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Key events
Ben Fisher profiles Timmy Max Elsnick
I texted Darby’s physio, Steve Devine, saying: ‘Isn’t it great to see Timmy playing for Slovenia?’ In the WhatsApp group, everyone came back and said, ‘I’m happy for him because he was a great lad.’ He’s a great role model for the young players in terms of being humble and just digging in to try and continue the journey. His belief in himself is a really good story to pay attention to.
Barney Roney for Gary vs. Ari
England were definitely worse than that in 1988, 1992, 2000, 2006 and 2010. They were less so in 1984, 1994 and 2008, but that was because they didn’t qualify. These are all tournaments that Lineker and Shearer will remember, either directly or as part of the wider fabric of English football.
Read Paul Macinnes’ preview.
By the way, what a word “rhythm” is and what a joy to experience. Any word with more than four letters that doesn’t require vowels usually refers to something pretty darn special.
Jordan Pickford injured his hand in the warm-up. Sounds like he’s fine; if not, Aaron Ramsdale and Dean Henderson are the backup guards.
More from Garrett, in this case from yesterday’s press conference
Gareth Southgate’s pre-match thoughts
Connor presses really well and his running forward is an important asset. We think he can stretch them defensively and also win second balls in midfield.
We talked to the players about trying to win the ball higher and then use it with more composure. We were very honest in our assessment of our performance; we know there’s more to come. But we can talk all we want, we have to go and do it.
We have to respect the positions on the pitch. We need to be more disciplined in keeping our positions with the ball – we get low at times. We need to stretch the field more.
Slovenia is quite direct so we will have to defend well, which we have so far. They have everything to play for so it should be another rocking atmosphere.
We are happy with the way we trained. But we have to go and deliver, it’s that simple.
#ConnorGallagher is now trending. Come on England fans: if you’re going to destroy him, at least show your support by spelling his name correctly.
It reminds me of the commentator who mocked Paul Doyle for including Henrik Larsson – who won Euro 92 with Denmark – in a list of one-hit wonders on the grounds that Henrik Larsson won the Champions League 14 years later.
This was in 2007 and the internet wind was only blowing one way.
Group D is done and dusted. Here are some freshly baked reports from this afternoon.
Austria beat the Netherlands 3-2 and finished top of Group D after France were held to a 1-1 draw by Poland.
This means France go into the top half of the draw alongside Spain, Germany and Portugal. England will be in the bottom half if they win Group C.
Don’t pretend you don’t think so. Roy knows what you’re doing.
Team news: Gallagher starts
As expected, the only change in England is Conor Gallagher for Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield.
Benjamin Sesco is apt to begin thus Slovenia are unchanged.
England (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehy, Trippier; Gallagher, Rice; Sacca, Bellingham, Fodden; Kane.
Subs: Shaw, Alexander-Arnold, Ramsdale, Konsa, Dunk, Toney, Gordon, Watkins, Bowen, Eze, Gomez, Henderson, Palmer, Wharton, Mainu.
Slovenia (4-4-2) Cloud; Karnicnik, Drkusic, Bijol, Janza; Gorenc Stojanovic, Gnezda Cherin, Elsnik, Mlakar; Sporar, Sesko.
Reserves: Balkovec, Blažić, Stankovic, Verbić, Lovric, Belets, Kurtić, Horvath, Vekić, Vipotnik, Celar, Brekalo, Žugel, Jelković, Ilicić.
Referee Clément Turpin (France)
What every team needs in a really simple list
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England they need a win to ensure they top the group, although they can still do so with a draw.
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Slovenia need a draw to ensure they reach the last 16, although they can still qualify with a defeat.
Denmark vs. Serbia is the other game in this group. You can follow this development with John Bruin.
The early match between the Netherlands and Austria – one of which can play England in the next round – is a cracker. You can catch the last 15 minutes with Barry Glendenning.
RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko, who has attracted the attention of many English clubs, is questionable for tonight’s game. He would be a huge loss.
Preamble
Football is a performance business. It is no longer acceptable to take four points from your first two games at a major tournament; not if you’re England, not if you play as sleepily as they did against Serbia and Denmark. Tonight in Cologne they need two things against Slovenia: a result – imagine the reaction if they play poorly and loss – and a performance that registers at least 8.0 on the Guardian’s exclusive Itscominghomeometer™.
After the Denmark game, there was plenty of hot air, navel-gazing and fantasy XIs that look convincing on paper but certainly won’t work on the pitch because he hasn’t played in that position for his club since 2020 and one of the last time you did it for England they lost 4-0 at home to Hungary so it will be nice to have some real football to break up the news cycle.
Gareth Southgate is said to make just one change to the squad that played Denmark, with Conor Gallagher replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield. This will increase the intensity of England’s press, which many identified as the biggest problem in the first two games. But that won’t address the lack of speed in attack unless Garrett decides to give a lot of us two fingers by starting with a front two of Gallagher and Kyle Walker.
It’s easy to forget that this is an English newspaper and all, that this is an even bigger game for Slovenia. Unlike England, they have the chance to make history. They were not denied the first victory of European championship from Luka Jovic’s 95th-minute equalizer on Thursday, but they are still firmly in contention to reach the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time. A draw tonight would do, although a narrow loss might be enough depending on the net result in Group F.
Performances be damned, the Fun Boy Three talk nonsense. In Slovenia tonight, football is nothing but a results business.
Start 8 in the evening.
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