England came under scrutiny after a 1-1 draw with Denmark in their second Euro 2024 group match, with former striker Lineker calling the performance “s***”.
Kane said that while he understands that pundits have a duty to be honest, he said that former players should be aware of the challenges of representing England given the country’s historical and consistent failures at major tournaments.
Asked specifically about Lineker’s comments, Kane replied: “Former players have got to realize that it’s very hard not to hear it now, especially for some players who are not used to it or who are in this environment. Are new.
“I always feel like they have a responsibility. I know he has to be honest and give his opinion, but he also has a responsibility as a former England player who is respected by many players. People care about what they say and people listen to them.
“Everyone has their own opinion but the bottom line is that we as a nation haven’t won anything for a long time and many of these players were also a part of it, so they know how tough it is.
“It’s not kicking anyone out. It’s just the reality that they know it’s tough to play in these major tournaments and it’s tough to play for England.
“I will never disrespect any player. I would just say remember what it’s like to wear a shirt and be heard. You must listen to it.
“We all want to win a big tournament. Being as helpful as possible and instilling confidence in the boys would be a better way to move forward in this direction.
go deeper
Gordon? Wharton? Back three? Our writers’ England XI to face Slovenia
Lineker, 63, scored 48 times in 80 matches for England between 1984 and 1992. He won the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup and was part of the England team that reached the World Cup semi-finals at Italia 90.
After England’s draw with Denmark, Lineker told the Rest Is Football podcast: “I think we have to reflect the mood of the country. I can’t imagine that anyone who is English would have enjoyed that performance because it was dull, dull. You can think of all kinds of words and swear words if you want, but this was nonsense. ,
Kane scored his first goal of the Euros against Denmark, but admitted that he was performing poorly individually in the opening two matches.
“I try to stay away from it (watching and reading media criticism) as much as possible,” he said. “I think it’s almost impossible these days not to watch certain things on all the different platforms.
“As a player, everyone has the right to their opinion and I know when a big football tournament is going on it is always heightened, performances are scrutinised. If I’m honest with myself… have I done the best I know I can? No.
“But I didn’t score in the group stage at the World Cup, I didn’t score in the group stage at the Euros. So from my point of view, being a goal ahead is a bonus. I always judge myself first and I know I can play better and I know a lot of players in the team think the same – that we can all play a little bit better. that’s what I do. I am not nervous. I don’t go too high or too low. I’m just going to keep doing what I do and move on to the next one.”
Kane hopes England will improve at Euro 2024 (Stefan Matzke – Sampix/Corbis via Getty Images)
Kane was substituted in the second half of England’s draw against Denmark, having missed the German domestic season finale due to a back injury.
Although there are concerns over the 30-year-old’s fitness, he insisted he feels fresh and has no injury concerns.
“I thought the preparation before the tournament was good for me personally,” Kane said. “Even in the first game of the tournament, I felt as fit as I have been all season. Of course, I know I lost in the second game, but it was up to the manager if he wanted to see (something) different, maybe especially to freshen up the players up front.
“From my point of view, I am fit, getting better and better in each game and getting more and more fit. I’ve talked about this same thing in previous tournaments, about trying to make sure you’re at your peak in the most important part of the tournament, which is the knockouts.
“As always, only time will tell. If we go out there will be a lot of questions asked but from my point of view, I think going into this knockout stage (it’s important) you are feeling 100 per cent and I think I am there.
Gareth Southgate’s side prepare for their final Group C clash against Slovenia on Tuesday and currently top the standings with four points.
After the draw with Denmark, Southgate said England were not at the “physical level” to exert pressure on the pitch.
Kane suggested that England struggled with the pressure of playing a back three against both Serbia and Denmark. Slovenia have fielded a back four in their opening two group stage matches, and the England captain said he hoped his team could produce a more energetic performance.
“I think playing both games against the previous three gave us a bit of confusion on the pitch,” he said. “We prepared before the game. But then I think there were some things where we couldn’t get the pressure that we wanted and we weren’t 100 percent sure about when to go and that’s tough.
“I don’t think we were good with the ball after that it felt like you were just running and running constantly. So it was difficult to change that momentum. I think in the next game, I think it will pose a different threat because of the formation… It’s more likely to be different from Slovenia. Hopefully we can show a little more energy and enthusiasm, especially without the ball and I think that will help us with the ball as well.
go deeper
Southgate feels England are too tired to press – is he right?
Analysis: What we learned from Kane’s impressive performance
Harry Kane came into the England media room at Blankenhain Castle, won a darts match, sat down, answered questions, took a sip of water and then left.
But the middle section, where the England captain spent 40 minutes setting the record straight from the camp’s perspective, was unusually illuminating.
It was decided on Sunday morning that Kane would be the player speaking at the open press conference, part of a wider Football Association strategy when it comes to deciding which voices are heard and at what moment, Kane was very Happy responsibility.
athletic Analyzes what he said and what he meant
critic of english
“The main thing is that as a nation we have not won anything for a long time and a lot of these players were part of that. He knows how hard it is,” Kane said in reference to Lineker’s taunt.
Lineker was not the only pundit to criticize England’s performance against Denmark, but as the face of football coverage for the United Kingdom’s national broadcaster, his words carry more weight than others.
Kane, while remaining respectful and giving several warnings, clearly wanted to remain with the team despite the negativity heaped upon him.
their own fitness
“I felt as fit as I have been all season. I know I lost in the second game, but it was down to the manager if he wanted to look at something different and freshen up the players up front. It is important to go into this knockout stage feeling 100 per cent and I feel I am there.”
Kane quickly dispelled any notion that he was not fully fit, missing Bayern Munich’s final game of the season due to a back injury.
He looked off pace in England’s opening two matches at Euro 2024, but he tried to reassure supporters there is no need to be concerned about his fitness levels.
Tactical conflicts in early games
“I think playing both games against the previous three gave us a bit of confusion on the pitch. We had prepared before the game. But then I think there were some things where we couldn’t get the pressure that we wanted and we weren’t 100 percent sure about when to go and that’s tough.”
After the Denmark match, Kane said that the players did not know when to apply pressure. This was a terrible revelation. And he has now added a little more context to that assessment, noting how it was playing against the back three that disrupted the forward line’s triggers. Playing against Slovenia’s potential back four should alleviate this problem.
keep ‘calm’ and carry on
“I think we’re cool. A lot of us have come here and done it and we’ve given the England fans some great times. I know 99 percent (fans) are totally behind us. Then you can judge us after the tournament.”
The word ‘calm’ was used three times by Kane during several answers in his press conference.
The message coming from the England camp after Denmark is that, although performances have been lackluster, they are staying comfortable – or trying to. Kane reiterated that message on Sunday, urging supporters to save their final judgment until after the Three Lions tournament.
(Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Discover more from news2source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
