London (AFP)

The qualification for the round of 16 of the Euro is far from being compromised for England after their 0-0 against Scotland on Friday, but discontent mounts against coach Gareth Southgate after disappointing performances with a lackluster attack .

Nothing betrays the disappointment of a cutesy performance more than elements of language repeated over and over after the match.

"When you can't win, you have to know not to lose it", "this point is one more step towards our real objective: qualifying in the eighth" ...

Friday evening, after the dismal draw against a Scotland which would have almost deserved better, from Tyrone Mings to Harry Kane and Jordan Pickford to Southgate, the English interventions in front of the press had the appearance of crisis communication.

Entering the tournament carried by a popular enthusiasm that it had not known for 25 years and the Euro at home, the English selection will approach a perilous turning point in its last group match, against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

A victory would give him first place in the group, a round of 16 "at home" - even if the opponent will come from the "group of death" with France, Germany or Portugal - before a quarter in Rome, and a possible return for the semi-finals and the final at Wembley.

- Whistles, an alarm signal -

A draw would be synonymous with second place behind the Czechs on goal difference (+2 against +1) and an eighth in Copenhagen, a priori more affordable, against the 2nd in Group E (Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia).

And in case of defeat, it will be necessary to take out the calculators, depending on the result of Scotland-Croatia and possibly third in the other groups.

The first whistles that sounded at the final whistle on Friday are a wake-up call for Southgate.

"The fans have the right to react as they want. We were also disappointed with our performance and I fully understand their reaction", he defused after the meeting, but his choices for the next match, where he will not will not be able to rotate its workforce, will be scrutinized.

Solutions will have to be found to revitalize an attack that has been occasionally interesting against Croatia, but flabby against Scotland.

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Kane, often stuck in grips with two or three, and the antipodes of his performances of the World Cup-2018 or in the Premier League this season, with three attempts, no shot on target and six balls touched in the opponent's area in 156 minutes of play , symbolizes this discomfort.

- Another football is possible -

"The whole team has to look at the performance as a whole and the way we used the ball to see where we can improve. It's true for everyone, not just one person," insisted Southgate, who l 'was still replaced in the 74th by Marcus Rashford.

Without results.

The little danger created by the trio he forms with Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden, of Manchester City, to which the press sends Kane insistently in case of departure from Tottenham this summer, questions.

The vox populi demand the abandonment of the double pivot Kalvin Phillips-Declan Rice - "it does not work, they are two players out of the same mold", lost the former Scottish international Graeme Souness after the match - for the benefit of Aston Villa's elegant eccentric playmaker Jack Grealish for more creativity.

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Beyond the attack line, the absence of barkers Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson was sorely felt in the youngest team ever fielded by England (25 years old 31 days old average) in a big tournament.

This youth did not prevent England - whose clubs have had dense and long seasons, with three clubs among the four finalists in European competitions - from appearing blunt against Scotland, despite a much milder weather than against the Croatia.

He has four days left to regain his energy and avoid ending up out of breath.

© 2021 AFP