England coach Gareth Southgate believes his young players will not suffer lasting damage after the agonizing defeat to Hungary in the European Nations League, and has asked his critics to judge his team when they are at full strength.
England lost 4-0 at home to Hungary thanks to goals by Roland Chalay (two goals), Zolt Nagy and Daniel Gazdag, in addition to the red card received by England's John Stones.
England fans attacked the team, chanting "You don't know what you're doing" against Southgate.
And the British news agency "BA Media" (BAMEDIA) reported that at the end of the season, which began 311 days ago with the Charity Shield match, Southgate changed the "Three Lions" squad constantly, as he wanted to try some players before the World Cup in Qatar.
"The loss was a hard lesson," Southgate said. "We haven't lost a lot of football matches, and when you lose by a big score at home, it hurts so much."
And he added, "It was a difficult night for the players, I feel for them, because in the end - in my two matches in Hungary in particular - I chose two formations in which I tried to find balance, by giving a chance to the young players, and I did not balance them correctly to help them be able to play at the level they need to win. In two matches."
He added, "I take responsibility for that, but it was also difficult to put the strongest formation in each match. We used the matches to prepare for the Qatar World Cup, some players would be outside the World Cup in Qatar. But - for sure - a night like this is very difficult, and it is important that I remove its effects." It's up to them, because I bear it."
Southgate helped to address the divisions between the England team and the fans, and was able to advance the team to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and reached the final of the European Championship "Euro 2020", which was held last summer.
But a few fans turned on him at Wolverhampton, with some chanting "You'll be sacked in the morning".
While he said he understood the new criticism of England's disappointing Nations League campaign, he demanded that he and his players be judged when all of their key players are ready and available.
The England team has only two matches left until the start of its World Cup campaign, as it will conclude the Nations League group stage matches next September, when it is a guest of the Italian national team, and then faces the German team in Wembley.