’s always someone looking for a reason why.
“It’s a heightened environment in a tournament and there’s been more chatter, but I feel fit and ready and I’ll play for as long as the manager wants me to.
“My preparation [for the tournament] was pretty good. The first game I felt as fit as I have all season. I came off last game [against Denmark] but that was down to the manager wanting to freshen things up.
“Going into this knockout phase I want to feel 100 per cent, and I feel as if I’m there.
Image: Harry Kane scored his first Euro 2024 goal against Denmark, and was replaced in the second half
“Some games I will stay high, sometimes I’ll drop in. As a team we’re trying to find some fluidity, and we haven’t quite clicked right. But we’re all at a high level, that will come.
“Most importantly, with the ball we need to be better, keep the ball, play higher, and get in between the lines. That will come, but we need to go out and prove it. Hopefully that comes on Tuesday.”
Kane went on to admit that he and his England team-mates have not performed at their best so far in Germany, but called for calm with them top of Group C heading into the final game.
“Momentum is the right word,” the striker said. “Before the tournament if you said we’d be in a position to qualify after two games, we’d have taken it.
“We can be honest and say we have not played the way we wanted to up to now.
“Tuesday is important for the feeling of the group, for an all-round better feeling coming off the pitch and take that into the rest of the tournament. We want to finish top.
Harry Kane was made an offer he could not refuse by a local journalist ahead of England’s crucial Euro 2024 clash with Slovenia
“Calm is important. Most of us have been here and done it – we’ve given England fans some fantastic memories.
“After the tournament you can judge us. During the tournament, it’s down to us to get it right, and find how to do it right. We want to try and find a solution.
“We know 99 per cent of England fans are behind us, but everyone has a right to have an opinion.”
A win for England in Cologne on Tuesday would ensure they go through to the knockout rounds as group winners, and Kane hopes the team can use the match against Slovenia as a springboard for the rest of the tournament.
“We definitely want to win the group,” he said. “It’s not just to avoid [certain teams], but we want momentum in the knockout stages.
“We expect to finish top, but if we don’t, it’s not a panic. We want to put a marker down on Tuesday and use that for the rest of the tournament.
“We have a good environment where everyone talks openly and honestly. It’s positive messages. We know the reality of where we are, but we also know we can improve and get better. The new or younger players are catching onto that pretty quick.”
Alan Hansen has been discharged from hospital, Liverpool have announced.
Earlier this month it was revealed that Hansen had been “seriously ill in hospital”, but the 68-year-old is now recovering at home.
Liverpool said on X: “Alan has been discharged from hospital today to continue his recovery at home.
“Alan, Janet, Adam, Lucy and family would like to thank everybody for their wonderful messages of love and support. It has been overwhelming and has helped enormously.”
Hansen spent 14 years as a Liverpool player after signing from Partick Thistle in 1977, going on to win eight First Division titles, three European Cups and two FA Cups.
Hansen spent four years as captain at Anfield and his 620 appearances place him in the top 10 among all Liverpool players.
Liverpool legend Alan Hansen is recovering at home
The defender also won 26 caps for Scotland and played at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
Following his playing career, Hansen went on to become one of the country’s preeminent pundits, spending more than 20 years with the BBC before retiring in 2014.
As Scotland prepare to play Hungary in their final Group A game, Sky Sports looks at all the permutations that could see them reach the knockouts with just two points.
Scotland were beaten by Germany in their opening match, but an improved performance saw them draw with Switzerland and give themselves a chance of reaching the round of 16.
Here’s how Steve Clarke’s side can reach the knockout rounds of Euro 2024…
If Scotland lose to Hungary
The easy one. If Scotland lose, they are out of Euro 2024 as they will finish bottom of Group A, and therefore unable to reach the last 16.
If Scotland beat Hungary
Scotland would qualify directly for the Euro 2024 knockout stages in second place if they beat Hungary and Switzerland lose to Germany, plus the Scots overturn a six or seven-goal deficit in goal difference.
For example, if Scotland win 3-0 and Germany also win 3-0, then Scotland will finish in second place on goals scored. The same would occur if Scotland win 4-0 and Germany win 2-0 or Scotland win 5-0 and Germany win 1-0.
However, if Scotland win 1-0 and Switzerland lose 5-0, then Switzerland would finish second on goals scored. Scotland winning 2-0 and the Swiss losing 4-0 would mean it would go down to the best disciplinary record, which the Scots trail in due to Ryan Porteous’ red card.
Any seven-goal overturn of the goal difference deficit would see Scotland finish second.
If Switzerland manage to finish second and Scotland have to settle for third, this is where it gets complicated.
Scotland would face a nervous wait to find out whether four points would be enough to reach the knockout rounds. History would be on their side, however. No third-placed team with four points has ever failed to reach the last 16 of the Euros since this format was introduced.
A lot will depend on how much they can beat Hungary by. A big win would boost their chances massively.
Steve Clarke says the mental side of the game is massive, which is something Scotland improved on in the second game of the Euros
If Scotland win and their goal difference remains low, they would be eliminated if four out of the five following outcomes occur in the two days after the Hungary game:
Monday June 24: Albania beat Spain
Tuesday June 25: Austria avoid defeat to the Netherlands
Tuesday June 25: Slovenia beat England and Denmark vs Serbia does not end in a draw
Wednesday June 26: Either Ukraine vs Belgium and Slovakia vs Romania ends in a draw
Wednesday June 26: Georgia beat Portugal
John McGinn says he hopes one of his nephews is sad following Scotland’s pivotal Euros clash after confirming he has some Hungarian family members
If Scotland draw to Hungary
Scotland drawing to Hungary would be interesting – as two points could be enough for Steve Clarke’s side to qualify as a third-placed team.
If the Scots draw to Hungary, they would need two out of the three outcomes to happen to qualify:
Albania lose to Spain AND Croatia lose against Italy in Group B
England to beat Slovenia by four goals (providing Scotland score the same amount of goals vs Hungary as Slovenia do vs England) AND Denmark beat Serbia
Czech Republic lose against Turkey AND Georgia lose against Portugal in Group D
If one Group B team and one Group D team pick up at least a point in the final group games, then Scotland’s draw would not be enough due to to their poor goal difference of -4.
“We are not keeping the ball well enough. It is as simple as that. We have to keep the ball better and build with more control. Then we will be defending less and we will have more confidence.”
Some of Gareth Southgate’s comments in the immediate aftermath of England’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Denmark on Thursday caused consternation back home. But surely few would disagree with this particular analysis of his side’s struggles.
The worry is that his tactics are causing this problem.
England’s Eberechi Eze, Jordan Pickford and John Stones remain optimistic
England’s issues are manifold but they are also linked. Southgate suggests that it is fitness problems that are impacting their ability to press effectively but Harry Kane’s comments felt closer to the truth. “In general, we are not sure how to get the pressure on.”
The absence of an effective pressing structure is partly a result of their inability to retain possession. There is a lack of coherence to the team’s playing style. It was a moment in the narrow win over Serbia that illustrated this problem perfectly.
Image: Jordan Pickford goes long to Harry Kane with Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham showing for it
Early in the second half, Phil Foden found himself deep, showing to receive a short-range pass from Jordan Pickford. A little further away, in the left channel, Jude Bellingham came haring towards the ball to provide the goalkeeper with another option.
Instead, Pickford chose neither, ignoring John Stones stood to his right too. He had spotted a long-range pass to Kane out on the left. The striker was outmuscled. Serbia had the ball back. Those passes have become a feature of England’s play at Euro 2024.
Image: Jordan Pickford has attempted to launch the ball upfield more than any other player
The statistics show that Pickford has attempted to launch the ball more than any other player in the competition after two rounds of games. It is not a recipe for ball retention. It is a tactic more suited to unfancied sides than a supposedly ambitious England outfit.
Of course, this is Pickford’s natural game at club level under Sean Dyche at Everton. He hit 968 long passes in the past Premier League season, 77 more than Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski and over 200 more than any other player in the competition. This swarm-plot highlights just what an outlier Pickford is stylistically.
The key difference is that Dyche’s tactics make sense because everybody knows this is the plan. When Everton launch the ball long, it is with a view to getting bodies around the centre-forward, winning possession high up the pitch and playing from there.
Is that the plan when Pickford looks for Kane? Not when Foden is inside his own box and Bellingham is making a similar movement towards his goalkeeper. How could they help press at the other end when Kane lost out? They had anticipated another pass entirely.
There is no chance of pressing from those deep positions, no structure that would make sense of such a disjointed approach. There is a reason why the best possession teams are often the best pressing teams. They have players close to the ball when they lose it.
Any group of players would look tired when attempting to fill the vast spaces that open up when Pickford punches yet another pass deep into opposition territory. It is a tactic that will need to change if England are to progress, if England are to control big games.
Image: Jordan Pickford’s pass map for England in their opening two games at Euro 2024
The frustration is that there are plenty of players within Southgate’s side who should be suited to playing a possession game. The majority of the line-up that has started these two games represent Manchester City, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Kyle Walker and Stones are certainly capable of building from the back. They play their club football for Pep Guardiola, the coach who has practically mastered the tactic, changing the way that many of the world’s top teams play this sport in the process.
For others, it would require an adjustment, but it is still possible. Marc Guehi can keep it simple. Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo have the potential to bring more calm to midfield than Trent Alexander-Arnold, another guilty of looking too long with his passes.
Rob Dorsett on the real concerns for Gareth Southgate after Denmark result
But the fear is that England’s build-up problems begin with their goalkeeper. Southgate might be reluctant to ask Pickford to play a game with which he is uncomfortable, yet he will surely understand that this is undermining their ability to maintain any control.
Uncomfortable in possession and exhausted out of it, these are age-old problems for England at tournaments. This time, there is a twist. Half of this line-up look like they are now used to another way. But until everyone is on the same page, it risks being a mess.
Euro 2024 has been remarkably free from officiating debate let alone controversy, a flick of Lois Openda’s hand being the chief cause for chatter. That changed on Friday evening and many will be amused that an English officiating team found itself at the centre of it.
The uneasy delays, the frantic glances, the interminable wait, the total lack of clarity. That familiar Premier League feeling returned as Anthony Taylor held his ear piece, awaiting Stuart Attwell’s verdict. It was almost enough to make you feel nostalgic.
Image: Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands protests a decision by the referee Anthony Taylor
Experts on the Laws of the Game may well tell us that the decision to rule out Xavi Simons’ strike into the corner of Mike Maignan’s net was correct on the grounds that the goalkeeper had spotted the presence of Denzel Dumfries in an offside position.
Those more familiar with watching football than reading rules might nevertheless conclude that Maignan would have been unlikely to tag Dumfries let alone the ball that was bound for his goal regardless. Diving for it was a thought barely formed in his brain.
That the decision fell to Taylor and co was a mere unhappy coincidence, in truth – and at least the consequences of the call are likely to be relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of the tournament, unless you happen to be a particularly optimistic Pole.
Let us hope that this little Group D moment was as controversial as the officiating will get at Euro 2024 and the next three weeks continue to play out serenely amid scenes of swift semi-automated bliss. Not convinced? Me neither. Adam Bate
Saliba shines | More to come from France
Image: William Saliba was in imperious form once more for France at Euro 2024
Two games in for France and, thanks to that highly-debatable offside call against the Netherlands, two clean sheets for the tournament favourites. Arsenal’s William Saliba has been a big factor in that, oozing class in the centre of the France defence.
An ideal foil for the physical Dayot Upamecano, those much-publicised comments by Didier Deschamps alluding to weaknesses in Saliba’s game only become more baffling after each performance. There cannot be many better defenders in European football.
What is striking is how easy he makes it all look, a defender whose contribution does not necessarily always show up in the statistics. For instance, he did not make a single tackle. But he did not need to. He kept the ball with 86 of his 87 passes in the match.
Image: William Saliba completed 86 of his 87 passes for France against the Netherlands
The underlying numbers better reflect France’s control than that Xavi Simons moment. Against Austria, they registered an expected-goals total of 2.13 compared to their opponents’ 0.76. Here, their total was 1.42 compared to their opponents’ paltry 0.33.
At the other end, the goals will surely start flowing soon. Even without Kylian Mbappe, they created chances. Antoine Griezmann should have scored at least one, twice failing to find the finish from close range. One goal from two games does not tell the full story.
Either side of Saliba and Upamecano, the full-backs are rock solid and N’Golo Kante as impressive as ever in midfield. The forward players have not fired yet but the options in attack are plentiful. Expect Mbappe to have his day when the stakes are a little higher.
That might seem a generous appraisal after four points from two games – the same as England. But this side appears happier in its skin. Saliba has won over Deschamps. It would not be a surprise if the rest of France has followed suit by mid-July in Berlin. Adam Bate
Amazing Austria are ones to watch
Austria had a place in many analysts’ Euro 2024 ‘dark horses’ picks. You can definitely see why after their latest display.
Ralf Rangnick’s side picked up their first win against Poland but did so in a very attractive style.
Full-backs Stefan Posch and Philipp Mwene were arguably their best sources of attack. Sitting midfielders Nicolas Seiwald and Konrad Laimer generated some of their best chances of the game. Poland’s defence could not deal with Christoph Baumgartner and Marcel Sabitzer’s running and work in the half spaces.
Now Austria stand on the brink of the knockout rounds and face a big game against the Netherlands to seal their place.
Getting second place could be crucial as it could be England in the first knockout round if they finish third. But looking at how both teams are playing, would that be so bad? Sam Blitz
Emotional Ukraine deserve this moment
After Monday’s shock loss to Romania – a team ranked 23 places below them in the world rankings – Ukraine knew they had to respond against Slovakia to have a realistic chance of reaching the last 16, but they were disappointing in the first half even though they created several chances.
Despite their below-par performance, Rebrov’s decision to drop Real Madrid goalkeeper Lunin was an inspired one, with replacement Trubin making four fine saves which suggested he should have been his country’s No 1 in the first place.
The Benfica stopper kept his side in the match before Mudryk, who initially struggled to make an impact, began to grow in confidence. The Chelsea winger played an instrumental role in Ukraine’s equaliser and was unlucky not to score himself before being substituted with five minutes remaining.
By that time, he had already been involved in wild celebrations after substitute Yaremchuk produced a spectacular touch and finish to get Ukraine’s tournament up and running.
The winner saw Yaremchuk break down in tears and earn a kiss on the head from Zinchenko before the emotional scenes continued when the players applauded their supporters inside the Dusseldorf Arena after the final whistle.
Of course, many more Ukrainians will be watching from around the world and while it won’t change the heartbreaking situation back home, their first comeback win at the Euros since 2012 will hopefully bring some joy to those who need it most. Dan Sansom
Poland lose again to assume unwanted status as first nation out
Robert Lewandowski’s absence due to a thigh injury was felt in Poland’s opening defeat to the Netherlands – and Austria must’ve been licking their lips when team news dropped on Friday night and they saw the talisman was, once again, not spearheading the attack.
It likely provided something of a mental boost for Ralf Rangnick’s men, who started like a house on fire in Berlin and scored the early goal that set the tone for the rest of the evening.
In truth, there wasn’t really a certain point where they were crying out for Lewandowski; for the second game in succession, a player deputising for him scored. It was Adam Buksa in the first game, Krzysztof Piatek in the second.
And when the Barcelona striker did come on, he had just 11 touches in around 34 minutes anyway.
As the case had been against the Dutch, it wasn’t that Poland were bad on the night, it was just that Austria were better. Rangnick has got them looking like a team with real promise; one to keep a very close eye on.
There were signs of Polish promise, certainly, but they mean nothing now. The fact the Netherlands and France played out a goalless draw later on in the evening means Poland are the first nation to exit the tournament. They are by no means a one-man team, but would an earlier introduction for Lewandowski have made the difference? We’ll never know. Dan Long
Poland became the first nation to be knocked out of Euro 2024 following a 3-1 defeat to Austria.
Goals from Gernot Trauner, Christoph Baumgartner and Marko Arnautovic sealed an impressive win for Ralf Rangnick’s side in Berlin, which left their opponents with two defeats from their first two Group D fixtures.
And as a result of the goalless draw between the Netherlands and France later on in the evening, Poland exited the competition with one game to spare.
Austria started the game at breakneck speed and their aggressive attacking approach paid off inside 10 minutes, when Philipp Mwene clipped a cross to the near post, where Trauner leapt to guide in a classy header.
The intensity waned as the half went on, allowing Poland to begin to mount a comeback; Nicola Zalewski rushed a shot over the bar, before Philipp Lienhart diverted a shot from Piotr Zielinski away and then bravely put his head in the way of a cross to the near post from Przemyslaw Frankowski.
On the half-hour, they were back in it. A cross from the left brought an element of panic to the penalty area and, after Jan Bednarek’s shot was blocked by Trauner, Krzysztof Piatek seized control and tucked home the equaliser.
The Polish contingent in the stands received a lift when talisman Robert Lewandowski was introduced with half an hour to play, but Austria were soon in front again; Alexander Prass’ sweeping pass was dummied by Arnautovic and finished by Baumgartner.
It was job done after 78 minutes when Marcel Sabitzer was clumsily brought down by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in the box, which allowed ex-Stoke and West Ham frontman Arnautovic to finish coolly, make sure of the points and kick-start Austria’s Euro 2024 campaign.
Stats: Story of the match
Analysis – Amazing Austria are ones to watch
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:
Austria had a place in many analysts’ Euro 2024 ‘dark horses’ picks. You can definitely see why after their latest display.
Ralf Rangnick’s side picked up their first win against Poland but did so in a very attractive style.
Full-backs Stefan Posch and Philipp Mwene were arguably their best sources of attack. Sitting midfielders Nicolas Seiwald and Konrad Laimer generated some of their best chances of the game. Poland’s defence could not deal with Christoph Baumgartner and Marcel Sabitzer’s running and work in the half spaces.
Now Austria stand on the brink of the knockout rounds and face a big game against the Netherlands to seal their place.
Getting second place could be crucial as it could be England in the first knockout round if they finish third. But looking at how both teams are playing, would that be so bad?
Offside controversy took centre-stage in Kylian Mbappe’s absence as the Netherlands and France drew 0-0 in Group D in Leipzig.
Xavi Simons thought he had given the Netherlands the lead late in the game only for the flag to go up on the grounds that Denzel Dumfries had impacted on the play. Anthony Taylor ruled it out with video assistant referee Stuart Attwell confirming the decision.
The call was highly debatable as the ball arrowed into the bottom corner with goalkeeper Mike Maignan seemingly unprepared to dive. But the English officials ruled it out as this much-anticipated game ended in the first goalless draw of the tournament.
Didier Deschamps’ side had been on top in a game that otherwise failed to ignite without Mbappe, who remained on the bench following his broken nose. Antoine Griezmann had the best chances but could not find the finish.
The draw means that the Netherlands remain top of Group D, ahead of France on goal difference. Poland, who were beaten 3-1 by Austria earlier in the day, become the first nation to be eliminated from Euro 2024 as a consequence of the result.
Image: Xavi Simons of the Netherlands, not seen, scores the controversially disallowed goal
Image: Denzel Dumfries (22) was ruled to be interfering with the goalkeeper Mike Maignan
What do the Laws say?
According to the IFAB Laws of the Game:
A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or
interfering with an opponent by:
preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or
challenging an opponent for the ball or
clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or
making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball
*The first point of contact of the ‘play’ or ‘touch’ of the ball should be used.
Analysis: Saliba shines | More to come from France
Two games in for France and, thanks to that highly-debatable offside call against the Netherlands, two clean sheets for the tournament favourites. Arsenal’s William Saliba has been a big factor in that, oozing class in the centre of the France defence.
An ideal foil for the physical Dayot Upamecano, those much-publicised comments by Deschamps alluding to weaknesses in Saliba’s game only become more baffling after each performance. There cannot be many better defenders in European football.
The underlying numbers better reflect France’s control than that Simons moment. Against Austria, they registered an expected-goals total of 2.13 compared to their opponents’ 0.76. Here, their total was 1.42 compared to their opponents’ paltry 0.33.
At the other end, the goals will surely start flowing soon. Even without Mbappe, they created chances. Griezmann should have scored at least one, twice failing to find the finish from close range. One goal from two games does not tell the full story.
Either side of Saliba and Upamecano, the full-backs are rock solid and N’Golo Kante as impressive as ever in midfield. The forward players have not fired yet but the options in attack are plentiful. Expect Mbappe to have his day when the stakes are a little higher.
That might seem a generous interpretation after four points from two games – the same as England. But this side appears happier in its skin. Saliba has won over Deschamps. It would not be a surprise if the rest of France has followed suit by mid-July in Berlin.
Scotland are still at the party and have a chance of making it through to the last 16. They have given themselves this chance after an improved performance and result against Switzerland.
It was a game that Scotland will feel they could have won, but they also could have lost, given the chances the Swiss had. The 1-1 draw gives them something to build on.
They were not the passive Scotland that allowed Germany to boss proceedings in Munich, but a team that scored early and got a foothold in the game. They were on the ball more in the second half and hit the post.
Steve Clarke will know his team can and need to improve ahead of this crucial game against Hungary, but the mood is so much better now compared with the fallout from the Germany game.
Sky Sports News’ Luke Shanley analyses Scotland’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland which kept their Euro 2024 dream alive
Right from the start when ‘Flower of Scotland’ was belted out by the Tartan Army and the squad, you could feel they were up for it with a point to prove. The noise was incredible and if you can’t get inspired by that then there is something wrong.
What a start when Scott McTominay’s deflected effort hit the back of the net; bedlam ensued in the stands. The frustration was that Switzerland came right back into it and equalised through Xherdan Shaqiri’s wonderful goal after a slack pass by Anthony Ralston set him up nicely.
Scotland need to cut out the sloppy play on Sunday, but credit to Ralston who kept going. You could not question his effort.
Scotland assistant John Carver has revealed defender Kieran Tierney is going back to Arsenal to be assessed after his hamstring injury against Switzerland at Euro 2024
The big blow, however, was the injury to Kieran Tierney. He was stretchered off and will now miss the rest of the tournament, however long that may be for Scotland.
The injury to Tierney opens the possibility of Clarke changing his formation. Early in his reign, he had to tweak things to accommodate both Tierney and captain Andrew Robertson, and the back three worked with Tierney at left centre-back and Robertson left wing-back.
In the successful Nations League campaign, the Scotland boss did go back to a back four due to injuries and has tried it out in warm-up games for the tournament. I still expect Clarke to go with the back three and Scott McKenna did no wrong when he replaced Tierney around the hour mark in Cologne.
Kris Boyd says Scotland ‘did the nation proud’ as they secured a first point of Euro 2024 with a draw against Switzerland
Scotland still need to get goals, with the two at this tournament being an own goal and a shot that took a massive deflection. They all count but we can’t count on strokes of fortune like that all of the time.
Hungary also have a point to prove, having lost both games so far. Their big players have not yet made the desired impact, but there were signs in the second half against Switzerland and flashes against Germany that they will pose a threat to Scotland.
Clarke has talked about four points being the magic target and a win will see Scotland reach that tally. In the two previous Euros, that has been enough to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, so they would have every chance of progression.
It would be historic and put to bed the fact Scotland have never progressed before. Hungary could potentially get through with three points, but need to win by a reasonable margin to negate their -4 goal difference.
At Euro 2020, Scotland didn’t seem to recover from the exertions of the draw at Wembley on matchday two, by the time Croatia came to Hampden Park, they looked leggy and tired. This time around, assistant head coach John Carver has spoken about learning the lessons of what loading they put on the players.
Assistant boss John Carver is hoping for another rousing rendition of Flower of Scotland to inspire the players to victory in their crucial Euro 2024 clash with Hungary
Given Scotland had to play triple-headers in World Cup qualifying and the Nations League games, it is something they should be able to deal with better.
They have a shot at glory, so it’s time to show Europe the Scots are not just making up the numbers on and off the field.
Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn says they will give everything against a ‘hurting’ Hungary side as they look to progress beyond the group stages at a major competition for the first time
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England’s team press ranks as the third-worst at Euro 2024 – so what’s causing the breakdown?
Harry Kane has admitted England are not sure how to press when opponents start dropping deeper after two lacklustre showings at Euro 2024.
One of the many criticisms of England is playing too deep, especially out of possession, and therefore being unable to play out from the back.
Sky Sports Gary Neville admits that Gareth Southgate will have to make changes to his starting XI and possibly his system if they are to progress deep into the competition at the Euros
Kane told BBC Sport: “It’s something we’ve got to try to get better at, not just when we score.
“We’re starting games well, but when the opponents are dropping a few players deeper we’re not quite sure how to get the pressure on and who’s supposed to be going.
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville takes a closer look at where England will need to improve as they bid to win the Euros and admits that playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield may have to change
Gareth Southgate added: “We’ve played teams who are quite fluid in back threes, it’s not easy to get pressure on them, but we’ve definitely got to do it better than we have in these two matches.”
“[Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield is] an experiment, we know we don’t have a natural replacement for Kalvin Phillips but we’re trying some different things – and at the moment we’re not flowing as we’d like.”
So, when are England sitting deeper and how is that affecting the press?
Rob Dorsett delivers his verdict on England’s 1-1 draw with Denmark and believes there are real concerns for Gareth Southgate after another underwhelming performance at Euro 2024
How bad is the press?
When it comes to the press, the numbers support Kane’s comments: England rank third-worst at the tournament so far for allowing opponents to make passes freely without intervention.
The metric visualised below measures the average number of opposition passes a team allows before making a defensive action – so, a lower number is better.
Kaveh Solhekol feels England were lucky not to lose their match against Denmark, adding that Trent Alexander-Arnold struggled in his midfield role which could see the end of that particular ‘experiment’ from Gareth Southgate
Ukraine rank top with the most intense press, allowing opponents to make fewer than eight passes before making a defensive action. The Three Lions allow opponents more than three times as many passes – 23.1 to be precise.
Only Romania and Albania have been less effective at Euro 2024 so far.
Southgate’s side also rank third-worst for high turnovers – averaging just four per game.
Another metric supports Kane’s concerning comments about England being unsure when and who presses in the final third, three times fewer than table-topping Portugal.
The graphic below reveals England have impressive defensive solidity in their defensive half, but the ineffective press raises red flags in the opposition half – an area where most England players excel for their domestic clubs
Bukayo Saka has been typically hugging the touchline down his favoured right channel and has also posed the greatest threat, while Phil Foden has been roaming into his more dangerous central areas, resulting in a lopsided attack, which could contribute to pressing problems.
England sitting deep: What does the data say?
The graphic below summarises it perfectly: almost all outfield players averaged in their defensive third while they held their early, one-goal advantage for 16 minutes.
The graphic below elaborates on how England retreated after scoring, revealing the swing of final-third passes during the game – with the Danes hitting a match-high level of dominance before their 34th-minute leveller.
Against Serbia, Southgate’s side started the game wholly dominant, but that control ebbed incrementally after Jude Bellingham broke the deadlock, with the Serbs enjoying the lion’s share of attacking threat after the break.
Additionally, England are playing deeper than at previous tournaments, with four outfield players averaging in their own half at the World Cup in 2022 – rising to six at Euro 2024. The forwards – especially Harry Kane and Phil Foden – are also playing far deeper.
The general message emanating from the England camp is to stay calm, but the comments made by Kane and Southgate are concerning.
The majority of England’s squad players are accustomed to high-press styles at their domestic clubs, so harnessing those qualities and finding an effective balance across midfield and attack appears to be critical if England want to progress… at all.
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