England manager Gareth Southgate is not concerned about his team’s criticism as they look to cement their place as group winners at Euro 2024. England will play Slovenia on Tuesday (June 25), knowing a victory will see them win Group C, having already sealed qualification to the Round of 16 after Monday evening’s result. However, Southgate is not taking the criticism and expects his team to flourish against Slovenia in their final group match.

<h2>Southgate not concerned with criticism</h2>

"I've managed to realise how to manage myself in the best way. A few years ago I would have read things, I would have listened to things, and it would have saddened me and taken energy from me,"&nbsp; Southgate said in the pre-match.

"Now I'm oblivious to it. It's not important to me. What's important to me is guiding this group of players through the tournament. We're a high-profile team with expectations, and I'm very comfortable living that life.”

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After the draw against Demark on Friday, England’s tactics were slammed by former player Gary Linekar on his 'The Rest is Football' podcast while stating England can’t win.

The words did not go well with England captain Harry Kane as he took a jibe at Linekar stating they had not won either during his time with the national team.

Linekar would later blame the media for exaggerating the matter where he had offense with the style of play.

England have already booked their R16 berth but their position in the group will be vital as it will decide whom they will play in the knockout stage.

England could face Spain, Germany, Italy or Portugal depending on their final position in group C.

As things stand in Group C, England are currently on four points from two matches with a 1-0 win against Serbia and a 1-1 draw against Denmark. Both Slovenia and Denmark are on two points each while Serbia sit bottom of Group C with one point.

England manager Gareth Southgate is not concerned about his team’s criticism as they look to cement their place as group winners at Euro 2024. England will play Slovenia on Tuesday (June 25), knowing a victory will see them win Group C, having already sealed qualification to the Round of 16 after Monday evening’s result.

England manager Gareth Southgate is not concerned about his team’s criticism as they look to cement their place as group winners at Euro 2024. England will play Slovenia on Tuesday (June 25), knowing a victory will see them win Group C, having already sealed qualification to the Round of 16 after Monday evening’s result. However, Southgate is not taking the criticism and expects his team to flourish against Slovenia in their final group match. Southgate not concerned with criticism "I've managed to realise how to manage myself in the best way. A few years ago I would have read things, I would have listened to things, and it would have saddened me and taken energy from me," Southgate said in the pre-match. "Now I'm oblivious to it. It's not important to me. What's important to me is guiding this group of players through the tournament. We're a high-profile team with expectations, and I'm very comfortable living that life.” ALSO READ | T20 World Cup 2024: Social media in awe of Afghanistan after historic win; fans bash Aussies after bowing out After the draw against Demark on Friday, England’s tactics were slammed by former player Gary Linekar on his 'The Rest is Football' podcast while stating England can’t win. The words did not go well with England captain Harry Kane as he took a jibe at Linekar stating they had not won either during his time with the national team. Linekar would later blame the media for exaggerating the matter where he had offense with the style of play. England have already booked their R16 berth but their position in the group will be vital as it will decide whom they will play in the knockout stage. England could face Spain, Germany, Italy or Portugal depending on their final position in group C. As things stand in Group C, England are currently on four points from two matches with a 1-0 win against Serbia and a 1-1 draw against Denmark. Both Slovenia and Denmark are on two points each while Serbia sit bottom of Group C with one point.

Euro 2024: Gareth Southgate not concerned by 's**t' criticism of his England side ahead of Slovenia clash

England manager Gareth Southgate was met with boos and beer cups thrown by his own fans despite his team topping Group C as Slovenia also progressed to the knockout stages of Euro 2024 thanks to a 0-0 draw in Cologne.

The Three Lions were already assured of a place in the last 16 but can expect more criticism after failing to improve on underwhelming performances in edging past Serbia and drawing with Denmark.

"I get it that they are not happy with me, that is the reality. I am not going to back away from that. I need them behind the team," Southgate said of the supporters' reaction.

"I was not going to back away from going over to thank people for coming and giving the support that they did, but I know that this is causing an issue for the group."

England will have to wait until Wednesday's final group games to find out which of the four best third-placed teams they will face in the last 16.

But more questions will be asked over one of the favourites' ability to end a 58-year wait for major tournament glory as a star-studded forward line was snuffed out by Slovenia.

"I thought we played a lot better than the other games. We couldn't just find that finish but we look forward to the next one," said England captain Harry Kane.

Southgate made a statement with his team selection, resisting the calls to make mass changes as Conor Gallagher replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold in the only alteration from the opening two games.

If the England boss was looking for a reaction by showing faith in the other 10 who have started all three matches in Germany, he was left disappointed.

Slovenia are now nine games unbeaten, which included beating Portugal 2-0 in a pre-tournament friendly.

Declan Rice had highlighted Benjamin Sesko as their big threat on Monday.

Sesko could have been lining up alongside Rice at Arsenal next season had he not shunned interest to extend his contract at RB Leipzig.

The 21-year-old shrugged off a thigh injury to start and had the first chance of the game when he tamely headed straight at Jordan Pickford four minutes in.

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<h2>Slovenian celebrations</h2>

It took 20 minutes for England to pose a serious threat and only the offside flag denied them a slick opening goal.

Rice picked out Phil Foden's run but the Manchester City midfielder had strayed beyond the Slovenian defence before squaring for Bukayo Saka to tap in.

Southgate took action at the break as Gallagher was replaced by Kobbie Mainoo.

The 19-year-old added some much needed thrust to the England midfield but they still struggled to turn dominance in possession into chances.

Kane saw a header cleared by Sesko from a corner and Rice flashed a shot wide from the edge of the box.

Southgate answered the call to give Cole Palmer his first minutes of the tournament in the final 20 minutes.

The Chelsea midfielder, who scored 26 goals at club level this season, had England's only shot on target of the second half but failed to seriously test veteran goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

A point was jubilantly celebrated by the Slovenians as it did enough for them to progress as one of the best third-placed sides thanks to three draws from their three games.

Matjaz Kek's men missed out on second place in the group solely due to Denmark's better disciplinary record.

"I didn't expect to be going into the knockout phase," said Kek. "But we showed with our play we deserved to be here and go into the knockouts against one of the favourites for the tournament."

England manager Gareth Southgate was met with boos and beer cups thrown by his own fans despite his team topping Group C as Slovenia also progressed to the knockout stages of Euro 2024 thanks to a 0-0 draw in Cologne.

England manager Gareth Southgate was met with boos and beer cups thrown by his own fans despite his team topping Group C as Slovenia also progressed to the knockout stages of Euro 2024 thanks to a 0-0 draw in Cologne. The Three Lions were already assured of a place in the last 16 but can expect more criticism after failing to improve on underwhelming performances in edging past Serbia and drawing with Denmark. "I get it that they are not happy with me, that is the reality. I am not going to back away from that. I need them behind the team," Southgate said of the supporters' reaction. "I was not going to back away from going over to thank people for coming and giving the support that they did, but I know that this is causing an issue for the group." England will have to wait until Wednesday's final group games to find out which of the four best third-placed teams they will face in the last 16. But more questions will be asked over one of the favourites' ability to end a 58-year wait for major tournament glory as a star-studded forward line was snuffed out by Slovenia. "I thought we played a lot better than the other games. We couldn't just find that finish but we look forward to the next one," said England captain Harry Kane. Southgate made a statement with his team selection, resisting the calls to make mass changes as Conor Gallagher replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold in the only alteration from the opening two games. If the England boss was looking for a reaction by showing faith in the other 10 who have started all three matches in Germany, he was left disappointed. Slovenia are now nine games unbeaten, which included beating Portugal 2-0 in a pre-tournament friendly. Declan Rice had highlighted Benjamin Sesko as their big threat on Monday. Sesko could have been lining up alongside Rice at Arsenal next season had he not shunned interest to extend his contract at RB Leipzig. The 21-year-old shrugged off a thigh injury to start and had the first chance of the game when he tamely headed straight at Jordan Pickford four minutes in. ALSO READ | T20 World Cup 2024: India's Rishabh Pant almost injures Hardik Pandya in Super 8 clash vs Australia Slovenian celebrations It took 20 minutes for England to pose a serious threat and only the offside flag denied them a slick opening goal. Rice picked out Phil Foden's run but the Manchester City midfielder had strayed beyond the Slovenian defence before squaring for Bukayo Saka to tap in. Southgate took action at the break as Gallagher was replaced by Kobbie Mainoo. The 19-year-old added some much needed thrust to the England midfield but they still struggled to turn dominance in possession into chances. Kane saw a header cleared by Sesko from a corner and Rice flashed a shot wide from the edge of the box. Southgate answered the call to give Cole Palmer his first minutes of the tournament in the final 20 minutes. The Chelsea midfielder, who scored 26 goals at club level this season, had England's only shot on target of the second half but failed to seriously test veteran goalkeeper Jan Oblak. A point was jubilantly celebrated by the Slovenians as it did enough for them to progress as one of the best third-placed sides thanks to three draws from their three games. Matjaz Kek's men missed out on second place in the group solely due to Denmark's better disciplinary record. "I didn't expect to be going into the knockout phase," said Kek. "But we showed with our play we deserved to be here and go into the knockouts against one of the favourites for the tournament."

Euro 2024: England top Group C but disappoint again in Slovenia stalemate

It was yet another dramatic evening in the Euro 2024 on Monday (June 24) as defending champions Italy scored a last-gasp equaliser which officially earned them a place in the Round of 16. The result also sees Croatia on the brink of exit as they rely on other results to clinch a place in the knockout stage. However, the result between Italy and Croatia also had England fans smiling as they officially clinched their place in the R16 before even taking the field on matchday 3 against Slovenia.

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Into the last 16 👊 
 
Monday's results mean the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThreeLions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThreeLions</a> are guaranteed a place in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EURO2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EURO2024</a> knockout stages. <a href="https://t.co/okteasDgMW">pic.twitter.com/okteasDgMW</a>
— England (@England) <a href="https://twitter.com/England/status/1805344825103073564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Why England are in R16?</h2>

After yesterday’s results, the picture for the R16 became clear as Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Portugal had their names in the hat. As things stand in Group C, England are currently on four points from two matches with a 1-0 win against Serbia and a 1-1 draw against Denmark. Both Slovenia and Denmark are on two points each while Serbia sit bottom of Group C with one point. Even a defeat for England against Slovenia on matchday 3 won’t have too many bearings as Gareth Southgate’s men cannot finish bottom of the group.

A defeat for England against Slovenia and a win for Serbia against Denmark will see the former finish in third position due to the superior head-to-head record. In this case, England can still qualify for the R16 as one of the four best-finishing third-positioned sides.

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<h2>How does the format work?</h2>

According to the Euro 2024 format, all six group winners and all six group runners-up get a direct entry into the R16 as they comprise 12 teams. Four teams that have finished third in their groups will also join these 12 sides depending on who collected more points and have a better goal difference. Assuming England’s worst possible scenario, they cannot finish below the third spot in Group C and will qualify for R16 as one of the four best-performing third-positioned sides.

After Monday evening’s result, Hungary (three points from Group A) and Croatia (two points from Group B) are the two third-positioned sides at Euro 2024. With England’s current tally of four points already better than Croatia and Hungary, even if they finish third in Group C they will end up as one of the four best-performing third-positioned sides which will see them qualify for R16.

In similar circumstances, both the Netherlands and France are also in the R16 as they too cannot finish bottom of the respective groups and will end up in the top four of the third-positioned sides’ tally in a worst-case scenario.

It was yet another dramatic evening in the Euro 2024 on Monday (June 24) as defending champions Italy scored a last-gasp equaliser which officially earned them a place in the Round of 16.

It was yet another dramatic evening in the Euro 2024 on Monday (June 24) as defending champions Italy scored a last-gasp equaliser which officially earned them a place in the Round of 16. The result also sees Croatia on the brink of exit as they rely on other results to clinch a place in the knockout stage. However, the result between Italy and Croatia also had England fans smiling as they officially clinched their place in the R16 before even taking the field on matchday 3 against Slovenia. Into the last 16 👊 Monday's results mean the #ThreeLions are guaranteed a place in the #EURO2024 knockout stages. pic.twitter.com/okteasDgMW — England (@England) June 24, 2024 × Why England are in R16? After yesterday’s results, the picture for the R16 became clear as Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Portugal had their names in the hat. As things stand in Group C, England are currently on four points from two matches with a 1-0 win against Serbia and a 1-1 draw against Denmark. Both Slovenia and Denmark are on two points each while Serbia sit bottom of Group C with one point. Even a defeat for England against Slovenia on matchday 3 won’t have too many bearings as Gareth Southgate’s men cannot finish bottom of the group. A defeat for England against Slovenia and a win for Serbia against Denmark will see the former finish in third position due to the superior head-to-head record. In this case, England can still qualify for the R16 as one of the four best-finishing third-positioned sides. ALSO READ | T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit, bowlers star as India beat Australia in Super 8 to enter semis How does the format work? According to the Euro 2024 format, all six group winners and all six group runners-up get a direct entry into the R16 as they comprise 12 teams. Four teams that have finished third in their groups will also join these 12 sides depending on who collected more points and have a better goal difference. Assuming England’s worst possible scenario, they cannot finish below the third spot in Group C and will qualify for R16 as one of the four best-performing third-positioned sides. After Monday evening’s result, Hungary (three points from Group A) and Croatia (two points from Group B) are the two third-positioned sides at Euro 2024. With England’s current tally of four points already better than Croatia and Hungary, even if they finish third in Group C they will end up as one of the four best-performing third-positioned sides which will see them qualify for R16. In similar circumstances, both the Netherlands and France are also in the R16 as they too cannot finish bottom of the respective groups and will end up in the top four of the third-positioned sides’ tally in a worst-case scenario.

Explained: Why Gareth Southgate's England qualified for R16 before Slovenia clash on matchday 3 at Euro 2024