Euro 2024: Will fan fury shape Gareth Southgate’s future as England manager?

He admits himself that he is unlikely to remain as England manager if they do not win Euro 2024 and even if they do triumph – a long stretch it seems on current form – moments like these are likely to come into calculations about his future given attention he has paid to them before.

England’s Euro 2024 has been a muddled, joyless affair so far, despite reaching the last 16 and having a pathway to the final that could be regarded as favourable if only they could actually play to the potential that made them pre-tournament favourites.

Previous tournaments have been outwardly, genuinely, optimistic and upbeat affairs but in Germany England have given the impression of being flat as they are reduced to answering detractors and defending poor performances while the manager has to discuss objects being thrown at him by his own supporters.

It has felt like a fire-fighting exercise since the fault lines in Southgate’s strategy were exposed by Denmark.

It has created an “end of days” atmosphere where every England display feels like a day nearer to the end of Southgate’s overwhelmingly positive time in charge.

The plus point for England is there is still time for the narrative to change and for Southgate to turn the criticism on its head, but there has been nothing so far to suggest this will happen.

Southgate’s managerial touch has also been unsure, especially when it comes to the heart of the team in midfield.

He admitted the decision to play Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold alongside Declan Rice was “an experiment”, which he ended after 54 minutes of England’s second game against Denmark. He was replaced by Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher against Slovenia but he was hauled off at half-time.

Manchester United teenager Kobbie Mainoo and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer impressed as substitutes to press their claims, although Phil Foden having to return home for personal reasons adds another layer of uncertainty.

Southgate has not been helped by captain Harry Kane’s struggles to make an impact and the dramatic dip in form of young superstar Jude Bellingham after his match-winning performance in the opening win against Serbia. He was horribly out of sorts as Slovenia kept England out, losing the ball 16 times and indulging in some poor body language when things did not go for him.