Gareth Southgate: England players lack physical condition to press effectively

"We can’t press as high up the pitch as we might have done in the qualifiers."

England manager Gareth Southgate during a training session at the Spa & Golf Resort Weimarer Land in Blankenhain, Germany. Picture:: Adam Davy/PA Wire.

Gareth Southgate has suggested his England team lack the physical levels to execute his gameplan at Euro 2024 while Declan Rice has opened up on the pressure the players are feeling.

The mood in the England camp was heavy on introspection and soul-searching as they came to terms with Thursday’s 1-1 draw against Denmark. It was not so much the result, which has kept them in the driving seat to qualify for the last 16 as Group C winners. Rather the collective performance, which was defined by errors on the ball and an absence of aggression without it. The press did not work, the absence of high-intensity sprints glaring, and it was worrying to see how Denmark were able to find spaces.