North Macedonia 1-1 England: What Were The Key Talking Points As The Three Lions Sign Off Their EURO 24 Qualifying Campaign With Another Downbeat Performance?

While England might have been hoping to sign off their EURO 24 qualifying adventure with a statement on foreign soil, the Three Lions were forced to settle for an uninspiring 1-1 stalemate against North Macedonia.

Although Gareth Southgate might have made a string of enforced changes here, the European giants fell to a shock 1-0 deficit four minutes before the interval as Enis Barshi poured on a rebound after Jordan Pickford denied the Trabzonspor striker from the penalty spot.

While Jack Grealish might have thought he had bagged an equaliser just seconds after returning from the half-time break, the Manchester City ace saw his second-half strike ruled out following a lengthy VAR check.

Although England might have failed to find any kind of clinical edge in the final third, the unfortunate Jani Atanasov eventually turned into his own net on the hour mark.

However, only mustering a pair of shots on target here and set to come under more scrutiny, Southgate’s squad will know that they must produce more stability when they arrive out in Germany next year.

On a night when England missed out on a golden chance to make a Group C statement of intent, we have taken a glance at the key talking points.

England must be preparing for life after Southgate

While England might have breezed their way to next year’s European Championships as Group C winners, it is fair to say that the Three Lions have largely struggled to find top gear with much stability.

Despite marking their return to EURO 24 qualifying duties over the weekend with a 2-0 victory at home against Malta, Southgate’s side have certainly come under some increasing scrutiny.

Although the European giants might have gone through their qualifying adventure unbeaten, England have gained a reputation for their pragmatic approach under Southgate.

Failing to gain any real excitement around England supporters, the one-time Aston Villa defender simply isn’t getting the best out of an England…

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Author : Tom Dunstan

Publish date : 2023-11-21 10:08:15

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